Television
Those of us that watch TV are getting over-saturated with this junk. Remember that scene in Taxi Driver where Robert De Niro's character pushes over his television with his foot? He was tired of commercials too.
1) Get DVR, and skip all the comercials.Quote: GreasyjohnI have Time Warner Cable. This is not a scientific conclusion but it seems like there is about 5 minutes of programming followed by 5 minutes of commercials. And some commercials are long--kinda like infomercials. 30-years-ago there were two or three commercials in a row every 15 minutes.
Those of us that watch TV are getting over-saturated with this junk. Remember that scene in Taxi Driver where Robert De Niro's character pushes over his television with his foot? He was tired of commercials too.
2) Use apps (like Netflix) and ditch cable. No commercials.
3) Again dump cable and torrent shows.
4) There are more options I don't want to write out =)... but yeah, dump cable.
No experience with paid Hulu; free Hulu is missing some program options and is definitely ad-supported. However, the ads are fewer than on TV.
The downside: you don't have the same immediacy and full variety of programming. I'm a season or two behind on some shows, and some other "must see" shows I'm not going to see.
Then again, if I cared about watching TV, I would do it differently. I'm not really picky about what mindless drivel I have on while I flop on the couch, so a year out of date is fine by me.
Quote: GreasyjohnI have Time Warner Cable. This is not a scientific conclusion but it seems like there is about 5 minutes of programming followed by 5 minutes of commercials.
All half hour network shows are usually 23min
long, with 7min of commercials. All one hour
shows are usually 43min long with 17min of
commercials. Often they will cram 70% of
the commercials into the last 20min of air
time because by then you're hooked and will
watch till the end. Cable shows especially like
to do this.
The ADS, however, are FULL HD. It usually takes 4X the time it is supposed to take to get through the ads, in fits and spurts. It does not downconvert the ads. It is pretty infuriating.
Still, better than sitting through the same Viagra commercial a dozen times...
Quote: rdw4potusBased on runtimes of DVDs I own, an "hourlong" drama in 2000 was 47-48 minutes long, and was 42-43 minutes long in 2012.
In the 50's an hour show was 52-53min long.
Quote: RSThe problem is your limited bandwidth, NOT Hulu.
The problem is they don't downconvert their ads like they do their television shows. I just barely meet their bandwith requirement
but they don't honor that requirement with the advertisements.Quote:In addition, you will need a broadband internet connection. We recommend a downstream bandwidth of at least 1.5 Mbps for a smooth playback experience.
My collections of Highlander and Farscape claim to be with five minutes of footage not seen in the US due to airtime allotments.
The missing stuff is usually innocuous so you aren't affected by missing plot. Some comical diatribe or a romantic scene but less commercials/more show in England.
Quote: darkozbut less commercials/more show in England.
Yet some American shows were huge hits
in England, and it's never the other way
round. Happy Days, Friends, Frasier, Sopranos,
West Wing, and many others, were mega
hits in England. No Brit show has ever been
big here.
Quote: EvenBobYet some American shows were huge hits
in England, and it's never the other way
round. Happy Days, Friends, Frasier, Sopranos,
West Wing, and many others, were mega
hits in England. No Brit show has ever been
big here.
Two that I would say were big hits from England were Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey. There was also a large (mostly female) following for AbFab (Absolutely Fabulous) and there was another about a Mrs. Buckett that my ex loved, along with all his buddies (can't remember the name of it).
I would say, though, the biggest by far was Monty Python. Perhaps Benny Hill, in its time, as well. And there's a large fan base for Doctor Who, has been for 40 years.
None of them had Nielsens like MASH, or Friends, or Seinfeld, but all of them had millions of regular viewers.
Quote: beachbumbabsTwo that I would say were big hits from England were Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey.
The average American viewer has neither
seen nor probably heard of either one.
I have not seen them and wouldn't even
know where to find them. On the other
hand, Happy Days and Dallas and Frasier
were just as big in England as they were
here. That's the difference.
There used to be a limit of only 8 minutes of commercials per half hour.
Plus the biggest British show in the last two decades was probably Idol and X-Factor and Britain's Got Talent and those definitely have come over here, albeit in their Americanized versions.
While the Brit shows rarely get imported directly here anymore, quite a few were successfully imported in the sixties.
Danger Man (retitled secret Agent Man) and the Prisoner.
The Avengers.
The Saint
And as mentioned, Dr. Who and Monty Python in the seventies are all examples of shows where the originals were broadcast as opposed to Americanized remakes.
