American Life Network: Home of the Classic Re-Rerun

A few years ago, I finally got access to American Life Network, and it quickly became one of my favorite channels. TV Land was already on a rapid decline, and American Life offered all sorts of cool old Warner Brothers shows. There were even some uncool ones, but, hey, most of the stuff wasn't on anywhere else, and it was good to see someone making an effort to show TV of the 1950s-1970s, even if you had to sift through a bunch of original "lifestyle" programs supposedly aimed at baby boomers.

Then the network signed a library deal to gain rights to a bunch of old Fox and MTM programs, and though I missed some of the departing shows, I appreciated the effort to freshen things up. Plus I welcomed "Newhart," "Lou Grant," "WKRP," and even the old Irwin Allen sci-fi. It was a pretty good lineup, though it was frustrating that most shows only aired once a week.

It still is, actually. The problem is, American Life is running the same episodes over and over again. At first, it was an occasional thing, with early episodes sprinkled in every month or so, followed by another "new to the channel" installment the next week. It's been months, though, since a new "Newhart" or "Lou Grant," and I'm thinking we're not gonna get any more.

I don't know if the library deal was only for a few seasons of each show, if they are repeating heavily now to save fresher episodes for later on, or what, but I'm watching less and less of American Life. Hopefully things will pick up there. I realize "Newhart" is now on WGN and that some of these programs, like "Lou Grant," are now online, but come on! American Life can do better.