Shortened Broadcast Seasons

Ollie · 02-20-2006, 10:54 AM

I've noticed that with the 60's DVD sets (Dick Van Dyke, Andy Griffith, Bewitched, etc) 30+ episodes per season was pretty much standard. But once you move into the 70's, 80's, 90's, 22-25 seems to be more the norm. Do any of you TV history buffs know why the broadcast seasons were originally shortened and have remained so to the present time?

FrancisP · 02-20-2006, 11:07 AM

The simple answer is money. The studios wanted more money per episode from broadcasters. Ordering fewer episodes were a way of keeping the total cost down.

Another depressing measurement. '60s shows were around 50-52 minutes for hour shows and around 24-26 for half hours. Now they're around 41-43 minutes for hours and 21 minutes for halfs.

ElijahS · 02-20-2006, 11:40 AM

The time development is more recent. You can go as far back as the early- to mid-1990s and find episodes of Law & Order (for example) that are over 45-46 minutes.

Katherine_K · 02-20-2006, 02:08 PM

One thing to remember is that some early 1980s series suffered from the infamous Writer's Guild Strike.

MatthewA · 02-20-2006, 02:08 PM

From the early 1950s until about 1982, the FCC regulated the amount of commercial time that could be shown on prime-time TV. This was a rigid 8 minutes per hour until about the mid-1970s, when it was increased to about 10 minutes per hour. In the mid-1980s, the FCC relaxed its regulations and commercial time increased to 12 minutes per hour. Throughout the next 15 years, the networks would exploit the lack of regulation (and make up for the increasing costs of programming) by expanding prime-time commercial time. It was 14 minutes per hour by 1990, 16 minutes per hour in 2000, and 18 minutes per hour today.

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AnthonyC · 02-20-2006, 02:45 PM

The FCC should really regulate it today; that's much more important than censoring "objectionable" content if you ask me.

Mike*SC · 02-20-2006, 04:21 PM

The broadcast networks can't resist the quick bucks of more commercials, and then wonder why viewers are abandoning them by the millions. Sure, there are many reasons for that, but among them is definitely the knowledge that a half-hour of television will be close to one-thirds commercials. And the shows themselves are less interesting, because there's simply not enough time to tell a good story. And if they manage to get the story out, it comes at the expense of the character moments that most great shows are remembered for. The thing is, people always assume it must be easier to write a shorter show. In fact, it's much harder, because you have to cram everything into a very short time. Shows have no room to breathe, and they become hyperactive, without any casual time to spend to get to know the characters or let any moment actually have an impact. It's a real shame.

Kyle_D · 02-20-2006, 06:26 PM

Quote:

And the shows themselves are less interesting, because there's simply not enough time to tell a good story.

I'd suggest you watch an episode of Arrested Development, South Park, Scrubs, (the first two seasons of) Alias, Lost, 24, Firefly, etc. and tell me television doesn't tell good stories. As far as content goes, I'd say we're in another golden age of television.

Do I wish there were fewer ads? Of course. However, there's still a ton of interesting programming out there with GREAT story lines.

Brady · 02-20-2006, 06:33 PM

I think he was referring to half-hour shows, and most of your examples are hour long ones. Besides, while you may find them funny, do you really think South Park and Scrubs are going to be fondly remembered thirty or forty years from now?

Writers have to follow a set format, that lays out approximately what minute A will happen, followed shortly by B, to be resolved by C. Every once in awhile a great show will come along that buck the trends, but networks like to stick with what works. Why do you think there are so many Law and Orders, CSIs, and Lost-formula knock-offs?

Jay_B! · 02-20-2006, 06:49 PM

there are still great shows on television, you just have to know where to look for them