[mythtv-users] [OT] Study proves skipping commercials make TV less enjoyable

Dan Ritter dsr-myth at tao.merseine.nu
Wed Jan 14 20:09:18 UTC 2009


On Wed, Jan 14, 2009 at 01:54:58PM -0600, Robert Johnston wrote:
> I believe the main reason for this is the US Producer's seemingly
> incessant need to spend 3/4 of the show repeating themselves. Let's
> take (For example) Mythbusters as an example (Though this could
> equally apply to almost any show).
> 
> The show runs:
> 
> Intro (2 minutes), Titles (3 minutes),
> Commercial (5 minutes),
> Recap intro (3 minutes), Content (8 minutes), "Coming up" (3 minutes),
> Commercial (5 minutes),
> Recap intro and previous content (3 minutes), new content (8 minutes),
> "Coming up" (3 minutes),
> Commercial (5 minutes),
> Recap intro and all previous content (5 minutes), new content (5
> minutes), "Coming up" (4 minutes),
> Commercial (5 minutes),
> Recap (again) (5 minutes), finale (4 minutes), Wrap up and end credits
> (3 minutes).

Congratulations, you've fit 79 minutes into an hour.

Typical prime-time network programming currently runs 42.5
minutes of show in 60 minutes, the other 17.5 being commercials
and network promos. 

> Compare that to something that, say, the BBC puts out. With no
> commercials, they can put a lot more content into the show (Most of
> it, in fact), and leave the real shock tactics, tension building, that
> kind of thing, for the end of the show, as an invitation to tune in
> next time.

'Doctor Who' runs 45 minutes. That's not much longer than 42.5;
it just isn't necessarily broken up the same way.

If you'd like to see a well-written US program, check out
'Leverage' on TNT. The premise is simple: four criminals and an
ex-insurance investigator do the A Team shindig... with
competent writers.

-dsr-

-- 
http://tao.merseine.nu/~dsr/eula.html is hereby incorporated by reference.

You can't defend freedom by getting rid of it.


More information about the mythtv-users mailing list