More evidence that network execs are stupid. by Cybersnark

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

More evidence that network execs are stupid.

POSTED BY: CYBERSNARK
UPDATED: Wednesday, July 19, 2006 15:31
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VIEWED: 3372
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Tuesday, July 18, 2006 6:20 AM

http://tv.yahoo.com/news/ap/20060715/115300416000.html

Quote:

The flood of serialized dramas hitting television has created a quandary for viewers when shows fail in the ratings and are canceled, leaving key plot points eternally unresolved.
[. . .]
It's a problem that throws networks, too, at least based on CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler's response when queried about it Saturday at a meeting of the Television Critics Association.

Quote:
Her assertion that viewers don't weigh the possibility a serialized drama could be yanked in deciding whether to watch prompted a disbelieving question from one reporter: "Are you serious?"

Man, even the reporters are getting it.

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We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

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Tuesday, July 18, 2006 6:24 AM

PHOENIXROSE

You think you know--what's to come, what you are. You haven't even begun.

*disgusted snort* I didn't believe I could think less of these people.

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Tuesday, July 18, 2006 6:27 AM

PENGUIN

Yes, we're all mindless sheep that follow whatever is on TV...

Idiots!

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Tuesday, July 18, 2006 7:58 AM

MILFORD

You know what you get when you have a room full of TV executives?

One fully functional human being, minus the soul.

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Customizeable handmade baby gifts personalized by my wife! Check them out at www.baby-bobo.com. All proceeds go towards international adoption.

Leaning into the wind that used to carry me-Stavesacre

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Tuesday, July 18, 2006 8:44 AM

WINDIE

It certainly does make you wonder.

It's also the main reason I stopped working for large companies. They do not seem to realise that things need a start, a middle and some what spookily an end.

Bugger I feel like cussing again.

Why have they taken the sky from ME

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Tuesday, July 18, 2006 8:48 AM

DESKTOPHIPPIE

I hate reading stuff like this. It just makes me so furious that execs are so completely

clueless about quality television.

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Tuesday, July 18, 2006 8:55 AM

ODDSBODSKINS

it's a business, they are, ultimately, business people.

the art, quality, all of that, that comes down to everyone directly involved in the production.

the execs aren't obliged to pay any attention to it, as long as their decisions make good business sense.

which is a real bitch sometimes.

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Tuesday, July 18, 2006 9:54 AM

DEEPGIRL187

I'll admit, not every viewer is as enlightened as us Browncoats (reality TV, anyone?). But saying that "viewers don't weigh the possibility a serialized drama could be yanked in deciding whether to watch" is beyond ludicrous. It just goes to show that network execs could give a flying you-know-what about viewer opinions.

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"These words are all I have so I'll write them."

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Tuesday, July 18, 2006 10:02 AM

SIMONWHO

The answer is really for the creators, with the assistance of the network bosses, to setup the stories so that if the show is cancelled 13 or 24 episodes in, the story comes to a natural conclusion. Some creators already do this - note how season 1 of 24 could come to a natural halt after 12 hours or Wonderfalls wrapping itself up neatly in the final episode, yet still leaving the future open.

Then again, sometimes the creators don't give a damn about tying up the loose ends - who else expected Fire Walk With Me to tie up Twin Peaks tidily?

And network execs are not only stupid, they also assume we are too. Which leads them to making TV only for stupid people which means only stupid people watch TV. Which means they can point to demographics and say "Look, they are stupid."

Grr.

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Tuesday, July 18, 2006 10:09 AM

DONCOAT

The real answer (sorry, SimonWho) is for the networks to commit to a full run of a series from the beginning, whether that be five episodes or five hundred, and then stick with it until the commitment is fulfilled. Then they can negotiate with the creators / producers for more if the show is a hit.

But there seem to be no executives in American TV who are smart enough, or brave enough, to do that for an unknown show.

I get the impression that British TV does work that way, for some things at least.

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I'm pointin' right at it!

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Tuesday, July 18, 2006 11:05 AM

RMMC

From what I've seen, TV season (series in Britian) is about half the length (6-14)it is in the US (20-24). That makes a bit of a difference.

Budget does, too. To use a couple of favorites of mine, on Doctor Who (prior to Sylvester Mccoy getting the role) the annual budget for that show was equivilant to the budget of one episode of Star Trek...the original series in the 1960's.

In the US, networks will usually buy 12-14 episodes and see how things go before green lighting any more. If things really tank, they pull the plug faster. Heck, my dad told me of a show in the 50's that got yanked after the first commercial break! And I remember a show in the 70's {Adam's Rib?} that only had one episode shown (I guess I was the only one who watched it that night.

)

Shows that do badly in the first half of the year get yanked faster, as there's always something the networks weren't quite ready to put as first string, but it's there and so they want to try to get folks before they settle into a viewing routine for the winter.

It's all numbers. :(

*******
RMMC

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Tuesday, July 18, 2006 11:26 AM

MSG

Maybe she's the same lady who put up this sign

Anyway, she's just like all execs as long as the paychecks keep coming they don't even know there are viewers. To them we are just little numbers in the plus or minus column or in those little boxes giving focus group opinions...

