It seems that a lot of American television series suffer badly after having break periods of several weeks. While some are scratching their heads over recent Smallville ratings, the numbers for shows like 90210 have fallen even more drastically. And it’s not just a CW thing: Series such as Heroes, Flashforward, V, and much more also seem to go down after a break.
So here’s the question: Would you rather have a series air 22 new installments back-to-back, but have a longer break between seasons, kind of like 24 has done; or would do you think the current system of several weeks-long breaks a year is more palatable? Vote in the poll and leave some feedback:
22 Comments
To be honest, i like the breaks, it gives me a chance to get caught up on my studies, i watch around 8 tv shows religiously every week so its hard to keep watching all those shows all the time.
The breaks all happen around the same time but it means people get a chance to get caught up with previous episodes. 24 had been good in that they are running one episode a week, but you need that with a show like 24, as the viewer cannot really afford to forget the storyline, its easier to catch up with shows like Smallville, which have the odd filler episode every now and again.
The ratings usually pick up once people realise the show is back on (not everyone is as slightly obsessed as me and has a tv show list with the returning dates on it haha)
If it isnt broke, dont fix it, the format is obviously there for a reason, to give the actors and crew a break i guess. It been working well so far, why change it :)
1) All of the shows listed are struggling because of poor writing and lack of interest, not because of breaks.
2) 24 got canceled, so I doubt the no-breaks theory really helped it.
Maybe if Smallville’s creative team could do better at creating coherent storylines, consistent characters, and non-shipper episodes, they’d be doing better.
Oh, and I’ve been watching Smallville since Day 1, but I know I’ll get the equally childish responses of, “You’re not a true fan,” or “If you don’t like it, don’t watch it.” Let the attacks begin.
Greg,
The typical rules of the KryptonSite Forum are expected to apply here. Please do not refer to other fans as “childish” or your commenting permissions will be revoked.
I respect and understand if you’re not happy with the current direction of Smallville as an example. But it is hardly the only series that has gone down in the ratings over time, and using this as just an excuse to bash is lame. Your “let the attacks begin” comment makes it seem as though you are EXPECTING bashing.
I don’t like “shipper episodes” either. I didn’t even watch “Escape” the night it was on. So that is a valid point, but being insulting about it is a completely different story. I don’t like the implication that if you don’t like something you’re a non-fan, either, but I also wouldn’t allow someone to treat you that way here in this commenting system.
Your “24 got canceled” comment seems to imply you don’t know much about the television industry, anyway. The show was on for eight seasons, and nine years. It ended not because of ratings failure but because of budget… the longer a show lasts, the more expensive it becomes. So it’s a poor example of a “failure” in my book. Same for LOST – they run multiple episodes in a row and, in my opinion, it’s really helped it.
So if you have something not-insulting and worthwhile to add to the conversation, feel free; but if you’re trolling to insult other people and my original post, move on.
I think you need a third option.
I don’t mind having some breaks, but I think there should be less of them. Take Smallville, for instance. It was on break from before Thanksgiving for more than two months until late January (granted, one of those weeks was because of the Haiti telethon, but that is only one week), then had about, what, four shows (five if you count Absolute Justice as two), then went on break for another month. That is three months of breaks in the middle of a season, which combined is nearly as long as the break between seasons.
I’d definitely rather see more time between seasons and less break time during a season, but at the same time, I don’t think it is necessary to go 22 straight weeks. Maybe go from early November through May, or September through late March or early April. That would still work in a month or two of breaks without cutting them out entirely (which I’m sure helps the creative team and the actors).
Corfy,
As always a great comment.
When I was a child (wayyy back when) watching shows like the Dukes of Hazzard, looking at episode guides and such, they usually had the seasons between September and February or March. They did cycles of repeats without often changing the schedule, so if you missed the episodes the first time around, there’s another chance. Of course now, repeats aren’t as viable of an option because everyone still has the first airings on DVR, iTunes, etc., but still, it was nice.
