I have 3 DVRs. I try and record the TV shows that I will want to watch. I very, very rarely watch non-sports related live TV. Cannot handle it. Although – I will say that when I do, I run around doing stuff during the commercials doing stuff so it is productive. But I usually have time for 1 show at night and then 1 show while I am exercising on my stepper.
So what bugs me is even with this many DVRs I thought I was missing shows. And I might be. But it really seems that shows have not been on for weeks. All I have is re-runs of a lot of shows. In March.
Growing up, I seem to remember that TV shows ran from late August/early September with a hiatus during the holidays and then again in January through May or early June. Kinda like school. But now, you are lucky to get 3 or 4 new episodes in a row. WTH? These are shows I really like – Bones, Big Bang Theory, Grey’s Anatomy, The Good Wife, Criminal Minds. I do really love watching them. But I don’t have time to look around and check my DVR for missed episodes, etc.
Blue Bloods is a new police show on CBS. They scheduled it for Friday so I assume they didn’t want it to succeed? But it did do well (I really like the show) so they moved it to Wednesdays and the ratings popped up. But then back to Fridays and then preempted because of March Madness. WHY??? Keep it on Wednesdays! Or a night/slot where we can know when to watch it. And play it through. No re-runs or skipped weeks.
It’s bad enough that well written and acted shows with story lines are canceled and crap reality shows like Jersey Shore, The Bachelor, The Kardashians, etc etc are kept on the air. But then the few great shows that kinda make it, are moved around or not given a good chance or supported. I look at shows like Friday Night Lights, Damages or Stargate: Universe and wonder how people cannot be sucked in to these excellent character and story driven shows?! But Jersey Shore and Teen Mom gets renewed over and over. Is the majority of the TV-viewing public just a Borg collective of mental retards who can’t process shows that makes you think at all or remember plot lines or sit through weeks of charter development? I can’t find another explanation.
No wonder the major networks are losing market share and networks like TNT, USA, FX and SyFy are making original shows (ignoring HBO and Showtime who both produce fantastic shows and runs them straight through so we can be sucked in!)
You know what was smart? When 24 and Lost realized they need to run their episodes back to back – no reruns – to keep their audience sucked in and loyal because of the nature of their shows and plots. Yes! Exactly! Guess what? I never missed one of those episodes. Why play 2 or 3 and then run a few re-runs and then run a few more news ones, etc etc etc.?!?!?
Guess what networks – fans like (some of) your shows. But fans don’t want to play guessing games with when they will be on. People have shorter and shorter attention spans. So give them reruns, they will turn away. Sad but true. And TV viewers – you need to watch the quality shows so they stay on the air. Studio execs only care about the bottom line – numbers/ratings.
Meh. I should just read more anyway.
12:03 pm on March 25th, 2011
For the studios and networks, it’s more about content delivery and consumption rather than a fixed time slot for these shows. The DVR and the ability to have those programs delivered on demand at your leisure and how to (i) measure the success or failure of the program other than by the traditional ratings and (ii) monetize the content. This is what the content providers (and of course us lowly consumers) are struggling with. :)
9:39 pm on March 25th, 2011
Well it pisses me off! :) Run the dang shows over 24 weeks and be done with it! *snagafragafrackensnaggrumblegrrrfrack*
7:21 am on March 28th, 2011
Shows like Jersey shore are cheaper to produce and they bring in the most desirable demo (18-24).
I’m with you – I have had my fill of reality shows – I love scripted drama.
i can see that at some point everything will be on demand – and they will go back to forcing us to watch ads that you can’t scroll through now by recording on your DVR.
9:04 pm on March 28th, 2011
I don’t care about watching a few ads. I understand it’s a business. But making stupid schlock over and over and over but canceling shows that are good – that sticks in my craw! And moving shows around so I never know when they are on and if I missing them and running new eps every few weeks and always having repeats -grr. :)