US Patent 8677415 On-screen program guide with interactive programming recommendations

A subscriber to a video service generally has available to them an on-screen program guide. The program guide lists programming (e.g., TV shows) that are available to the subscriber for a certain upcoming time period. The programming guide may sort the listings by channel and time, areas of interest, age appropriateness and/or MPAA or TV rating, free or additional cost, etc. In an embodiment, the programming guide includes an ability to make a selection to see which TV shows are recommended by reviewers. Such reviewers may be individuals or panels or institutions to which some credibility may be attached—a trusted source. After selecting a reviewer, the subscriber is made aware of the programs recommended by the selected reviewer.