What I do remember from the past that might not work so well now is there was a lot of “2 weeks on, 1 week off” type things. I remember Lois & Clark, for example, having a repeat episode as early as October. So things were more evenly distributed.
It happens every year though, just at different times, but I agree that maybe just two long runs might even be better than the current setup. Almost like a whole different “season.” But look at Smallville this year – 9 episodes on, then off for two months, back for 3 or 4, then off for a month again – a month without repeats to even remind people of the series’ existence.
It also doesn’t help that the rest of the CW’s lineup is down, so it’s not as though people are seeing Smallville promos on other shows. The CW’s top-rated new drama, The Vampire Diaries, was even down nearly a million last week after a long break – and that one returned to what was one of the best episodes of the series! (I also don’t see enough SV promotion during Vampire Diaries, which is sad because they have similar audiences and I think would attract similar viewers)
@Corfy,
Not to mention 3 months of breaks being ridiculous, they put another show in its place instead of showing repeats. The has to be the most backward marketing I think a network can do. Repeats keeps people knowning the show is still here and is coming back. Also if you promote it saying new episode in 3 weeks etc so people who don’t go to sites like KSite or Kryptonsite.com, know when to tune in for a new episode. SV would still be in the 3 and 4 million viewers IMO if it weren’t for the lack of promotion. CW seems to not care about it anymore. People that used to watch I ran into, said the liked it but thought it wasn’t on anymore and didn’t realize it was even still on the air and especially on Fridays. Just goes to show it could still be huge if it weren’t for the neglect of DA for the teenie drama shows that DON’T work.
Haven’t they noticed that the scifi shows have all done better??? hmmm
This has been the way it has worked in the UK from day one and to be honest I do prefer it, yeah you have a break of almost 6 months before you get to see the new season but at least you dont have any breaks when your watching the current season.
I’ve realized that from watching Doctor Who… it’s usually run March-June, with an episode at Christmas, and then that’s it.
I don’t know how American audiences would’ve handled having only 5 specials over a year! Or situations like Primeval or Merlin when you don’t even know when they’re coming back for sure.
People love sporting evants. This year you had the Oylimpics for two weeks, March Madness, and now the NBA, NHL, and MLB to contine with. Then when the season starts in late!!!! September theres the MLB Playoffs right off the bat. Good thing theres TVio.
If not all 22 maybe 11 and 11. Cable shows have benifited from shorter season with faster paced stories. I wish shows with ongoing plots would basicly make to mini seasons within a season kinda like heroes with the volumes. A show that just by chance did this this year was chuck. When they made the first 13 of season 3 they though that was it for most of the season. so when they had more eps added late instead of dragging out the story for 8 more eps they decided to stick to there guns and basicly had a season finally still. Now they are currently on a break and will come back with i think 8 eps. Those 8 eps will then be there own story with basicly another season premeire and finally. I think than for example and i may be wrong a little here sorry. but in november we were left with the zod may have killed jor el then our jan feb eps barly had zod then he came back the the forfront now the zod arch has been hurt be having to be spaced out so. i could ramble on sorry.
Like what they did with “Glee”, they released the first 13 episodes, and had a 4-month break and will return this tuesday with 9 more episodes for a 22 total. The first run was really fast-paced and it almost felt like a complete season (which obviously was because it’s the first season), in fact they are promoting the second half of the season almost as a complete new season and I think it works really well.
I think a break is necessary, but maybe just one in between the season and make a very good first half and a very good second half.
Abos, maybe going so far as to call each individual 13-episode run a “season” would do them well. It’s true though – Glee feels like a season 2 premiere next week. FOX has done a great job with that.
I think they should take a page from Burn Notice. Do 2 sets of 11 episodes a year. One in the Fall/spring with no breaks in each set.
I agree with Corfy. I don’t mind the breaks, just less of them. If they ended the show in April instead of late May. They maybe could get an early jump on DVD sales.
I’m in South America and I think the breaks here were even worse. The episodes were not even aired in order. Absolute Justice was aired as two separate episodes and not even consecutively, but with a repeat in between them. Warrior didn’t air until after both of the Absolute Justice episodes. I’ve watched this show since the beginning but I was seriously considering abandoning it. But at least we get repeats during the breaks. Another thing that I found difficult to believe is that they moved the show from Tuesday to Wednesday in the middle of the season.
