I can honestly say I tried to give TV Guide a chance, even with on line listings so prevalent. However, they fail to list all the channels my cable provider has in my area, so it's pretty pointless. I tried to give it a chance in the 21st century, but found it to be the most worthless magazine ever. Glad to see they are revamping.

And even the TVGuide.com website sucks ass. The last time I tried to go there, it was all flash animation and pop ups. No thanks. About as annoying as their "channel."

I hardly use the listings at all but the reason I get it at all is for those listings (mostly my wife, but I don't always feel like looking on the web, and I hate using the guides on the tv). The listings were barely tolerable as it was (since they started showing daytime all in a grid) so this will most likely be my last TV Guide subscription.

I hardly use the listings at all but the reason I get it at all is for those listings (mostly my wife, but I don't always feel like looking on the web, and I hate using the guides on the tv). The listings were barely tolerable as it was (since they started showing daytime all lumped together) so this will most likely be my last TV Guide subscription.

This is a good decision for a variety of reasons... but I doubt it'll be enough to get me to ever subscribe. I get enough "TV-based news" through both this forum and just general pop-culture osmosis. I have no need to pay for it.

We have not purchased an actual TV Guide since back in the 80's, but out of unconcious habit, we still call our Sunday paper TV listing booklet as the "TV Guide". At least the "TV Guide" name will live on in our household for generations to come...

8^B

The last two times I recall buying a TV Guide, was the last two Elvis issues with the CD singles on the front (I'm bit on the obsessive side with CD things like that). I don't even think I read the insides.

Here's a pic comparing the size of the new version:

I like the small format. I just don't need the listings anymore.

If you read TV Guide, you don't need a TV!

I had cable from 1987-90, and TV Guide was an absolute must. I'd spend an hour each week circling the shows I was going to tape. Now they act like TV doesn't exist between midnight and 8am; no listings for late night/early morning.

Anybody pick up the new format and care to comment?



Mine should be in the mailbox waiting for me.

I've always hated the way tvguide had it's listings and much preferred the guide that came in my Sunday paper, but I stopped using paper tv listings ages ago. Good move on tvguides part.

I got a look at it today. It's strange, because it's more or less the same content, but I had to keep reminding myself I wasn't reading Entertainment Weekly. It kind of feels like the same tone as that mag now. All the previous B&W sections are in full-color now, which is nice. They've added a few new things here and there that don't really interest me but I don't hate either.

As for the listings, they're essentially unchanged except that there are NO local listings of any sort. They have network listings, but simply list 'Local Programming' for the non-network time blocks. They have color-coded this section, which makes it a bit more legible.

I got my new copy today. What a piece of crap! No daily listings, just grids and highlights. Perfect for the person who reads People. I waited to renew so I could judge the new format. I'm not renewing but they automatically renewed for me (and said I owed them $51.16)! The f***ing nerve! I sent off a blistering email to them.

I got mine today also. At a first quick glance it appears to be fairly dopey.
I only get it now via the free year sub that will run out in Dec.
When that happens, fine. I won't seek to renew.

It's always looked pointless to me. A tiny little book that requires great force to keep open, just to remind you that your life is only free during reruns of Alf and The Golden Girls.

Damn you, TVGuide. Damn j00000!

I've got the pretty much endless subscription for free going on too, but the only thing I really ever cared about in TV Guide was the crossword puzzle. Even 30 years ago, that was why my dad subscribed...

i use tv guide all the time. i don't have tivo and don't wanna look up listings on the internet when i need in a flash. i just got the new one and it starts from Mon and goes to Sun. and no more "late night" listings...they end at 10:30pm...for every day, including weekends. i will get used to it, but i won't like it. -edit- the late night listings are there (in a 2 pager at the end and no local listings)

If it's like Entertainment Weekly now and just a dollar, I will pick it up if nothing more than to just have something to page through on break at work.

I hope there's more reviews from Matt Roush, my favorite television reviewer. He has the same taste as USA Today's Robert Bianco, without the stick up his ass.

calhoun is correct - it's basically Entertainment Weekly now for the TV set. The print is a large font, so while it's the normal size of a magazine, there's perhaps only half the content you would get in a standard issue of EW.

It's okay...I have a subscription for a while, so I'll be getting it for a while. It has a GREAT interview with the producers of LOST for the first issue...if it can keep having one or two articles like this per issue, I'll keep reading.

My earliest TV Guide goes back to the early 70's with an aritcle about newcomer Michael Douglas from 'The Streets of San Francisco'. It's amazing to see how many cigarette ads are in this thing.

Please tell me they kept the insanely thick carboard pages that made it impossible to thumb to the page you wanted. Where else can people buy dolls, collectible plates, and figurines?

the least they could do is have naked celebrity pictures.

Nope, the only thick cardboard in the issue is several inserts for TV Guide subscriptions.

It's not even a "guide" anymore. Although it highlights shows for every night of the week, I can't imagine anyone using this to see what's on TV "tonight" or "right now". It's definitely just another weekly entertainment mag now. Not horrible, but I can't see it surviving long in its current format (I say two or three years and the magazine will fold).

I subscribed online a few weeks back when they were advertising the new format. I haven't received my first issue yet. I hope I get it soon.