What's wrong with The Weather Channel giving the weather? Probably the same thing as MTV Music Television playing music. We don't learn much from The Learning Channel now that it's TLC, and American Movie Classics turned to original drama series when it became AMC.
The Weather Channel sadly joins the long list of cable channels essentially dissing their core viewership to appeal to new viewers by downplaying what made them famous.
Last week, TWC took aim at channel surfers with a Friday night movie showcase, hot on the heels of the celeb-happy morning show they started last spring.
At least the host of Wake Up With Al (weekdays at 6 a.m. ET, Weather) was/is a weatherman, even if Al Roker does spend his time chatting up the likes of Tina Fey and Jim Cramer (not coincidentally plugging projects on corporate siblings under the NBC umbrella).
Weather's Friday movie showcase tries to stay tangentially rooted, too, spotlighting films that feature snow, storms and other climactic crises.
Last week's movie kickoff was oceanic disaster flick The Perfect Storm. (Its debut was pretty stormy for TWC, too, judging by this report on ill-placed ad breaks.) This week's title is March of the Penguins (Friday at 8 p.m. ET, Weather), and next week, stretching the rules just a bit, it's the Stephen King suspenser Misery (Nov. 13 at 8 p.m. ET, Weather).
Which does take place in a snowy locale. But come on. What's next? The Wizard of Oz, because of that tornado?
Crazy me -- when I tune to The Weather Channel, I actually want to know what's up with the weather.