...and there's nothing on...
Remember, in days of yore, when the TV Guide was reasonably accurate? Remember when TV shows started on the hour or half hour? Remember when your favourite TV pretty much owned its timeslot?
Now we’re becoming accustomed to shows that start at odd times, run well over the advertised timeslot, and the really good TV shows being moved to “a new special time” every few weeks, to screen Kitchens Have Talent, or whatever competition/reality show; an event of such monumental importance that all other TV shows must make way.
The first time I came across this practice was in Spain, where the preferred format for free-to-air TV seems to be interrupting commercials with TV shows. That was almost ten years ago and I was amazed they got away with it. Ha!
What’s worse, this keep ’em guessing approach to TV programming is a deliberate ploy to keep people from changing channels ie. any important announcement, such as who is to be sent packing, comes at the end and this end will not occur until well into the next time slot. What’s that? You’ve missed the start of another show on another station? Well, fancy that...
Also, if you tune in expecting one program to start at 8.30 (ish) but the previous show is still building up to the big announcement, which takes about 20 extra minutes, and you keep it on while waiting for the next show then technically you’ve been watching it haven’t you?
It seems freedom of choice is not a concept TV programmers are familiar with, or if they are familiar with it, clearly they want to do away with it. None of these people should ever be allowed to run for public office.
The most annoying part of this is that high quality (read: expensive to make) shows are shunted around (if they get a showing at all), from prime time, to 10.50 on Monday nights, then Thursday nights, then occasionally on a digital station whenever the station has an hour to fill. Then it disappears from our screens completely. The explanation? It wasn’t getting good ratings. Well, of course it isn’t getting good ratings. NO BODY KNOWS WHEN IT IS ON!!
Then there are the shows that rate through the roof, so the stations decide to put on double episodes on Wednesday, only one of which is a new episode, plus every night at 7.00pm. Continuity? Pah! Once it was a joke that Channel 10 seemed to have the Simpsons on a loop. Turns out it was a glimpse of the future.
Apparently, these odd starting times shouldn’t really bother people these days as we are all used to pay TV, where it is de rigueur. Well, no as a matter of fact. I don’t have pay TV and last time I checked only a third of TV viewers do.
If you were in a position to ask, and they could be bothered answering, the free-to-air channels might say they make these decisions based on the unprecedented competition they face in the area of entertainment. There’s the internet these days, they say, which takes up people’s time and also allows them to download shows. If they aren’t that technically minded, they can buy the DVD.
Thing is, though, I suspect the reason people are downloading shows or buying the DVDs is not necessarily because they are time-poor or because they like using their latest gadget. I think it’s because they know it’s the only way of seeing a show from beginning to end. TV stations cannot be relied upon to give a show a chance to find an audience in the first place and even if it does, the audience has to play hide-and-seek to see it. And they wonder why they are losing audience numbers!
It might seem quaint and old-fashioned but I don’t mind having to wait until the next season is shown next year. I like having “my TV program” and having it to look forward to during the week. I don’t even mind a bit of suspense, waiting for the next episode. These days, and this is a positive development, there is not much of a delay between new episodes being shown in the UK or US and here in Oz (although some people consider anything other than simultaneous screenings outrageous and have to get their hands on it as soon as possible. Where do they get the time anyway? Don’t they have jobs, families, friends, pets?).
I don’t think people’s viewing habits are changing quite as quickly as technology advances. I think the commercial TV station that showed programs when they say they will would attract viewers. Giving a show a chance to be found might also attract extra viewers as well. And if they are going to show a repeat, let the audience know.
Or something. Mainly, stop treating your audience like mugs and then complaining about falling audience numbers. It’s a self-inflicted wound, guys!
Now we’re becoming accustomed to shows that start at odd times, run well over the advertised timeslot, and the really good TV shows being moved to “a new special time” every few weeks, to screen Kitchens Have Talent, or whatever competition/reality show; an event of such monumental importance that all other TV shows must make way.
The first time I came across this practice was in Spain, where the preferred format for free-to-air TV seems to be interrupting commercials with TV shows. That was almost ten years ago and I was amazed they got away with it. Ha!
What’s worse, this keep ’em guessing approach to TV programming is a deliberate ploy to keep people from changing channels ie. any important announcement, such as who is to be sent packing, comes at the end and this end will not occur until well into the next time slot. What’s that? You’ve missed the start of another show on another station? Well, fancy that...
Also, if you tune in expecting one program to start at 8.30 (ish) but the previous show is still building up to the big announcement, which takes about 20 extra minutes, and you keep it on while waiting for the next show then technically you’ve been watching it haven’t you?
It seems freedom of choice is not a concept TV programmers are familiar with, or if they are familiar with it, clearly they want to do away with it. None of these people should ever be allowed to run for public office.
The most annoying part of this is that high quality (read: expensive to make) shows are shunted around (if they get a showing at all), from prime time, to 10.50 on Monday nights, then Thursday nights, then occasionally on a digital station whenever the station has an hour to fill. Then it disappears from our screens completely. The explanation? It wasn’t getting good ratings. Well, of course it isn’t getting good ratings. NO BODY KNOWS WHEN IT IS ON!!
Then there are the shows that rate through the roof, so the stations decide to put on double episodes on Wednesday, only one of which is a new episode, plus every night at 7.00pm. Continuity? Pah! Once it was a joke that Channel 10 seemed to have the Simpsons on a loop. Turns out it was a glimpse of the future.
Apparently, these odd starting times shouldn’t really bother people these days as we are all used to pay TV, where it is de rigueur. Well, no as a matter of fact. I don’t have pay TV and last time I checked only a third of TV viewers do.
If you were in a position to ask, and they could be bothered answering, the free-to-air channels might say they make these decisions based on the unprecedented competition they face in the area of entertainment. There’s the internet these days, they say, which takes up people’s time and also allows them to download shows. If they aren’t that technically minded, they can buy the DVD.
Thing is, though, I suspect the reason people are downloading shows or buying the DVDs is not necessarily because they are time-poor or because they like using their latest gadget. I think it’s because they know it’s the only way of seeing a show from beginning to end. TV stations cannot be relied upon to give a show a chance to find an audience in the first place and even if it does, the audience has to play hide-and-seek to see it. And they wonder why they are losing audience numbers!
It might seem quaint and old-fashioned but I don’t mind having to wait until the next season is shown next year. I like having “my TV program” and having it to look forward to during the week. I don’t even mind a bit of suspense, waiting for the next episode. These days, and this is a positive development, there is not much of a delay between new episodes being shown in the UK or US and here in Oz (although some people consider anything other than simultaneous screenings outrageous and have to get their hands on it as soon as possible. Where do they get the time anyway? Don’t they have jobs, families, friends, pets?).
I don’t think people’s viewing habits are changing quite as quickly as technology advances. I think the commercial TV station that showed programs when they say they will would attract viewers. Giving a show a chance to be found might also attract extra viewers as well. And if they are going to show a repeat, let the audience know.
Or something. Mainly, stop treating your audience like mugs and then complaining about falling audience numbers. It’s a self-inflicted wound, guys!
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