I enjoyed "Top Gear", and even the American version a little less. Perhaps the most well known British import has got to be "Antiques Roadshow". Even EB has got to know and love that show.
Most everyone not living in a box has heard of Downtown Abbey. There was a time that's all everyone could talk about.Quote: EvenBobThe average American viewer has neither
seen nor probably heard of either one.
I have not seen them and wouldn't even
know where to find them. On the other
hand, Happy Days and Dallas and Frasier
were just as big in England as they were
here. That's the difference.
Quote: EvenBobYet some American shows were huge hits
in England, and it's never the other way
round. Happy Days, Friends, Frasier, Sopranos,
West Wing, and many others, were mega
hits in England. No Brit show has ever been
big here.
Brit shows "look" like Brit shows so they have to be re-tooled and shot in the USA. They then can be shown in other overseas markets. "All in the Family," "Sanford and Son," "The Office," and "Shark Tank" are just a few that came from Brit shows. The USA market is large enough to make it worthwhile to make a local franchise. Otherwise you have to hear Brit accents that make it seem foreign.
Quote: AxelWolfMost everyone not living in a box has heard of Downtown Abbey. There was a time that's all everyone could talk about.
I definitely don't live in a box which is why I don't watch TV except to be sure that my Infomercials run when scheduled.
Until about two months ago I hadn't heard about Downtown Abbey. My girlfriend was watching it on her DVR.
TV viewing has dropped dramatically.
The next generation will not watch TV at all. Whatever programs they'll want will be on mobile media.
Quote: beachbumbabsthere was another about a Mrs. Buckett that my ex loved, along with all his buddies (can't remember the name of it).
Bucket? Boo-kay. ("Keeping Up Appearances")
I rather enjoyed "Are You Being Served?" and some others I know enjoyed "Fawlty Towers".
Coupling was a fantastic show. Was sad when it ended, but I completely understood why they closed it at that point of the story arc.
BBC America gets some decent viewership.
Yup, but "All in the Family" was No. 1 from 1971 to 1976 (more Even Bob and my prime time):Quote: beachbumbabsTwo that I would say were big hits from England were Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey. There was also a large (mostly female) following for AbFab (Absolutely Fabulous) and there was another about a Mrs. Buckett that my ex loved, along with all his buddies (can't remember the name of it).
I would say, though, the biggest by far was Monty Python. Perhaps Benny Hill, in its time, as well. And there's a large fan base for Doctor Who, has been for 40 years.
None of them had Nielsens like MASH, or Friends, or Seinfeld, but all of them had millions of regular viewers.
"The show came about when Norman Lear read an article in Variety magazine on Till Death Us Do Part and its success in the United Kingdom.[15] He immediately knew it portrayed a relationship just like the one between him and his father.[16]
"Lear bought the rights to the show and incorporated his own family experiences with his father into the show. Lear's father would tell Lear's mother to "stifle herself" and she would tell Lear's father "you are the laziest white man I ever saw" (two "Archieisms" that found their way onto the show).
"The original pilot was titled Justice for All and was developed for ABC. Tom Bosley, Jack Warden, and Jackie Gleason were all considered for the role of Archie Bunker. In fact, CBS wanted to buy the rights to the original show and retool it specifically for Gleason, who was under contract to them, but producer Norman Lear beat out CBS for the rights and offered the show to ABC." wikipedia
Quote: AlanMendelsonI definitely don't live in a box which is why I don't watch TV except to be sure that my Infomercials run when scheduled.
Until about two months ago I hadn't heard about Downtown Abbey. My girlfriend was watching it on her DVR.
TV viewing has dropped dramatically.
The next generation will not watch TV at all. Whatever programs they'll want will be on mobile media.
Ill edit it to say "in a box or Alan."
Actually NVM you have heard of it, and it's a popular show in the USA.
I do understand most Americans don't like foreign shows My GF won't watch them
What about
Doctor Who? Isn't that a popular show here?
Shameless?
Peaky Blinders?
What kid didn't watch Benny Hill, I assume that was foreign.
Quote: AxelWolfIll edit it to say "in a box or Alan."
Add me to the list (of course I do live in a box when it comes to TV, movies, and music)
Quote: AxelWolf
What kid didn't watch Benny Hill, I assume that was foreign.
I did watch Benny Hill. I love the theme music ("Yakety Sax")
Quote: Dieter
I rather enjoyed "Are You Being Served?"
Ah, I'd forgotten about that. I think I probably saw every show eventually.
The point is, US shows are mega hits in GB
without changing them a whit. But no Brit
shows are ever mega hits here. DownTown
Abby, is that about a hooker/stripper? Never
seen it, barely heard of it. It's a hit here?
