Series lengths

In America, TV seasons last 22 episodes on average, but some can be more. Why, in the UK, are we lucky to get more than 6-episode series? Certainly, 10 is the most I think I've ever seen.

I think it's a bold move that Channel 4 have commissioned a US-style 20-episode Series 5 of Shameless, good for them. Now let's see more dramas with longer runs, please!

Does anybody know quite why the seasons are so short in the UK? Is it because networks are afraid of failure? Is that why ITV is so obsessed with soaps and afraid to commission new drama series?

US TV really wipes the floor with drama compared to us - Desperate Housewives, Lost, Greys Anatomy, Prison Break, ER, etc etc, all running for long series' and relatively new too (ER excluded). Nothing like that seems to happen much here.

I don't know that answer to that, but I think I'm right in saying that UK production tends to be shot, edited and completed before going to air. Productions companies receive money to start production, with the balance due on transmission.

Most of the US series are still being shot and edited when they go out on air.

Perhaps it has something to do with the way the programme makers are paid. It would be prohibitively expensive for a UK programme maker to wait for 22 episodes to be made before they got paid.

I think the UK also has a deeper tradition of very small writing teams in many cases a duo or a single writer - this means that a series longer than 6 episodes are very difficult for a single person to write if they want to pursue any other activities at all.

Although I love Prison Break, Supernatural, Desperate Housewives and Greys Anatomy, I think 22 or more episodes is a bit too long. I think 8-12 episodes is the right amount for a drama series.

In the UK it seems that they are either never ending dramas like Holby City and Casualty which are on every week or short series like Bonkers which are 6 episodes.

They're not called 'seasons' for that reason - in the US a series does actually last a season.

There are obviously big diffrences between the US and UK TV environment as well as of course in terms of population and money available. There is also teh factor that many UK series are written by 1 or 2 people - they have a vision of a series and carefully craft the scripts. The US way of doing things is to team-write and mass produce hundreds of episodes.



But of course you never see any of their many many bad drama series over here though!

Think we've covered it before and the irony of how we go from the extreme of six-part series to the soaps on week in, week out, several times a week.

Heartbeat is the only "drama" that really airs as many episodes as a US drama - so that's not saying much.


Cost has been the main factor I think - but I'd imagine the real reason behind that is more to do with sets and studio space. UK dramas tend to be shot on location more I suppose, so there is a limit to how much they can produce.

With the example you've given of Shameless - that is currently shot on location, but Company Pictures will be building a permanent set for it to allow more episodes.

Another factor has been due to the differences in the ways programmes are written - UK dramas and comedies quite often have just one person writing a series of six episodes, while the US series go for a team approach, which is increasingly being seen here - and of course is how the soaps are done.


It has been widely acknowledged though by all the main players that they've got to look at increasing series length to get the most out of their drama - although even then we're talking about 10-12 episodes at most.

Hollyoaks: In the City last year may not have been award winning stuff, but it showed that even on an E4 budget a 20-part series isn't impossible - so with a bit more money and some better ideas behind it, there is no reason why it couldn't work for a UK series.

And with the market for US series now becoming more competitive - and hence aquiring them isn't a cheap option anymore, broadcasters may find themselves with a six month gap in the schedules to fill!

A lot of US series like Prison Break and Desperate Housewives are well written enough to hold my attention for 20+ weeks (although even they would benefit from less episodes I think). With Hollyoaks in the City I was bored after 4 or 5 weeks and then only really dipped in and out. The UK needs to come up with better quality drama if they want series to last as long as the US.

Sometimes series only suit a 6 or 8 episode run.

I think that the series lengths are about right. It is good to have shorter series because formula's don't become too tired too quickly. For example shows in the US often find that the ratings tail off after a couple of seasons. Also one of the problems from having teams of writers is that there is often varying quality in writing, which effects the quality of the episode, where as series by one or two people are pretty much consistant.

The same is kind of true here - not many dramas get past three series nowadays. The difference is US shows have 44 episodes to show for it - here we have 12.


Jumping straight to 22 episodes would be too much for UK series, but I'd certainly say up the standard from 6-8 for a first series, and then perhaps 13 episodes for future series - or two 6-8 part series a year.


As much as I love Shameless I think 16 consecutive episodes in a series would be a bit much - having two eight-part series a year seems much more viable.

This is probably the reason why UK Programmes may never run on US Network TV, because it's too short and they make their own versions to fit their schedule.

Australia has over 20 million people, yet they can make a drama of 22 eps at least, why not us?

also the only comedy to last more the 10 episode is "My Family"

which is written, guess what like US sitcoms with a team of writers

There are exceptions.Series 6 and 7 of My Parents are Aliens had 20 episodes each.

If they made british toku shows they wouldn't get away with 6 episodes.