Maplebar sums up the reasons... I'll try to provide some help.
The Brewing Network is actually pretty extract-friendly. But it's usually extract in the sense of "buy some extract, buy some crystal malt/roasted barley" style that you mentioned.
The thing about Coopers kits is that you've NO idea how fresh they are. That's the beauty of all-grain (you can tell). But that being said, you can get dry malt extract and the freshness isn't such a crucial issue, or go to a store that has a very high turnover of it's liquid extracts. In Seattle, the Cellar fits this bill.
Also, the Jamil Show (on the Brewing Network) used to do style shows (30 minutes devoted to a single style) if I recall correctly, and they always offered an extract version.