No it's not, not really..
Sure it is.Quote: EvenBobGeez, what a bunch of yapping about nothing.
The point is, US shows are mega hits in GB
without changing them a whit. But no Brit
shows are ever mega hits here. DownTown
Abby, is that about a hooker/stripper? Never
seen it, barely heard of it. It's a hit here?
No it's not, not really..
Press Releases from PBS
National Ratings Cement “Downton Abbey, Season 3” on MASTERPIECE CLASSIC as Highest-Rated Drama in PBS History
DAN STEVENS AS MATTHEW CRAWLEY AND MICHELLE DOCKERY AS LADY MARY
Nick Wall/Carnival Film & TV
– 24 Million Viewers Tuned In To Emmy®-Winning Drama’s Third Season –
ARLINGTON, VA; March 19, 2013 -- PBS and WGBH announced record-breaking national household ratings for “Downton Abbey, Season 3” on MASTERPIECE CLASSIC. Nielsen Live +7 household data for the drama, a Carnival/MASTERPIECE co-production, shows a 7.7 season average rating and an average season audience of 11.5 million viewers who tuned in via their local PBS station. These numbers outperform “Downton Abbey, Season 2” by 64 and 65 percent, respectively.
Quote: DieterBucket? Boo-kay. ("Keeping Up Appearances")
I rather enjoyed "Are You Being Served?" and some others I know enjoyed "Fawlty Towers".
Coupling was a fantastic show. Was sad when it ended, but I completely understood why they closed it at that point of the story arc.
BBC America gets some decent viewership.
That's the one. It was spelled "bucket" or something close, but she pronounced it "bou-kay".
Here is a list of british shows adapted to the US. Some were flops, some the original even played better here, and some were huge hits.
us shows based on uk shows
So you're buying two bla bla bla, tongs and a lid grabber.
Try calling the 800-number to get just one bla bla bla. There's usually no way to talk to a live person.
Buy one suit get one free? Guess what, you just bought two suits.
Quote: redjohnPBS averaged a 1.46 primetime household rating during the 2014-'15 season. Not exactly everybody is watching.
That's what I'm saying, those are the
ratings a crappy cable network gets.
Well Fox News bragged about the first Republican debate getting a record 24 million viewers, the exact same figure given elsewhere in this thread for "Downton Abby."Quote: EvenBobThat's what I'm saying, those are the ratings a crappy cable network gets.
Quote: EvenBobIn the 50's an hour show was 52-53min long.
Over 5 million people weren't able to enjoy the 52-53 minute programs in the 1950's.
They were either dead or paralyzed due to polio.
Quote: HowManyOver 5 million people weren't able to enjoy the 52-53 minute programs in the 1950's.
They were either dead or paralyzed due to polio.
I believe you're sadly mistaken about those numbers above. FYI ( At its peak in the 1940s and 1950s, polio would paralyze or kill over half a million people worldwide every year).
On March 26, 1953, American medical researcher Dr. Jonas Salk announces on a national radio show that he has successfully tested a vaccine against poliomyelitis, the virus that causes the crippling disease of polio. In 1952–an epidemic year for polio–there were 58,000 new cases reported in the United States, and more than 3,000 died from the disease. For promising eventually to eradicate the disease, which is known as “infant paralysis” because it mainly affects children, Dr. Salk was celebrated as the great doctor-benefactor of his time.
You can say that about any decade and disease.
Millions of people were dead, dying or in chemo from Cancer in the 2000's so they didn't watch television!
So what does that have to do with the discussion of ratings and BBC vs. US shows and running length?
Perhaps I'm wrong (I often am), but isn't a half million a year multiplied by 10 years = 5 mil?
If you had done some research first maybe your numbers would've made a difference. Incidentally world wide incidents of polio were close to those numbers you mentioned above, however you never stated that. IMO the net is the information superhighway -- why not take advantage of such a great entity instead of showing your obvious ignorance, thanks.
Quote: HeySlick
If you had done some research first maybe your numbers would've made a difference. Incidentally world wide incidents of polio were close to those numbers you mentioned above, however you never stated that. IMO the net is the information superhighway -- why not take advantage of such a great entity instead of showing your obvious ignorance, thanks.
Well, since you admit my numbers are right, perhaps you're the one that should've done your research.
Just an observation- you don't take being wrong very well. I hope you don't go beat your dog or kids because of this.
Take a walk, chill out. Enjoy an wonderful Sunday afternoon.
