Not-history makes money

A while back I ranted about the septic tank of crap programming that calls itself the History Channel. Conceding that other cable channels like AMC and MTV had changed themselves out of all recognition from what their original names suggested, I nevertheless wondered, "What is the History Channel's excuse for its steady drift toward mentally enfeebling dreck?"

Apparently, the excuse is money -- piles of it.

The final ratings for 2011 will show that History, a unit of A + E Networks, attracted more middle-aged men than any other cable channel except ESPN. Among all prime-time viewers, History was No. 5 on cable this year, up from No. 8 last year.

And it's not just this year that History has done well: it has increased its audience year-over-year for the past five years. That's a hell of a record.

It's also a hell of a statement about what middle-aged men like to watch.

What History has is reality TV — and its success also attests to the success of documentary-style dramas and competitions featuring average people.

Once again, I'm out -- way, way out -- of the mainstream.