That's really interesting! I've never thought about how much more complex and difficult to follow a lot of shows are now. However, I don't know if that necessarily makes them "smarter" or makes it any more beneficial for us to watch them. All in the Family may not have had 20 story lines to follow, but it had subtle social commentary and addressed issues that were shocking and forced the viewers at the time to think. Just because 24 has multiple story lines doesn't mean it isn't mindless in a different way. Mindless violence without fully addressing consequences or dealing with the accompanying complex emotional problems dumbs down the show in a different way.

Also, I take issue with the writer's assertion that today's reality tv is better than that of the 70s. Has he seen Rock of Live? Or Jersey Shore? Those shows make the people on Survivor look like geniuses.