The Orville on Fox

[RocketMan]

And a good chunk of that was off both ends to allow for more commercials between shows, as opposed to the currently popular couple minutes of content, then a 30-60 second commercial break, then if it's a documentary, a full minute or more of recap before new content.

If I remember correctly, each break was two minutes to 2:30 long.  The longer breaks tended toward the beginning and ending of programs.  On occasion there were 2:20 breaks, the :20 second parts for promos and PSAs.

[TommyGunn]

Then figure up the difference in actual runtime between a 1960-1980 half hour or full hour show and a current one.  Somewhere around here I've got some old shows with commercials left out that run 26:00 to 26:30.  I timed a show a couple weeks ago and got 16 minutes of the actual show in half an hour.

DVD sets of old TV shows  such as NAKED CITY,  from the early 1960s run 51 minutes per episode.   Other show in the 49-50 minute range.   1980s run 48 minutes.    Some newer ones like CRIMINAL MINDS  run 42-44 minutes.

I don't have  a lot of half hour shows on DVD,  but I presume you could just divide the hour show run time in half.

[erictank]

It's a ridiculous trend that's been going on for a while now. Many series are down to ten episodes. I blame the Brits. Before you know it, our series will be down to six episodes, like theirs are.

First season, on broadcast networks at least, has been 10-13 episodes for a long while now.  They go to 22-26 episodes after that, generally.

The above does not apply to specialty networks/distributors like HBO, Netflix, etc.  They do what they want.

[TommyGunn]

First season, on broadcast networks at least, has been 10-13 episodes for a long while now.  They go to 22-26 episodes after that, generally.

The above does not apply to specialty networks/distributors like HBO, Netflix, etc.  They do what they want.

A lot of times the network will buy a set of 12 or so of a new, untried series.  If ratings are good it will order a complete 24+-  season.   If the series is renewed that spring it will order a full season.

[zxcvbob]

I watched the last episode last night.  It was 5 minutes of show and 10 minutes of commercials, rinse, repeat. So I guess the advertisers like it.  I almost turned it off.

[Ben]

I watched the last episode last night.  It was 5 minutes of show and 10 minutes of commercials, rinse, repeat. So I guess the advertisers like it.  I almost turned it off.

Again, I don't understand how anyone can sit through realtime Network TV anymore. I'm actually somewhat surprised that they have been going in this direction of practically 50/50 content/commercials given DVR and other technology.

If realtime TV with no DVR were my only option, I might sit through 90 seconds of commercials every 15 minutes, which means I might actually stay in my chair and watch the commercials. Longer than that, and I would be up and doing other stuff until the show came back and would thus completely miss what the advertisers were selling.

Anytime I watch shows on network/cable that I don't record, I always buffer them for at least 15 minutes first so that I can hit FF.

[grampster]

Remember when cable TV didn't have any commercials?

[K Frame]

"I don't understand how anyone can sit through realtime Network TV anymore."

Cell phone.

Just tune the TV out when the commercials come on.

[BobR]

Remember when cable TV didn't have any commercials?

Just stop that silliness, next I suppose you will tell us MTV used to play music videos all the time!!      


bob

[KD5NRH]

If realtime TV with no DVR were my only option, I might sit through 90 seconds of commercials every 15 minutes, which means I might actually stay in my chair and watch the commercials. Longer than that, and I would be up and doing other stuff until the show came back and would thus completely miss what the advertisers were selling.

I still have to wonder why no advertisers have figured out that it might be well worth the cost of buying up all the commercial breaks in a time slot and making one good commercial to run one time with no other interruptions.  Not one incredibly idiotic commercial repeated every 5 minutes like the old Hulu model, but one interruption total.  Maybe two, like the older shows often planned for, back when they would break the show up into setting up all the basic elements, then a 90 second commercial break, then set up for the climax and use another 90 second break to let the suspense build.

Of course, a lot of them still seem to think that screaming idiocy is the way to advertise, no matter how many used car dealers go under from that marketing plan.