Australian TV Presentation Thread

We still have EOP captions on most shows mainly in primetime and id wish they'd just stop doing that and just fade to black for 1 sec so taht when i tape it it looks very seamless just like US nets (athough they pause so long because of broadcasting). shows out of daytime wont have any supers or network EOP captions but shows in primetime will. Its still not a dead practice yet.

here is an example of what nine does going into the break and the PRG shown afterwards -
nineEOP.wmv 527KB

Nine tend to play the show theme before fading into the graphic. All bumpers are generic. sometimes theyd have a show personality or bouncing balls.
channel ten would fade to black from the show and have a bumper with a graphic with showname and some of the cast for a couple of seconds.
Seven show supers fror imports. their own shows are starting to have hard copied captions mirroring the show look.

PRGs are standard on the commercial networks and probably cable in australia. Are they common in the UK?


i think thats one reason. I think there is no real need for EOP just fade to black for 1 sec.


Im very surprised that the networks go through all that trouble to hold viewers only to have them switch off. ECPs have been very rare untill 2004. Nets would only use them to promote something new on the network time to time.
A commercial break gives plenty of time for people to pick up the tv guide and see what is on the other nets even if they intended to watch the next show by the end of teh break they probably found something else.

I think ITV1 did do the whole heading straight into the next programme experiment about 2 years ago I think, can't really remember why but they went from one programme straight into The Frank Skinner Show and then straight after he introduced himself they cut to a break (in other words there was just an extra break within the programme itself).

I've noticed that now Channel 4 have rebranded they seem to be fading from black straight back into programmes (for example when coming back from a break into Desperate Housewives the other night) this seems to be only on shows from overseas. Also, years ago when Channel 5 first started they sometimes used to light up there DOG in the top left hand corner and a "End of Part One" or "Part Two" would slide from it rather than mixing to an Animation Board then to a break. Back in the old days, Sky One used to just go straight back into the programme exactly the same as what Nine in Oz does now.....

I think ITV1 did do the whole heading straight into the next programme experiment about 2 years ago I think, can't really remember why but they went from one programme straight into The Frank Skinner Show and then straight after he introduced himself they cut to a break (in other words there was just an extra break within the programme itself).

I've noticed that now Channel 4 have rebranded they seem to be fading from black straight back into programmes (for example when coming back from a break into Desperate Housewives the other night) this seems to be only on shows from overseas. Also, years ago when Channel 5 first started they sometimes used to light up there DOG in the top left hand corner and a "End of Part One" or "Part Two" would slide from it rather than mixing to an Animation Board then to a break. Back in the old days, Sky One used to just go straight back into the programme exactly the same as what Nine in Oz does now.....

No, not really. The FTA networks have never used them. You either get a 'hard-copied' BOP (beginning-of-part) caption, with a sting from the theme tune, or a generic network slide or graphic cross-fading back into the show. (Same goes for EOP captions).

Some of the cable networks (eg. Sky One, UK Gold) used PRGs generated 'live' when they launched, but have moved towards slides and graphics. ABC1, recently launched, uses only fades-to-black at the end of parts, and DOES use PRGs that fade in and out in the 'Aussie' way.

I've nothing against PRGs at all - I quite like them - but as I've said before I'm not a fan of plain fades-to-black going into breaks.

Just ahead of the switch from 3 to 4 breaks an hour ITV1 began playing programmes like Millionaire with three internal breaks, then ran straight into the next programme - especially when News at Ten relaunched. For certain programmes, news and current affairs especially, ITV1 leads into or out of them without ads.

Re: C4 - I've noticed the ad thing as well. All C4 home grown drama fades to black, though with the name of the programme in white text on the screen. However, since it's relaunched break bumpers are only used if a programme leads straight into ads or from ads to a trailer. The programme caption serves as a break bumper going into ads, while the trailer after a commercial leads straight into the next programme.

What does ECP stand for? I get that you mean the American practice of replacing a show's credits with a branded generic credit sequence with promos running on the side.

