American thoughts on Brit TV

I don't think the monatary reason for shorter runs here in the UK is a true one. No matter how long a series is, you still have the same number of broadcast hours to fill.

So if you have 2 different programmes that have 12 programmes each that fill the same slot, that roughly equates to the American 22 week standard.

However, it actually probably costs MORE money to have 2 separate series because you have to pay for 2 different studios, 2 different studio sets, 2 different crews etc. and do twice as much pre-produciton.

I, also like the US shows although I must admit that 22 episodes per series per year can be a bit tedious and the qualityof some epiosdes can be very lacking.

There, again, sayting that we are slowly moving to US series' writing sytem. My Family and My Hero are written US style, and I do know of at least 3 other british sit-coms that are being developed with a writing team rather than just having 1 or 2 writers.

With regards to Drama I do feel that shorter series are far superior to 22 episode series'. Could anyone imagine 22 weeks each year of Spooks, Hustle etc.. The quality and novelty of these series would soon disappear. Again, saying that there were/are series in the Uk that last about 26 weeks - perfect example being Heartbeat on ITV1 which lasts for 26 weeks each year. In the past Lew Grade's ATV (and ITC)company tended to make series of about 20 to 26 episodes mainly to try to entice the US market. Maybe a happy medium would be to make series of about 11+ episodes, rather than just 6+ episodes.

Due to the nature of British terrestrial TV the networks have to have certain number of hours of documentaries, current affairs, magazine style shows etc... to keep their licence - but in many cases these do prove popular amongst the viewers, therefore they will be continued to be made en masse - just look at the schedules for five (www.five.tv), Channel 4 and BBC2 - continually full of the genre.

Compared to the US, British sitcoms tend to have lot of location filming as well as studio days. This is much more time consuming and expensive to produce, than something that never budges from a 3 wall set in a studio.

e.g. - Frank Spencer on roller-skates or flying an airplane - Hyacinth Bucket clambering over a garden wall or falling into a river - Compo racing down a hill in a tin bath - Victor Meldrew, high on drugs, destroying a conservatory by crashing in to it on a ride-on lawnmower - Audrey fforbes-Hamilton not noticing the tree behind her being felled.

You just don't get those sort of really big visual jokes, shot on location, in US sitcoms.

Although I like a lot of US sitcoms, I do tend to prefer homegrown productions that use pathos as a counterpoint to the comedy, rather than the joke-a-second method employed by the majority of US sitcoms.

A few people are commenting on the way that MY Family has a "US Style" writing system. This might have something to do with the fact that the main writer (AFAIK) is American.

And it would also explain why it is pretty ropey, aside from the performances of the central characters.

We seem to go from two extremes though here in the UK. On the one hand you have the soaps on everynight and things like Casualty and The Bill every week - while most regular drama series are 6-8 episodes.

The only series that gets close to 22 episodes a year is Heartbeat.


It is one reason why alot of reality TV crept into the schedule over recent year - it's not that it's cheap - but it's value for money as it can fill the schedule for several weeks.


I don't think UK programmes will be extending their runs to 22 episodes anytime soon- but I think around 12-16 episodes a year isn't too much to ask!

Anyone know the record for the most number of episodes in a single series for a british sitcom??

I think the record is 40 episodes for the first series of Bootsie and Snudge in 1960-61

http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/b/bootsieandsnudge_7770830.shtml

Closely followed by The Army Game, two series of which had 39 episodes

http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/a/armygamethe_7770370.shtml

A little more recently, the fifth series of 'Allo 'Allo had 26 episodes in 1988-89.

If you thought 22 episodes was alot, Australian shows have 40 episode seasons. This is because unlike the US which have selected sweeps months where ratings are taken to determine advert rates, Australian ratings go for 40 weeks starting mid feb and ending in november.

The term season is used in the US as there are 2 cycles, fall and spring. As there are sweeps periods, those 22 episodes of hit series get played in them (there are 12 weeks of sweeps excl july). The other 12 episodes are played inbetween these sweeps months toto fill the void between repeats and new episodes. The shows often start in september (not a sweeps month) and air so networks figure out which shows to air in sweeps to generate the biggest audience. Those that do "ok" tend to play out of sweeps. Those that are smash hits are put on hold for sweeps after a couple of episodes.

Its strange that many here say that British networks dont have as much money as US productions and hence why you have 6 episode series. As far as I know, you guys have a very high rate of local productions that air. So much so that you would rarely see American Shows on major networks. How many series are continually made to fill the void once a show ends its run ?

DAYM! Sorry 1st time ive ever been caught out thats my 'stephen fry' QI moment when ever one always says 'Allo Allo' series 5 and I prove them wrong .. lost my kick that time you fellow smart arse

I think 22 episodes is too long. I definately agree that its the quality not the quantity. Some uk dramas are better off with 6-8 episodes.

Or in Hotel Babylon's case 2...

Please pull this.