Unusual TV Show Lengths

[JepMasta]

Hey guys, Just wondering something and wanted to see what you guys think of it.

I happen to really love UK Deal or no Deal, and I know a lot of you do as well.  I think part of what makes it so great is it's length.  It is 45 minutes long with adverts (which comes out to around 35 Minutes of actual show time.)  I think this is the ideal length of the show.  If it was an hour it would drag too long.  half hour, it would seem too rushed.  Here's the thing though, if a UK Style Deal was to be attempted in America (yeah I am aware it's a pipe dream), do you think we yanks could get away with airing a 45-minute TV show?  Maybe bookended in syndie with a 15-minute news report.

I am just looking for your opinions

Thanks and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Brian~

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'JepMasta\' post=\'252837\' date=\'Dec 19 2010, 09:25 PM\']It is 45 minutes long with adverts (which comes out to around 35 Minutes of actual show time.)
...
Here's the thing though, if a UK Style Deal was to be attempted in America (yeah I am aware it's a pipe dream), do you think we yanks could get away with airing a 45-minute TV show?[/quote]
Since an hour-long US show is usually 38 minutes or so of content anymore after commercials, I don't think it matters.

[TLEberle]

The problem is two-fold. Firstly, America had their chance to do Deal right, and fouled it up both times. The syndicated version managed to bungle the pacing of episodes to a laughable degree. The other is that you can't come to affiliates and say "We're going to sell an hour of content, three-fourths of which will be this game show and the other fifteen minutes a newscast." If you had a network newscast at the half hour and perhaps the headlines at :55, that might work.

That sort of thing could work better on a network, and there's precedent for it, with 90 minute episodes of Duel, and 70 and 80 episodes of Fear Factor, coupled with extended versions of comedies or Sneak Peeks at upcoming programs. But I don't have the patience to watch a 45 minute episode of a game that has yet to be produced competently in this country.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'252842\' date=\'Dec 19 2010, 09:38 PM\']But I don't have the patience to watch a 45 minute episode of a game that has yet to be produced competently in this country.[/quote]
I think Brian's supposition (and the one I based my reply on) is that Noel Edmonds, sealed boxes, that phone with the goofy cord, and enough gravitas to put the studio monitors into geosynchronous orbit around the stage, are flown wholesale over to this shore and produced and aired on US television. He himself admits that's a complete pipe dream, and he's right. But the question of competent production doesn't enter into it.

My point was that the question is completely moot *unless* the paradigm of US commercial television shifts such that a 45-minute show with only 10 minutes of ad breaks is feasible. Don't see that happening.

[Jimmy Owen]

"Let's Make a Deal or No Deal" might be a good 90 min. daytime block for CBS.  ABC had a couple of daytime soaps with 45 minute lengths for a couple of years in the late '70's, so it has happened before.

[vtown7]

Actually, as it turns out, UK Deal is going to an hour long format in the new year, if what I've read is correct.  They've also changed their taping schedule to crank out four-a-day instead of three-a-day in the dream factory in Bristol.

R.

[Ian Wallis]

I really wonder if they might be forced into shows with unusual lengths here in North America.  When you take an average half-hour syndicated show, it runs roughly 20 minutes with close to 10 minutes commercials.  I can't believe how bad it's gotten over the years.  If this keeps up, in a few years it might be more like 15-15.  Would it still be feasable to do half-hour shows if this were to occur?  Talk about lack of content.

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'252863\' date=\'Dec 20 2010, 01:45 PM\']I really wonder if they might be forced into shows with unusual lengths here in North America.  When you take an average half-hour syndicated show, it runs roughly 20 minutes with close to 10 minutes commercials.  I can't believe how bad it's gotten over the years.  If this keeps up, in a few years it might be more like 15-15.  Would it still be feasable to do half-hour shows if this were to occur?  Talk about lack of content.[/quote]
About 10 years ago, I came up with a concept that could work with content and could still amount to a traditional three-hour primetime block, but I'm not sure what it would do for ratings...

