Rethinking Prime Time

Senusret I · #1 11-02-2006, 09:55 AM

So I've been thinking a lot about television lately. Well, I am addicted to TV, but that's another story.

It seems to me that network television needs a renaissance, especially when it comes to the hour-long drama. Certainly we have a few great shows like ER (which I still watch) and Lost, but the pickin's have become slimmer and slimmer over the years.

Personally, a lot of my favorite shows don't last longer than a season anymore, like Commander-in-Chief. It's almost like they killed the show on purpose.

So....perhaps we need to have less "regular" series and more maxi-series.....

Let me explain..... while I think we have moved beyond the epic mini-series like V, Roots, North and South (your mother...laid down....with men...for money!), I think that our attention span is just long enough for some short term television shows with big stars that have a beginning, middle, and end, all in one season. And think of the revenue....shorter seasons, less money, crazy DVD sales.

It appears that the new Taye Diggs show will be just that. Come on -- we all know that nothing Taye Diggs is in will last. (Though we love him.)

What do you all think? I just hate to see these game shows and reality shows take over network airwaves as they have. I want to see some quality hour-long dramas like we used to have. And I don't mind only having one season of those dramas if they are well thought-out.

33girl · #2 11-02-2006, 10:55 AM

The game show/reality show thing comes around every 10 years or so. People get sick of it then move on. The sitcom was pronounced "dead" the year before The Cosby Show debuted.

I know for me, I hate to get involved in a show that I know I'll HAVE to watch every week to keep up. That's why I like Law & Order - the most they do is a 2 parter. There are things you know about the characters if you watch a while, but not knowing doesn't prevent you understanding what's going on in the show.

I'd be into a miniseries along the time-lines of Roots, actually.

shinerbock · #3 11-02-2006, 11:07 AM

I'm ready for the new season of Sleeper Cell.

AlphaFrog · #4 11-02-2006, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

I know for me, I hate to get involved in a show that I know I'll HAVE to watch every week to keep up. That's why I like Law & Order - the most they do is a 2 parter. There are things you know about the characters if you watch a while, but not knowing doesn't prevent you understanding what's going on in the show.

Big Ol' Cosign on that one. Although I tend to stick with SVU and the original L&O - episodes with Jerry Orbach. If one of the others is on, I'll watch it, but SVU and Jerry Orbach take precedent if they're running on several stations.

LaneSig · #5 11-02-2006, 11:38 AM

In England, on the BBC - their television shows only film about 6 - 10 episodes. That is their season. Do you think that would be successful here? Think of 'Sex and the City' or 'The Sopranos'. The season isn't very long and those shows have been very successful. (BTW - I am not suggesting that the Big 4 (or Big 5 if you want to count the CW) use shows with this amount of sexuality or violence; just the same number of shows.)

Incidently, in one of the recent Entertainment Weekly mags, they had an article about NBC seriously considering dropping scripted shows to only 2 hours a night (from 8-10 or 9-11, depending on your time zone). They would show reality and game shows during the 7 pm or 8pm hour.

DeltAlum · #6 11-02-2006, 11:54 AM

Three realities.

1) Overnight ratings in the major markets have doomed weaker shows. A few years ago, the programmers had to wait for one of the three "major" sweeps (basically February, May and November) to see how a show is really doing. Now, they know the next morning and have the opportunity to panic an cancel a show before it has the chance to gather an audience.

2) So called "reality" and game shows are much cheaper to produce.

3) So called "quality" shows are much more expensive to produce, thus there are less of them on the air -- and fewer episodes are being produced so you only get to see new ones during the "new season" and those pesky major ratings sweeps I mentioned above.

You do the math.

AlphaFrog · #7 11-02-2006, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeltAlum

2) So called "reality" and game shows are much cheaper to produce.

I remember Vanna White talking about how it takes 75 people to shoot a 10 second clip of her presenting a car/vacation/etc that a contestant can win.
I bet WofF isn't cheap to keep up with anymore.

33girl · #8 11-02-2006, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaneSig

Incidently, in one of the recent Entertainment Weekly mags, they had an article about NBC seriously considering dropping scripted shows to only 2 hours a night (from 8-10 or 9-11, depending on your time zone). They would show reality and game shows during the 7 pm or 8pm hour.

They already have. Unless it's something that's been on for a while and solid in its time slot (i.e. making money), they are not putting any new scripted shows in the 8-9 PM hour. The only 7-8 hour is Sunday, which of course already has Dateline.

