RIP, Television Without Pity

I was a frequent visitor of Television Without Pity (TWoP) back in 2004 to 2008. I have signed up for an account and joined in the discussion of TV episodes a few times, before I settled to lurker status and just visited the forum to read.

I was too afraid to post anything, really. I feared the admins and mods (like a few others, c'mon admit it!). They were almost draconian in their rules enforcement; their system was legendary. However, this worked for the site so well, I guess, because back then, if you would like to find sensible and quality TV discussion, TWoP was where it's at.

TWoP: Where I learned to love TV even more. 

TWoP-ers had a lot of hardcore television fans who were not just fanatics. The site attracted geeky snarks who spent their time breaking down every storyline, character, backstory, behind the scenes, and what-have-you's of an episode or a series. To someone who watches TV casually, TWoP-ers' viewing habits would be some kind of annoyance. Some of the posters there even behave as though they are better than the showrunners and the writers of TV. (Sometimes, they do have the best ideas, though!)

It was in this forum where I learned to appreciate the process of watching a show on a different level.  The people in this community fed my TV addiction so much, I wholeheartedly agree that It's Hard To Imagine The Internet Without Television Without Pity.

Well, the website is closing down.

When NBCU bought it sometime in 2007, there were big changes that made TWoP a slightly different place. I still go there once in a while to feel the pulse of TV fans about certain shows or episodes. (In fact, the last time I was there was just the other week. I wanted to find out what other viewers thought of The 100 and if they liked it like I did.) But since it became a "corporate site" and no longer a "fan site", it wasn't the same anymore.

Still, it's hard to process that it will soon shut down.

After May 31st, the archives of TWoP will no longer be available to the public, which is a pity (pity!) because that site was a treasure trove of resources for anyone who loves television.

Goodbye, TWoP.

I lost countless hours sifting through your threads and learning a whole lot more about a TV show than I ever could anywhere else. Those were great times!

You will be missed.