New York PBS station criticizes reality TV with fake subway ads

By Grady Smith Updated May 28, 2013 at 12:00 PM EDT

A series of new posters that chides the state of modern television has begun appearing in subways throughout New York City this week.

The prints, distributed by Thirteen, a local PBS station, advertise outlandish, fake shows with names like Knitting Wars and Bayou Eskimos alongside the biting tagline, “The fact that you thought this was a real show says a lot about the state of TV.”

“It’s pretty scary when you look out there and see what’s on television these days,” Jeff Anderson, Executive Creative Director at CHI & Partners NY(the ad agency that created the campaign) said in a release. “If New Yorkers want an inspiring and educational option, they need to get behind a network that we sometimes take for granted.”

EW has obtained copies of all five posters that will appear in subways until the end of June, and while we’re 98 percent in agreement with the sentiment and snark, we also kiiiiinda want to see Knitting Wars on the air, if only because the “It’s Sew On” kicker had us in… stitches.

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