The day has finally come when my cable television company has, in effect, announced, “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”
In other words, they are dropping Turner Classic Movies from my subscription, and if I want it back, I must pay another $12 per month to subscribe to another tier of "service."
My company is Spectrum, but this obviously is not an uncommon event and many of you have already experienced this disappointment, or perhaps have never even been offered TCM as part of your package. I've enjoyed the channel for over twenty years, at least, and it has made a great difference in my life and in the writing of this blog. I'll miss it very much.
I do intend at some point to "cut the cord," as they say and find my way to cheaper, possibly better, service. But at present, that's not possible. I care for my older sister at home who has a number of serious medical issues and she is used to her own favorite channels (she watches far more TV than I do), and changing to a completely different setup would be too disruptive and confusing for her. I can live without TCM for a while; there are certainly other outlets to enjoy classic films, and like many of you, I have a number of favorites on DVD and VHS that I continue to enjoy.
But it is something of a milestone for me, that I cannot help but look upon with some wistful remembrance.
Jacqueline T. Lynch is the author of Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. and Movies in Our Time - Hollywood Mirrors and Mimics the Twentieth Century and Hollywood Fights Fascism. Her latest book is Christmas in Classic Films. TO JOIN HER READERS' GROUP - follow this link for a free book as a thank-you for joining.