Half hour slots (21 or so minutes of content) would be bumped to 40 or 45-minute slots, the latter being similar to NBC's "Super Sized" sitcom episodes. An hour-long show would be bumped to 75 or 90 minutes. I'd probably suggest going with 45/90 because a sitcom starting at 8:40 or 9:20 pm could get a little confusing to viewers, not that 8:45 is any easier.

8:00 - sitcom
8:45 - sitcom
9:30 - drama

OR

Since NBC and ABC are getting back into having sitcoms in the 10pm hour, 8:00/8:45/9:30/10:15 on some nights, then do the aforementioned on nights where you want a drama. It might be a little tougher for FOX, seeing as they have 10:00 news.

All in all, I don't see the current networks sacrificing a possible show just to give remaining shows more time. Someone would have to probably take a chance on a new network, which I also don't see happening.

[Brian44]

Which leads me to something I've always wondered regarding the 11:35 PM EST start time of Leno/Letterman/Kimmel: Do most of the local affiliates actually sell 5 extra minutes of commercial time within their 11:00 newscasts (or whatever they air in that slot)?

[Ian Wallis]

All in all, I don't see the current networks sacrificing a possible show just to give remaining shows more time. Someone would have to probably take a chance on a new network, which I also don't see happening.

Considering all the failures launched each fall, I don't see why they wouldn't consider this idea.  Wouldn't it save them a bit of money not to risk additional shows cancelled in just 3 episodes because they have to fill the slot with something?  They could then concentrate more on other shows and maybe try to make them better quality.

There was an article in the paper a while back about The Mary Tyler Moore Show.  They stated that with around 25 minutes, they could build more character development within each episode.  Now, with 21 or 22, it's just do the story and get out.  It makes a difference.

[weaklink75]

Well a lot of programs here go an extra minute or two over the half hour, so they can use the previous shows audience to go onto the next program before they change channels.

And I think the DOND UK extension was because they wanted to add another commercial break, and they aren't allowed to do that unless the show gets expanded to an hour because of broadcast regulations.

[Ian Wallis]

Which leads me to something I've always wondered regarding the 11:35 PM EST start time of Leno/Letterman/Kimmel: Do most of the local affiliates actually sell 5 extra minutes of commercial time within their 11:00 newscasts (or whatever they air in that slot)?

I had always wondered where and why this started.  I first noticed it in a Denver TVGuide from 1983.  I wondered why the late newscasts ran 35 min - on each station.  Nobody else that I know of was doing it at that time.  Over the years, it spread around and now everybody's doing it.

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'252872\' date=\'Dec 20 2010, 04:06 PM\']Considering all the failures launched each fall, I don't see why they wouldn't consider this idea.  Wouldn't it save them a bit of money not to risk additional shows cancelled in just 3 episodes because they have to fill the slot with something?  They could then concentrate more on other shows and maybe try to make them better quality.

There was an article in the paper a while back about The Mary Tyler Moore Show.  They stated that with around 25 minutes, they could build more character development within each episode.  Now, with 21 or 22, it's just do the story and get out.  It makes a difference.[/quote]
Great points. Not only do networks save money on not having to order as many shows and risk canceling one within three weeks, but writers get to breathe easier with character and plot development. With the increased time, you may even be able to see more shows go back to using traditional theme songs or a minute or so. Of course, in the case of a game show, that could also mean more gratuitous padding. :-P

For the record, the most recent "Saturday Night Live" ran for 53 minutes and change, about the same length of an HBO drama. I could see that translating to a network drama, with a 9:30-11pm slot.

[MikeK]

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'252875\' date=\'Dec 20 2010, 04:47 PM\']For the record, the most recent "Saturday Night Live" ran for 53 minutes and change too long[/quote]
FTFY.

[mmb5]

All these ideas may sound good on paper, but they really screw up syndication.