Double Runs of New Programming

[tpirfan28]

There's been one question that has always been bugging me...why are there double-runs of new programming?  With Temptation and Merv's Crosswords, they'll be in new episodes regardless.

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'tpirfan28\' post=\'162279\' date=\'Aug 29 2007, 04:35 PM\']
There's been one question that has always been bugging me...why are there double-runs of new programming?  With Temptation and Merv's Crosswords, they'll be in new episodes regardless.
[/quote]
It's been a few years since I saw this explanation, but I think it has something to do with the fact that it's easier to promote as "block" programming, in the event a station wants to air the episodes back-to-back. Same reason sitcom reruns offer two episodes a day.

Sorry for the vague explanation, I don't even remember where I read that.

[urbanpreppie05]

I read somewhere that an hour is easier to sell than a half hour.

I just wish I could remember where.

[Mr. Matté]

I thought I remember hearing on this board that in case you schedule two shows in an hour block, and in case one or both flop, it would be better to have one show flop and replace it with an hour of a popluar show rather than taking the risk of wasting money on two shows flopping.

[Ian Wallis]

I read somewhere that an hour is easier to sell than a half hour.

Would it be a good idea to develop syndie games that are an hour-long, or would the public lose interest in just about anything ecept Price?  The primetime hour-long games seem to be doing OK.

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'162292\' date=\'Aug 29 2007, 05:53 PM\']Would it be a good idea to develop syndie games that are an hour-long, or would the public lose interest in just about anything except Price?  The primetime hour-long games seem to be doing OK.[/quote]
See, that's the part I don't get.  If there's a concern about viewer fatigue for a one-hour show, how is the viewer remarkably relieved of this problem just because it's two different half-hours of the same show?

My belief is that there IS fatigue for most of the half-hour formats, and running the same show back-to-back with itself is not in the best interest of the viewer or the station.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'162310\' date=\'Aug 29 2007, 05:04 PM\']
My belief is that there IS fatigue for most of the half-hour formats, and running the same show back-to-back with itself is not in the best interest of the viewer or the station.
[/quote]
So why's it happening? PD's trumping up a reason not to do any real work? (Mind you, I'd buy that...)

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'tpirfan28\' post=\'162279\' date=\'Aug 29 2007, 04:35 PM\']
There's been one question that has always been bugging me...why are there double-runs of new programming?  With Temptation and Merv's Crosswords, they'll be in new episodes regardless.
[/quote]
Both of these shows will have continuing champions, won't they?
On September 10th, will the second show of the day in the double-run markets show the episode that immediately follows the first presented show in taping order or will we be "re-introduced" to a champion that we've never seen before because it'll come from a different point in the run?

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'Don Howard\' post=\'162313\' date=\'Aug 29 2007, 09:12 PM\']Both of these shows will have continuing champions, won't they?[/quote]
I spoke to several people when I was in LA over the summer, including a contestant, and I'm pretty sure I was told that Crosswords would not have returning champions.  Whether that's a change from the original plans I don't know, though you and Mark both had reason to believe there would be returning champs, so that may have been the initial idea.

[TimK2003]

[quote name=\'NewJersey137\' post=\'162282\' date=\'Aug 29 2007, 04:53 PM\']
I thought I remember hearing on this board that in case you schedule two shows in an hour block, and in case one or both flop, it would be better to have one show flop and replace it with an hour of a popluar show rather than taking the risk of wasting money on two shows flopping.
[/quote]


There was also something said that double runs of daily 1/2 hour shows help both the station and the syndicator  in "spinning" their ratings.  
 
In the case of one hour blocks, the stations and syndicators can compare apples to apples (one series vs. one series) against both competing 30 and 60-minute shows (i.e. Regis & Kelly Lee, Oprah, Dr. Keith Ablow,...).

In the case of split double runs (say Millionaire double runs at 10am and 7:30pm with ratings of 2.0 and 4.0, respectively), you can use the average of both runs (3.0) to help improve the lower-rated show.  Or, if ratings are strong for both runs in their different time periods, stations and syndicators can better prove the overall strength of the show by itself, and not because the counter-programming on the other channels blows.

(It's not fun to say that O'Hurley's Feud at 10a is #1 only because its up against Megan Mulally, The 700 Club and Barney.  But if you say that in addition to the 10am airing, the 5pm airing is also #1 opposite Ellen, Scrubs and the 5pm News, then Feud looks more respectable and attractive to the advertisers for both time periods).

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'162316\' date=\'Aug 29 2007, 09:10 PM\']
[quote name=\'Don Howard\' post=\'162313\' date=\'Aug 29 2007, 09:12 PM\']Both of these shows will have continuing champions, won't they?[/quote]
I spoke to several people when I was in LA over the summer, including a contestant, and I'm pretty sure I was told that Crosswords would not have returning champions.  Whether that's a change from the original plans I don't know, though you and Mark both had reason to believe there would be returning champs, so that may have been the initial idea.
[/quote]

"Temptation" will probably do like "Feud"--both runs will start with three new players and each go through its own stream.  Sooner or later, the shows from one run will run with the shows from the other run.  Which, of course, is what "Crosswords" will do--the only difference being that "Temptation" has to run shows in consecutive taping order for a while in each run, while "Crosswords" can jump around the taping schedule, since from Matt's indication it's not bound to a continuing champ.