I choose to rise instead of fall- U2

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Tuesday, July 18, 2006 11:50 AM

TEACHDAIRE

Hell, at least here in the uk they have the sense to let a show finish it's season run, even if they do move it to a different time slot. That way, they know who's a loyal fan, by seeing how many people actually stay up late to see it.

For every battle honour, a thousand heroes die along, unremembered and unsung...

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Tuesday, July 18, 2006 12:12 PM

WTE

And I remember a show in the 70's {Adam's Rib?} that only had one episode shown (I guess I was the only one who watched it that night.)

Wasn't Heather Graham's show canned after one episode as well? I didn't watch it, so it may well have deserved that fate, I was just figuring as long as we were throwing out examples... of course, that was a sitcom, too (like the world needs more of these...).

HONKS

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Tuesday, July 18, 2006 12:48 PM

DC4BS

Man, reading this thread, I started thinking about "Manimal", "The Phoenix", "Automan"... Stuff I never missed as a kid.

All of em just kind of left you hanging. Would the Phoenix ever have contacted his people and gone home?

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Back to topic:

She is RIGHT in an evil, self fulfilling prophecy kind of way...

For quite a few shows in the last few years, I watch the pilot. If I don't care about it, I'll watch it as it comes and if it's cancelled, so what?

If it looks like a REALLY GOOD show, I won't even go near it till it comes out as a full season on DVD (or as a partial like Firefly - but at least I went into that KNOWING it would get hung ahead of time). That way they cannot SCREW me and leave me hanging mid-season without any warning.

EG: I watched LAX each week and didn't get too attached cause I could see that wasn't gonna make it even though I love anything to do with flight/planes and cause, you know, Heather Locklear is in it, right? I have all 13 eps recorded as I'm guessing it may not ever make it to DVD (so I made my own DVD set)...
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dc4bs

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Tuesday, July 18, 2006 2:04 PM

SIMONWHO

Quote:
Originally posted by dc4bs:

She is RIGHT in an evil, self fulfilling prophecy kind of way...

But you're proving her wrong: she's saying that viewers tune in, regardless of whether they think the show might be cancelled, whereas you, having been burnt before, won't tune in at all till effectively after the event.

And much as I hate the networks, it's unrealistic to expect them to commit making 500 episodes of something. It's getting hard to get them to commit to 22/24 episodes of something. So the creators have got to be realistic in that respect.

Over here, because we have short runs of shows, pulling them isn't really an option unless they're disastrously bad (which has happened a few times with ITV).

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Tuesday, July 18, 2006 2:12 PM

RMMC

Quote:
Originally posted by dc4bs:
Man, reading this thread, I started thinking about "Manimal", "The Phoenix", "Automan"... Stuff I never missed as a kid.

All of em just kind of left you hanging. Would the Phoenix ever have contacted his people and gone home?

I was hoping so, but betting it was gonna be more like the Hulk series.

Hmmm...You didn't watch "Fantastic Journey" with Jared Martin and Roddy McDowell? Too bad. That was fun that was over with far too soon as well. Not to mention "Quark"....

Quote:
Originally posted by WTE:
Wasn't Heather Graham's show canned after one episode as well?

I must have missed that one.

When was it on?

******
RMMC

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Wednesday, July 19, 2006 8:21 AM

SMARTBUTDUMBBLONDE

I haven't actually watched anything on the Television in I don't know how long, let along anything English in origin (American tv is a million times better than ours) know why? cuz its all

realtity!!! who honestly watches this

, and cares? Latest 'celebrity' based show: 'celebrities' showjumping. Why can't they produce any decent dramas? I am considering writing to all the chanels, suggesting that they buy Firefly, and show it over here.
Thank God for DVD's is all I can say.

98% of teens have smoked pot, if you are one of the 2% that haven't, copy this into your signature

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Wednesday, July 19, 2006 8:30 AM

GRAYFURY

Last night there was a power outage on our block due to a storm...the electricity was off from 7pm to 1:30am. almost IMEDIATLY people started coming out onto their porches and talking to eachother... like there was nothing else to do now that there was no TV... sad. a TVless nieghborhood is more of a nieghborhood. I came to a conclusion last night. Marx used to be right. Religion WAS the opiate of the masses. it WAS. Now Television is the opiate of the masses. Weve turned into veal... willingly.

"Smellin' alot of IF comin' offa' this plan!"

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Wednesday, July 19, 2006 8:57 AM

22CLAWS

Entirely pointy.

That seems sad. At least, they DID come out and talk to each other. The last time my power went out, I just watched DVDs on my laptop.

22

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Wednesday, July 19, 2006 3:31 PM

RMMC

It could be worse. The last time my neighbors got together and talked as because one of the apartments was on fire.

As a kid though, the only time we had block get togethers was if something happened (emergency vehicles, storm damage, pushing cars stuck in the snow...) as we're all nosey folk, and had to look and speculate and pass gossip. I expect it's just basic human nature there.

Dunno if it's all due to TV though. Was your power outage at night? For me it's less not being able to watch the boob tube and more, not having enough light to read.

*****
RMMC

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