10,000,000 Channels And Nothing On

"I am gross and perverted,

I'm obsessed and deranged

I have existed for years,

But very little has changed"

I almost put this together in the style of an in-universe channel guide, but that's a daunting task and a daunting task means I'd probably never actually write this article. Television still exists in the future, obviously, but popular culture in the real world has changed. Anyway, SR3 doesn't give a whole lot of great examples for what's on to begin with. SR5 and 6 probably make great strides in updating and filling out what trideo entertainment is like. However, instead of doing boring research then regurgitating all of that, I figured I'd just make up my own stuff. Consider this a set of examples to help you come up with your own world details, whether you're a player or a GM. 

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Taking It Like a Man [Mitsuhama, 3 Seasons]

Synopsis: The show follows Daniel Fullerton, a 35 year old wageslave who works in a Mitsuhama receiving center. At random times during his day, Daniel is struck in the genitals. This occurs more and more frequently and in increasingly bizarre situations as seasons continue, with Mitsuhama contriving more and more elaborate stunts that Daniel is (initially) unaware of.

Highlights: In season one, Daniel is unaware of the show until the season finale, wherein he is assaulted by "ninjas" who have broken into his house for the sole purpose of repeatedly punching him in the testicles. The cameras follow him to the hospital, where a troll orderly "accidentally" runs into his crotch with a wheelchair. In season two, Daniel becomes aware of the cameras and the show and begins trying to evade them both. Because of this, he is assigned an armored camera drone to follow him continuously. Fans of the first season begin to recognize Daniel and "join in on the fun". Daniel suffers a mental breakdown in the season two finale when the therapist he hired to cope with his time on the show punches him in the crotch. In the premiere of the third season, Daniel murders an actor with a pen knife once he realizes he's in another contrived situation. The rest of the season continues with Daniel occasionally having to evade the law and show "employees" now being armed. The latest season is the most popular yet and the show is signed for three more.

Fishbone's House [Shadowlands, 10 Seasons]

Synopsis: Papa Fishbone is a retired veteran of running and Houngan of Ghede. He uploads a structured show to the Shadowlands node which provides amusing but useful commentary and advice for new runners. He reviews footage from various sources such as opticams, gun-cams and stolen security footage. His "reviews" are often requests, but not always. Other personalities on the show include a plastic Halloween skeleton poorly rigged into a puppet which acts sarcastic and mean to Papa, and a former running mate of his named Snow Fairy who provides expert advice whenever the Matrix or computer technology is concerned. 

Highlights: Papa's show was raided at some point during season seven. Papa channels a great form spirit of Ghede on camera and kills the Wuxing strike team sent after him while mocking them with heavy criticism. Afterward, Papa sits down while still possessed by Ghede and finishes the show while puppeting the corpse of a Wuxing secmage to provide a foil to his run commentary. The entire double-length episode is uploaded as a "Halloween Special". 

Heartblips [Renraku, 2 Seasons]

Synopsis: Heartblips is a serious relationship drama set solely on the Matrix. The show's main gimmick is its POV selection mode, where viewers can follow several of the show's characters at any given moment. Watching the show while on the Matrix has proven wildly popular thanks to this gimmick and the many re-watches an average viewer can expect to find easter eggs and hidden details. 

Highlights: In Season One, Slicer and Hair Trigger's relationship proves rocky when Slicer accidentally finds information on Hair Trigger's real identity. In an unexpected twist, Slicer is unbothered by Hair Trigger's gender, but their real job as a Renraku security decker spells trouble for the pair's future. A popular B-plot in both seasons consists of the programmer Slowish trying to design an Agent that can act as a digital version of his late dog. Copies of the Agent were sold by Renraku following the plot's resolution. In the Season Two finale, Stained Glass Angel is revealed to be an AI with no physical presence at all: a fact that dedicated fans of the show have been collecting evidence of since the first episode.

Midtown Mike's Fun with Guns[ARES, 15 Seasons]

Synopsis: Modeled ironically after a daytime television show, hosts and experts review, test and showcase weapon technology. "Midtown Mike" has been recast several times, with in-jokes and subtle references being the only way this is acknowledged at all. The current Mike is a slightly overweight troll prone to excitement and yelling, especially when a guest brings him a troll-modified version of the weapon being showcased that episode. The show essentially only exists as ARES propaganda, with only ARES products receiving positive reviews. Every show features several structured segments, such as Wuss Watch, wherein nonlethal technology is "reviewed", mocked, and given a score of  "zero" regardless of merit. The current Mike frequently demands nonlethal technology be used directly on him. 

Highlights: Several Midtown Mikes have been seriously injured on-screen, and frequently these accidents are the host's final episode. One Midtown Mike died on-screen thanks to a malfunction with an Ares Longbow Light Anti-Tank Weapon. The footage was edited out of re-runs, but still exists on the Matrix. Several former hosts returned for the show's tenth anniversary reunion, and a recent "Behind the Scenes" special episode revealed that Midtown Mikey, the show's only female host, has stayed on in a behind-the-camera expert role. 

Midnight Makeover[Independent, 6 Seasons]

Synopsis: A team of five explicitly LGBT experts (including former runners) perform style makeovers on both the willing and unwilling. The show alternates between two styles of episode. The first and most common focuses on "shadow" fashion and helping runners and posers alike stay fashionable and avoid "edgelord" style while wearing body armor. One of the hosts(a retired combat decker) has a particular grudge against black leather aesthetic. Twice per season there is a special double-length episode where a corporate executive is kidnapped then publicly humiliated, usually by forcing or locking them into a ridiculous costume. These episodes are commonly thought to be runs that Midnight Makeover is explicitly being paid to perform, but this has never been stated on-camera. 

Highlights: During the latest season, a Transgressive Makeover victim was proving especially slippery. The team breaks into their house, replaces every stitch of clothing in the building and disables their matrix access. Then, the show's decker manufactures an emergency at the exec's facility so the victim is forced to arrive at work in an oversized neon green suit which strobes randomly and plays sound effects. He is subsequently fired and the team spends the final five minutes of the episode celebrating.

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These were fun to write, I might even do more in the future.  As you can see, I've got a lot to say about entertainment in the world of Shadowrun, particularly "Shadow Entertainment". I can imagine an enormous underbelly of Shadow Shows uploaded to the matrix, or even whole pirated stations. Papa Fishbone's show is an idea I had a long, long time ago and is even partly validated by Shadowrun's canon: There's a sponsored corporate show listed in the Sprawl Survival Guide examples which contains outtakes and accidents from Desert Wars. If that exists, it means a lot of other shit does too. I also especially like the idea of runners helping other runners, which is something that kind of already happens as canon via the in-universe comments the books are littered with. 

A final thought: if you thought these shows were especially ridiculous, violent or even cruel: Congratulations. You understand Shadowrun.