Turner Classic Movies, often abbreviated to TCM, is one of the most famous cable channels in the world and is a must-have for any good cable package provider. The medium of film has been around for over 100 years and has a rich and beautiful history of many films and iconic artists. However, for many people their movie diet consists solely of modern movies, with the oldest movies probably being a Disney animated movie or one of many. Star Wars movies.
But in times like these, when movies come and go from the public eye in the blink of an eye, TCM has been a home to classic Hollywood movies, to preserve them for an older audience who miss the movies of their youth, or as a gateway for a younger audience to discover some of the classics. It is entertaining as well as an educational resource and one of the best film schools for people interested in learning about cinema.
Updated September 10, 2022: This article has been updated to reflect current changes regarding TCM and its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.
TCM, like many networks, has had to evolve in recent years to reach a younger audience, and a recent change in context will hopefully usher in a new era for the network, one that can reach a wider audience possible, while also preserving the aspects that have made the network a favorite with movie buffs for years.
TCM history
TCM was the brainchild of Ted Turner. In the 1980s, Turner acquired Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and their classic movie library until 1986. This library served as the foundation for TCM programming, and in 1996, after Turner Broadcasting System merged with Time Warner, the network also acquired the Warner Bros. library.
The first movie broadcast on TCM was Gone with the wind, when the channel launched at 6 p.m. Eastern Time on April 14, 1994; the time was chosen for its historical significance as the centenary of the first public film screened in New York City. Since then, the network has hosted a wide variety of films from different studios, as a glimpse into the rich history of cinema.
TCM scheme, programming and format
TCM is a must-see for movie fans, as it specializes in classic movies, mainly before the 1980s, and they are broadcast without commercials with special respect for filmmaking and the history of cinema. The short breaks between the films offer promos for other programs or advertise their various products and merchandise, such as the TCM Wine Club which was founded in 2015 and offers wines by mail order from famous vineyards, such as the winery of the famous writer-director-producer Francis Ford Coppola with special themed wines based on classic movies. TCM even shows old short films that were previously lost during these breaks.
One of the most notable aspects of TCM is the various hosts who introduce the film beforehand and then discuss the film afterwards. The most notable was Robert Osborne, who had been with the network since it launched in 1994 and was there until 2016 as the face of the network until his passing on March 6, 2017. Osborne set the template for a TCM host; informative, welcoming and passionate about cinema. He was eloquent and inviting, and people of all ages could listen to him for hours when he talks about movies. Current hosts include Ben Mankiewicz, Jacqueline Stewart and Alicia Malone to name a few, all of which help to give each film an educational and informative setting and make TCM more than a network; they make it a community.
The network also likes to keep special monthly themes in its TCM schedule, such as a focus on a special star, a genre, and even seasonal blocks like the network’s. 31 days of Oscars block, where the network pays special attention to Academy Award winners and nominees. They have weekly themed nights, such as Silent Sundays with classic silent movies, and Noir Alley on Saturday nights and Sunday mornings, with beautiful film noirs. At the other end of the cinematic spectrum, the network’s TCM Underground is a Friday night cult movie show previously hosted by Rob Zombie in an effort to draw more young viewers to Turner’s older, skewed audience.
TCM Streaming Attempts
Over the past twelve years, audience viewing habits have changed, especially among the younger audience who stream movies instead of cable. While Netflix has a huge catalog of movies, the classic movie collection has always been one that audiences sorely missed to stream as the company prefers modern movies or their own originals. In an effort to reach a younger audience, TCM launched its own streaming service, FilmStruck, in 2016 in partnership with the major Criterion Collection. was a victim of the restructuring of TCM’s parent company WarnerMedia after its acquisition by AT&T, and the service ended on November 29, 2018.
Shortly after, it was announced that TCM would be one of the main hubs on the upcoming WarnerMedia streaming service, HBO Max, which launched on May 27, 2020. It’s a great resource for many movie fans to have access to classic Hollywood movies alongside regular HBO programming and DC material, and includes many of the network’s important contextual pieces that would air before or after the movies. of the added feature of each movie on the app, giving viewers the full TCM experience.
With all the commotion in recent months regarding the Warner Bros. and Discovery to Warner Bros. Discovery and the cancellation of many projects and the possible merger between HBO Max and Discovery+, there is currently no word about the future of TCM, but one envisions it becoming a major pillar of the new combined streaming service.
TCM’s 2021 Re-Brand: The Four C’s
On September 1, 2021, TCM introduced a new logo and slogan, “Where Then Meets Now”, in the network’s first major rebrand since launch. The new logo puts a special emphasis on the C (as The Criterion Collection does), which represents classics but now has new meanings. The new company-wide motto is the four Cs: curation, context, connection and culture.
While TCM has always been about film conservation and educating the public, the films and discussion typically had a traditional white, male lens. The network has broadened the presenters and their backgrounds, diversified representation and attempted to step out of the traditional film canon by bringing in films from different places and time periods that offer alternative points of view.
This change does two important things: it allows TCM to attract new viewers, as well as educate their existing audience about other topics, such as showing lost hidden movies or having difficult discussions. While the Golden Age of Hollywood has a certain sheen to it, there are ugly things that need to be discussed and contextualized, such as rampant racism and sexism; TCM does this regularly and has also created an exclusive platform for it with their series Reframed classics. These conversations can be difficult, but they are important and make for a well-rounded movie conversation.
TCM has been around for 28 years and the network has changed quite a bit over time, but the core principles of Turner Classic Movies remain the same and hopefully future generations will enjoy it, either as a link to the past or a hope for a better educated future. .