LaneSig · #9 11-02-2006, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

They already have. Unless it's something that's been on for a while and solid in its time slot (i.e. making money), they are not putting any new scripted shows in the 8-9 PM hour. The only 7-8 hour is Sunday, which of course already has Dateline.

I'm not sure about other days, but Thursday night, 'My Name is Earl' and 'The Office' are on the early hour (7-8 pm).

Perhaps if they did switch and made shows that had less episodes, we would see more quality shows and work. No more "According to Jim' or 'Still Standing' shows. Also, the British actors bounce around. They might do a comedy series and then a drama series. That way they are not typecast as a specific role or performer. One I can think of is the lead actress in 'Keeping Up Appearances' - can't think of her name. She did very broad comedy in that series, and then played a lady private detective in "Hetty Wainwright Investigates". I'm sure a lot of actors would love the chance to play various roles and scenerios.

Another point about cost: Do some of the actors deserve such high salaries? I'm thinking of Helen Hunt on 'Mad About You'. Was she really worth $1 million per episode? Don't get me wrong. I have always thought she was great, but come on. Of course, if the school district offered me $1 milllion per class to teach, I would take it. lol

Dionysus · #10 11-05-2006, 07:48 PM

I think dramas need to be waaaaay more realistic. I simply cannot relate to most of the dramas out there. That's one of the main reasons why I really like reality TV. Sure, it's not that "real", but they reflect real life interpersonal relations better than dramas, and especially sitcoms. The only non-reality TV show I can stand is CSI. I enjoy the suspense and intensity, which is also lacking in dramas.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Senusret I

So I've been thinking a lot about television lately. Well, I am addicted to TV, but that's another story.

It seems to me that network television needs a renaissance, especially when it comes to the hour-long drama. Certainly we have a few great shows like ER (which I still watch) and Lost, but the pickin's have become slimmer and slimmer over the years.

Personally, a lot of my favorite shows don't last longer than a season anymore, like Commander-in-Chief. It's almost like they killed the show on purpose.

So....perhaps we need to have less "regular" series and more maxi-series.....

Let me explain..... while I think we have moved beyond the epic mini-series like V, Roots, North and South (your mother...laid down....with men...for money!), I think that our attention span is just long enough for some short term television shows with big stars that have a beginning, middle, and end, all in one season. And think of the revenue....shorter seasons, less money, crazy DVD sales.

It appears that the new Taye Diggs show will be just that. Come on -- we all know that nothing Taye Diggs is in will last. (Though we love him.)

What do you all think? I just hate to see these game shows and reality shows take over network airwaves as they have. I want to see some quality hour-long dramas like we used to have. And I don't mind only having one season of those dramas if they are well thought-out.

Senusret I · #11 09-07-2008, 08:50 PM

It's been two years since this thread started.... have we noticed any changes or new trends?

jess_pom · #12 09-07-2008, 09:16 PM

All reality, all the time?

It's like they don't even care about quality any more, just about making money. Game/reality shows are cheap to make and if they become popular, they're cash cows. Hate!

Also, no network is even trying on Friday or Saturday nights. You'll pretty much only find reruns or shows dying a slow death.

SOPi_Jawbreaker · #13 09-07-2008, 09:40 PM

I didn't catch this thread the first time around, but I wanted to comment about what LaneSig had said about the shorter British television seasons (about 6 episodes a season). I personally wouldn't like if our television seasons got shortened to 6-10 episodes a season. I love the British series Sinchronicity, Coupling, and The Vicar of Dibley, but I wish there had been more episodes of these series.

AGDee · #14 09-07-2008, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Senusret I

It's been two years since this thread started.... have we noticed any changes or new trends?

Last year was just totally messed up from the writer's strike so it's really hard to say. However, after looking at the fall lineups, I will only be watching network TV on Sunday nights (CBS for Amazing Race then ABC) and Thursday nights (CBS for Survivor, then ABC), which is ok with me. I might pick up Private Practice if I'm home/available but I'm not going to record it.

Wednesday nights is cable time, with Ghost Hunters. However, since I can't watch that when it's dark, I have to record it. I also record Paranormal State. I love these shows but am a HUGE chicken.

MysticCat · #15 09-08-2008, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Senusret I

It's been two years since this thread started.... have we noticed any changes or new trends?

I guess what I've noticed reading back through this thread was the way some folks insisted that reality TV should be "relegated" (my word) to cable and stay off the networks. Interesting since so many of the better series these days can be found on cable.