My rating is more of a 4.5
Thanks for reading!
𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒅.
𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒅.
Network is a 1976 American satirical drama film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, written by Paddy Chayefsky and directed by Sidney Lumet. It is about a fictional television network, the Union Broadcasting System (UBS; sometimes referred to as "UBS-TV"; situated in the film as the "fourth television network" after NBC, CBS, & ABC), and its struggle with poor ratings.
With Lumet and Chayfskys’ careers in production starting in the 1950s, 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 is informed by the then new and developing phenomenon that was television broadcasting, specifically in terms of finding out what American viewers wanted to watch in their free time; the concurrent affordability of T.V.s culminated in its usual indulgence, with the establishment of a given ‘fanbase’ often at odds with the Cold War and a general state of anti-communist paranoia. Often reduced to sitcoms meant to dramatize the lives of everyday citizens - or programs that could be cheaply produced - Lumet and Chayfskys’ observations run amok in the conversant and critical nature of 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 : namely as a sort of “hive-mind” for profit based margins and relative hierarchies within. Subsequently, it’s easy to get lost in relative jargon, much less downplay the effects of UBS-TV’s ratings proving poor (I can’t help but wonder as I watch: Does anyone besides Howard Beale worry about losing their jobs around here?), but perhaps what was allowed on air tells us a completely different story.
Concerns about the misuse of broadcast licenses by the three main networks established at the time (NBC, AMC, and CBS), The Fairness Doctrine was enacted by Congress in 1954, and mandated the devotion of time to contrasting views on issues of “public importance”; this was namely meant to disrupt the presence of an obviously biased agenda, and is one of many things that underscores the importance of reporting on the news objectively.
As has been observed over 40 years later, 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 puts what sells quickly versus what makes a lasting impression, bearing in mind to what end desensitization to the ills that should be reported on is a by product of having too much to report on in the first place. That in mind, 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌’s Diana Christensen finds herself on the forefront of a subsection of entertainment that emerged as a distinct genre in the 90s and more-or-less circumvents barriers to profitable broadcasting, albeit shamefully: ‘Reality TV ‘. Acting more in the ballpark of “contrived” over “scripted”, Beale’s fate speaks to more than just the danger of weaponizing “realism” with ulterior motives; we, as viewers, are forced to see the difficulty in reconciling journalistic integrity with what makes the most money, which turns out to be an imminent trainwreck conducted with prophetical (And almost know-it-all) charm.
Of course, due to the transient nature of news and newsworthy topics or personas, some of 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 is but a doomed cacophony of ‘to-be-continued’ or unfinished business. Without due exposition or insight judgments can't really be made about who specifically is being called out as corrupt or shallow, except to say its grip on unempathetic broadcasting and subsequent consumption is reflected in social media trends and the like in this modern day. Reflected in the target audience is the extent to which real-life viewers are expected to bear through and anticipate an inundation of stories that run the gambit of heartwarming to hurtful to inciteful at record speed; the question becomes more a matter of frequency in terms of how much our feelings are manipulated by mass media, answered by what are stand-ins for an elusive ‘15 minutes of fame’, and ultimately resembles an antithesis to the stability people knowingly crave.
Somehow, 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 at its best is something of betrayal given what Lumet and Chayefsky owe the institution that is television broadcasting as it made their talents known in the United States and beyond. At its absolute worst it starts suggesting that relative programming is reminiscent of some Satanic ritual that requires an excess of moral compromise to keep its gear sufficiently waxed; which, speaking of, the Fairness Doctrine as described above was abolished in 1987 on the account of it violating a person’s right to free speech. Almost ironically, there’s no room for gratitude here: a shame really, as this medium has its own role to play in efforts to globalize a message or unify groups of people by way of concern and the like. One shouldn’t be so quick to deduce this as some responsibility gauntlet, however: the more immediate high that ✨clickbait✨ exploits speaks for itself now more than ever. Some viewers will remain oblivious as to what 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 suggests viewers keep on their person to avoid falling victim to reporting bias with jadedness, but then again: Is this really news?
| Additional DVD options | Edition | Discs | Price | New from | Used from |
|
DVD
November 9, 2010 "Please retry" | — | 1 | $8.08 | — |
|
DVD
February 24, 1998 "Please retry" | — | — | $10.00 | $3.31 |
Watch Instantly with 
| Rent | Buy |
Frequently bought together
This item: Network (Two-Disc Special Edition)
$18.46
Get it as soon as Wednesday, Jun 25
In Stock
+
+![One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest [DVD]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71+hOyY129L._AC_UL116_SR116,116_.jpg)
$11.67
Get it as soon as Wednesday, Jun 25
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Total price: $00
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start over
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2024
- Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2025
- Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2012
