The magical power of the TV guide

What’s the most important invention of the twentieth century, and why does no one use it any more? Matt Locke makes a good, brief case for the television schedule.

For nearly a century, a simple list, based around the hours of the day, structured the daily habits of millions of people, shaped the careers of politicians and celebrities, and powered a multi-billion dollar advertising industry.

The power of a timetable that coordinated millions of people’s viewing habits was huge. Not only because large numbers of people could be influenced by the same shows, but because everyone knew that everyone else was watching, generating common knowledge.

Common knowledge is a fascinating topic, vital for brand advertising but also for many forms of social coordination.

In Television is the New Television, Michael Woolff argues that effects like this are underappreciated and TV has more value than people realise even in an internet-enabled age.

But perhaps the interesting question is what happens when always-on streaming video leaves audiences fragmented and breaks the coordinating power of a shared schedule? And as algorithmic streams attempt to fill the gap, what does that do to our society?