I first say this in 97 thanks to a friend getting hold of a tape from the USA, it was NewsRadio, the Executive Producer credit flashed up on screen followed by about 8 advertisements, then the show's production cards flashed on the screen with a voice over (I had figured the yanks showed the Prod Cards first thanks to having seen Third Rock from the Sun and That 70's Show which use that practice anyway) then on comes the credits pushed over to the side with a promo running on the left, this itself didn't shock me, I'd seen that practice in Australia before, when I looked closer though I noticed that the NewsRadio logo was sitting above the credits, and that the credits were in a different font to the regular Newsradio reel and that backround was not black but Purple with a shaded NBC Logo, it honestly blew my mind. Well that and the practice of fading out then commercials (no warning) but a promo in the middle of the ad break with the shows stars saying (for EG) "You're Watching NewsRadio on NBC!"

I am heartened to see that Channel 7 has bit and produced their own credits, they don't do it on all show though, Primetime Only and not on sitcoms with extra scenes that fun through the credits.

Channel 10 will be the next to bite (they always are) and already last year they had a practice of squeezing the shows credits into a box in the top left corner while a promo for another show ran in the top right and the bottom half of the screen is a billboard for same show. This doesn't run all the time though, but initially it seemed to be for 'accelerated flow reasons.

RouteMarker is right though they **** up with Aus Idol, they should directly lead into the next show from that ratings fest, although their Sunday Night Dramas (Law & Order Criminal Intent and NCIS) have still fared pretty well outrating the competition, though still losing a sizeable chunk of the Idol Audience.

ECP stands for end credits promotion which means promos during credits i guess.


you know im not sure if that is common anymore. NBC are starting to have a program return graphic (PRG) once shows come in after the break. Although at times they can get replaced by a banner ad.



The guy who pushed for the generic credits and accelerated flow is a poster at mediaspy.org . He says its extremely labour intensive hence why with shows like my wife and kids and that 70s show they just slip the production cards before the credits to create accelerated flow as they only have 2 people working on them and they're promo producers so the credits thing is on the side with the network not paying a cent for it. They make australian produced shows do it for the network while they are responsible for all other shows. But to do that they must convince the show producers who didnt think the network was right to standardise the credits.

Another battle was to remove all advertising between programs which was very difficult as advertisers pay more for them. Seven could not remove woolworths sponsorship of the news update at 9.30 so in the ECP they would introduce the show and say 'comming up in 2 minutes' hoping for the viewers to stay put . I must say Seven have some dedicated staff.


All big US nets have 15 person credit departments which focus on churning out all the credits for the network. Thats why they're able to splitscreen everything in primetime and network daytime. Network daytime being all shows part of the network and not run by affiliates (ie days of our lives, the price is right etc).

Since the credits are so labour intensive (can take up to 2 hrs to do) im very sceptical about other aust nets following sevens footsteps. Thats why nne only do it after csi and even then it was rare. Timing is a big factor to why it takes so long.

Watch out FEB 6 jimmy, seven are going one step further with the credits. It will result in 75% of screen area being the visual area with only 25% credits.

double post

RM how do you know this? Also are you the same routemarker with the Rupert Avatar on Ozscraper's if so it's me Jimmy James! & haven't seen u around there 4 ages

yeah i guess mediaspy.org took up much of my time. Somehow i lost a little interest in keeping up with Skyscraper developments but i visit time to time. Is tha avatar still rupert? better change that soon. Funny thing is you practically lead me there with the discussion on this very same topic and US fading to black.

Its a pretty good forum all about australian tv presentation. Lots of industry pros there so insider info is very common hence how i came to learn the beind the scenes of sevens credits (and NBCs at that). I

Seven will put their credits on the bottom written in 3 column format similar to what ABC america do now. FOX and E! also put them on the bottom now. the show name is also eliminated. Heres what it looks like on ABC.
http://img69.exs.cx/img69/2121/abcecp1tm.jpg
much better method IMO. Eyes have a wide field of vision so the credits, to most viewers, would not exist.

That looks very cool - I've just registered for MediaSpy (How did I not find out about this sooner I'll never know) I still frequent SSC and I am still pretty much waving the flag there for discussion on TV thru the Skybar etc. That three column format would look good on Ch 10 given that they have the horizontal black bar as part of their look. Also the fact that they borrow so many elements from ABC's Look (for Eg: "NOW" "NEXT" "LATER" Breaks) it would be a good fit.

Yeah it would be good if ten decided to do that. But if generic credits are to be employed i suspect it will be on the side mirroring sevens 2004 effort. So in effect they will be one step ahead.

Once i saw an indication that nine moved the apprentice production cards from before the credits to the end (due to bad cut job as it contained a fash of the final scene) i knew they have no idea of the reasons behind the practice.