Quote: darkozWhat the hell is the whole purpose of this Polio argument.
The point I was trying to make point was that the 50's weren't all great. I thought that was obvious. Guess not.
Quote: HowManyWell, since you admit my numbers are right, perhaps you're the one that should've done your research.
Just an observation- you don't take being wrong very well. I hope you don't go beat your dog or kids because of this.
Take a walk, chill out. Enjoy an wonderful Sunday afternoon.
Your the IGNORANT one --- I don't have a pet or little kids SO Y don't you find another subject matter to accuse me of maligning. BTW I didn't say your numbers were right - your math was correct.
Quote: HowManyThe point I was trying to make point was that the 50's weren't all great. I thought that was obvious. Guess not.
Okay, I understand where you were going but relative to television length of episodes and commercial time the fifties were great.
I'm sure fifty years from now the recession, gay marriage rights being denied and 9/11 will be used as a reason why the early 2000's were a lousy time, but that's irrelevant when discussing this subject.
I mean, that's my opinion.
nothing to do with polio. Racism
was rampant everywhere, not just
in the South. Blacks could only
stay in a couple Vegas hotels,
they were barred from the rest.
Everybody was uptight about sex.
It wasn't taught in schools, it was
whispered about behind closed
doors. Women were treated like
second class citizens in the work
place. They made far less money,
had little opportunity for advancement,
and were subjected to blatant
sexism everywhere.
Everybody smoked anywhere they
wanted. On a bus or a plane or
a subway. A supermarket, an office,
a factory floor, in the teachers lounge,
in a doctors office. Sometimes a
doctor smoked while examining a
patient. And us kids just breathed
it all in wherever we went.
There was no cable TV, no stereo
radio, no color TV to watch even
if you could afford a color set,
nothing was open on Sunday, no
cell phones, no internet, yeah,
the 50's were a swell time. Not.
Quote: HeySlickQuote: HowManyWell, since you admit my numbers are right, perhaps you're the one that should've done your research.
Just an observation- you don't take being wrong very well. I hope you don't go beat your dog or kids because of this.
Take a walk, chill out. Enjoy an wonderful Sunday afternoon.
Your the IGNORANT one --- I don't have a pet or little kids SO Y don't you find another subject matter to accuse me of maligning. BTW I didn't say your numbers were right - your math was correct.
HeySlick,
Not sure why you're so spooled up, but only a careful reading keeps you from being suspended for personal insults in this thread (the above and a previous comment). Please take it down a notch. Thanks.
Quote: EvenBobThe 50's were not great and it had
nothing to do with polio. Racism
was rampant everywhere, not just
in the South. Blacks could only
stay in a couple Vegas hotels,
they were barred from the rest.
Everybody was uptight about sex.
It wasn't taught in schools, it was
whispered about behind closed
doors. Women were treated like
second class citizens in the work
place. They made far less money,
had little opportunity for advancement,
and were subjected to blatant
sexism everywhere.
Everybody smoked anywhere they
wanted. On a bus or a plane or
a subway. A supermarket, an office,
a factory floor, in the teachers lounge,
in a doctors office. Sometimes a
doctor smoked while examining a
patient. And us kids just breathed
it all in wherever we went.
There was no cable TV, no stereo
radio, no color TV to watch even
if you could afford a color set,
nothing was open on Sunday, no
cell phones, no internet, yeah,
the 50's were a swell time. Not.
Since you've chosen to accentuate the negative and, not even mention ANY positive aspects of the 50's i.e., as if you - know - it - all. This little quote SURE fits you.
"The only things worth learning are the things you learn AFTER you know it all "
- Harry S Truman -
Quote: EvenBob
There was no cable TV, no stereo
radio, no color TV to watch even
if you could afford a color set,
nothing was open on Sunday, no
cell phones, no internet, yeah,
the 50's were a swell time. Not.
Inflation had not yet forced most women to work. The crime rate was low and cities peaceful. Drugs had not yet destroyed the black community and inner cities. Life was not perfect, but it was hardly a bad time.
Quote: AZDuffmanInflation had not yet forced most women to work. The crime rate was low and cities peaceful. Drugs had not yet destroyed the black community and inner cities. Life was not perfect, but it was hardly a bad time.
Truthful and NICE post ---
edit afterthought (response to EvenBob bashing of the 50's era)
There SURE weren't any mass school shooting like the current times (21th Century) have shown -- back in the good old/bad? days of the 50's. Actually it's happening frequently in every imaginable venue e.g. Movie theaters etc. Mass shooting almost seem like part of the times we all/some have the misfortune of living in.