I would definitely change the current system. People I know that watch the show get confused when there are long breaks. I would show half the episodes, then take a one short break, then resume with the rest of the them. If that’s not possible then I would go with straight episodes rather than taking the breaks that they have now.
I have never liked the breaks. If they are absolutely neccessary, then I can understand taking a week off during thanksgiving and maybe two weeks off during the winter holiday season, but beyond that I feel that it truly does hurt the show, but not neccessarily from a ratings perspective.
When you schedule your season to include two masive breaks, you are then writing THREE cliff-hangers that serve the sole purpose to bring your audience back 8 weeks later. This has really hurt Smallville in the past because it has (un-intentionally) made the season finales seem like weak sauce, especially since season 7.
Season 8 is the perfect example of this. The cliff-hanger from Bride had season-finale caliber all over it. But then after that redicuoulsy long hiatus we came back to…LANA? Naturally I really didn’t care about the show at that point, so I can see how this would force viewers away. Once the season finale came it felt like 4 months had passed since Doomsday was relevant.
If the show wants to maintain the most success, I think the best formula is a straight-thru season.
I think it is fine just as it is…. reason is if you take a longer break between seasons, you have the chance of loosing an actor to something else… and also I think that the writers really don’t need a long break between seasons as the saying *while the iron is hot… strike*
I think it is refreshing to have breaks in season to relax and get caught up… when one is constantly going great steam ahead, it gives one pause to think… *do I want to continue this again?* If the filming stays the way it is it all works out in the end. If one is worrying about the ratings… then you have to consider the writting material and how it flows from one episode to another…. you have to consider with the ratings after each show and go back to the drawing board to figure what went right/wrong… taking a long break and filming so that you can’t take the time to re-group so to speak is at best a faliure for all. A very big thing to listen to and watch for are the fan bases…. they are actually the ones that have the say… not the sponsors or producers…. the series that pays a special attention to a series fan base is going something right… Fans can make or break a series, actor and so on….
Play with fire and that is what you will get back big time… you need to know where your aces are and when to deal and when to fold… this business is very much a game and you have to know how to bend and play the rules… rules are made to be broken if you dare…
I prefer the 22 consecutive airrings, with the exception of major holiday breaks. To me, it seems like as soon as I become interested and engrossed in the season a long break happens and it’s difficult to get back into it.
Here in Switzerland we have mostly Cinemas which have breaks within an movie and unfortunately only a few which run a movie without a break. And i mostly prefer those without break as you stay in the story and once the movie gets you, you can enjoy it without getting torn out of it.
and for series it’s the same for me. of course there’s a week break between every episode, but mostly a season is closed within itself. and with every break you loose the thread and the feeling for it.
so definitely a season in a row with a big break
The system American TV has is very poor indeed. It’s even worse for us here in the UK as we have to then wait for up to a year – Smallville for instance doesn’t start airing the new series until “Summer” because they don’t seem to know when the season will end probably.
Here in the UK we wait an extra few months in general and have more or less a complete series aired with maybe breaks at christmas or Easter holidays or other convenient times, but having followed Smallville online, I can see that there have been at least 2 breaks so far this season which just p’s me off! You lose interest and you forget about what’s going on, and it destroys the whole point of being able to watch a continuous series. It would make sense if each series wasn’t broken up by a 6 month period anyway, but when there are say 24 episodes, why bother breaking it up?!
In Australia we run the series as a whole, with no breaks. I think it is a much better option. You don’t lose track of what is going on, you don’t get to your tv watching night and wonder if your show will be on and you don’t spend half the season feeling frustrated that everything you like to watch on tv is on a break at the same time. We also tended to have more episodes within a season, so there was not such a long break. In the off season we run other shows, either repeats or just a different series. It is much easier to know that the show is done for the season and feel a sense of closure, rather than feeling like it is always starting and stopping!