[lovemovies]

Ads are the most anoying thing to me when watching a TV program, but I didn't realise until the other day just how much time they are reducing the length of TV programs.

I bought season one of 24 to watch for the first time recently. Loved it, so bought 2 and 3 the day after finishing it. Season one box has only about ten minutes of extras on it. Full runing is 1041 mins.

Season two has documentories, featurettes and deleted scenes. Full running time is 1013 mins.

Season three claims to have hours of extras and full running time is 1006 mins.

Is this a sign of how bad things are going to get? Will programs eventually be scheduled around adverts? Will we soon be able to sit down and watch a full season on DVD in one easy sitting?

Are ads more important as an income to tv stations than making and selling a good quality hour long program?

[Starburst]

Given that 24 episodes at 42 minutes comes to over 1000 minutes then it's likely the running time given does not include features and other additional material.

No question though that US shows made for a 60 minute timeslot are getting shorter, used to hit 48-50 minutes once upon a time but the US commercial broadcasters are not as heavily regulated as the UK.
The reason for the short intros/themes in UK shows is to maximise content in response to more advertising.

Then networks wonder why ratings continue to fall and DVD sales increase

[JohnG]

This is why I very rarely watch prorams live these days. I Sky+ them and then race through the adverts, you can start watching a program 20 minutes after it has started and finish watching at the same time as it finishes live ...... if you see what I mean

[lovemovies]

Originally Posted by JohnG

This is why I very rarely watch prorams live these days. I Sky+ them and then race through the adverts, you can start watching a program 20 minutes after it has started and finish watching at the same time as it finishes live ...... if you see what I mean

I'll probably go this way eventually. (Thinking off getting Sky High Def with Sky+). I still think that the DVD is a better option. I was getting really ****** off with all those 118 ads on Lost, and how dragged out the story seemed to be on a weekly basis. Bought the box set and all problems were solved.

[Knyght_byte]

Originally Posted by JohnG

This is why I very rarely watch prorams live these days. I Sky+ them and then race through the adverts, you can start watching a program 20 minutes after it has started and finish watching at the same time as it finishes live ...... if you see what I mean

exactly what i do....heh

check in advance what i fancy watching that night, hit it all on record, then start it so many minutes in....works a treat on the WWE programs.....cuz they are American and live (on the monday night anyhow) there is a lot of advertising, but of course over here they couldnt show all of it normal adverts so they do WWE advertising instead...lol

[Tight Git]

Originally Posted by lovemovies

Are ads more important as an income to tv stations than making and selling a good quality hour long program?

Yes, of course they are.

How could anyone possibly think otherwise?

[daKlone]

Quite right

Unfortunately for us, as far as the TV networks are concerned, what they produce is not about art, entertainment or quality - its about money.

If the TV people thought for a second that they could get decent advertising revenue from advert breaks in the test card, they'd put it on 24hrs a day!!

Even the dear old Beeb has to have one eye on its overseas and DVD sales these days.

But it does give me a warm feeling of "beating the system" when I Sky+ my favourite programmes just so that I don't have to sit through the adverts

[Tight Git]

Originally Posted by daKlone

If the TV people thought for a second that they could get decent advertising revenue from advert breaks in the test card, they'd put it on 24hrs a day!!

Actually the Test Card was more entertaining than some of today's programmes!