Are the US tv viewing figures wrong?

[Ed P]

In the US they tend to be more brutal with their shows and pull them if they do not make target viewing numbers within a certain time.(I’d guess four shows as that seems to be a typical retention time for cable etc.). If a show is not making a target it would not surprise me to learn that advertising money is thrown at posting mock favourable reviews/endorsements on Social Media etc. That could well result in a viewing figure spike.

[Richard]

Ed P wrote:

In the US they tend to be more brutal with their shows and pull them if they do not make target viewing numbers within a certain time.(I’d guess four shows as that seems to be a typical retention time for cable etc.). If a show is not making a target it would not surprise me to learn that advertising money is thrown at posting mock favourable reviews/endorsements on Social Media etc. That could well result in a viewing figure spike.

Since the TV station is totally dependant on the advertising revenue the approach can easily be understood, just as the effects can easily be observed. I suspect that the money thrown at audience generation is as limited as it can be to achieve a hoped for effect. The internet has given rise to the various viral campaigns which can be cheap to set up.

While hit shows can attract an audience due to their ‘cult’ following some of the dross used to fill the schedules is dire with a total absence of production standards. Production budgets that probably would not cover a Starbucks for the ‘actors’. The funniest I saw was something I think was called General Hospital. Two characters were supposed to be having a heated argument, but the camera kept missing the actors. The blue wall was shouting at the pink wall, but the show just went on with an organ, (probably a cheap keyboard), providing the mood music – until the ‘messages’ arrived to bring relief. It was more like comedy than anything else.

[The Duke]

Considering the network either buys the shows or pays for them, if the show isn’t able to sell enough adds to recover the costs, of not just its bit the other 20 productions that never made it out over various stages of production, its canned.

For every hit, their is a 100 fails. It’s why tv is the of reality TV, it cost pennies to make,and has a good rate of return. It’s crap, but as it’s cheap, it doesn’t need huge followings to make it viable. By reality TV I include, the normal stuff, BB, X factor, Hollywood wife’s, chase on camera, my diet xyz, homes under the hammer, house in the country, cash in attic, antiques road show, cars shows and the 1000 others, all cost nothing to produce. Ironically the reality shows with the worse rap, X factor and BB, are the ones with the biggest budgets.

When you actually look at the, cheap reality TV isn’t a new thing at all.

[Robin Long]

There have been a couple of recent strange cancellations in the US market that have confused viewers.   Both Law And Order(original) and CSI:LV got dropped not because their viewing figures did but because their viewing demographic moved out of the 18-49 range and it lost its slot.  Bones was canceled not because of ratings or popularity but because the Exec Producer went to war with Fox over money and they called his bluff.

Interestingly, Ripper Street, saved by Amazon after the BBC ditched it got canceled because the original cancellation pulled the storyline forward to fast, though if anyone can explain the final episode to me!

 

Cheers Knight,

RIP Spike09 Your Missed
If I'm not here, I'm there.

Finally joined Twitter! longr79

[Bob Williams]

Playing catchup with Sky box sets has been interesting for me, particularly with GoT. I saw the last episodes before the first ones, but because of the kind of show it is, I watched the first two episodes after the last 3: or maybe 4, I kind of serial-watched late at night, lost track. I looked on the first episodes as watching the history of the later ones, which worked for me, in a weird but enjoyable way. Never thought I would get hooked on it, now I am looking for the books and waiting for the next series. Boardwalk Empire is another one I like and am watching out of sync, but I could not get into Fortitude after the first episode.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Ed P]

Billions is another series that I was quite surprised to enjoy. It was one of those shows that could be enjoyed on two levels –  not only vicariously taking enjoyment in its total amorality, but also  the way they dealt with taking positions, and futures trading (minus all the esoteric derivatives Quant mumbo-jumbo). Another season has just started, and I have it recorded for the next time I have an hour to spare.

[JayCeeDee]

I initially shied away from Billions, in the first instance the ads were too “in your face” for me. A friend said they were engrossed by it, so I gave it a second chance. We watched it as a box-set, enjoyed it and we are already into the second series. We did the same with Suits, and binge-watched three series.

Being an old phart, I grew up getting a weekly fix of whatever, be it Doctor Who or Dallas. These days, I quite enjoy watching a series when I want to. That might however be more down to bad memory and convoluted plots than anything else. :scratch:

There are also some series that just run their course – the CSI’s, the Law and Orders, there are after all only so many versions of plots that can make appearances across them all.

[Bob Williams]

Yes the CSI’s suffered from the usual American Networks overkill: if it works, mutiply it and flog it to death. The entertainment value decreased in inverse proportion to the number of variants and spin-offs.I really enjoyed the first, original CSI. That cast was pretty good, the interplay between characters was great and Grissom led by not being a leader. Plotlines were fresh and acting was superb.

Then it became stale: how many similar, often unbelievable storylines can you take? I’m afraid that “Silent Witness” on the Beeb, is beginning to suffer in the same way. Once it was brilliant, fresh an imaginative, but the last series was awkward and the plots were becoming hard to believe. How many times can we believe that Pathologists make better detectives than the Police? The last episode, in Mexico, was just ludicrous. Obviously made with a bigger than normal budget, but a failure.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Robin Long]

I tell people who have not Seen GoT to watch Ep3 from S1 before 1&2 as they are IMO quite dry and could easily put people off.

Loved Broadwalk Empire but the storylines let it down in the later series, SWMBO has quit watching Silent Witness this series TBH I gave it up years ago.

I’m currently watching Alaskan Bush People(Discovery) fake as hell but funny, The Last Alaskans exact opposite of Alaskan Bush People.

Law and Order from the start, The Curse of Old Oak Island is good fun too.

Cheers Knight,

RIP Spike09 Your Missed
If I'm not here, I'm there.

Finally joined Twitter! longr79

[The Duke]

Boardwalk empire was good, but stopped watching it when we ditched sky. I think his mother had just been caught for his murder, or she was double crossed. Think it was end of a season,  but was still good then, however I never returned to it. Maybe it was for the best.

I also stopped watching walking dead, after the first 2 (iirc) episodes of the last season. It seemed to be to repetitive.

[Ed P]

Keep thinking about dropping Sky — unfortunately the Murky-Devil has all the best tunes.

[Robin Long]

I think overall the TV market has been far too slow to adapt to the changing world of media accessibility.  Kodi is a prime example of this Open source and has lots of add-on’s that enable various functions.  People want to watch their flavor when they want to not when big networks decide that they should, hence Amazon and Netflix taking big strides into popularity. That said Amazon, Netflix and Now sit on separated platforms meaning that still, for the most part, one box does not do all.  Although apps are available for most devices.  If they took a slice of humble pie and embraced Kodi I think they could attract even more viewers.

There’s an app that offers paid for access to US TV at the same time as the US release being advertised at the minute can’t remember the name of it but it show Americas next top model and alike.  If fox/hbo etc started offering this on a multi-platform app I do believe they could cut the number of illegal downloads.

Sky has not attempted to embrace this possibly because it would detract from its advertising revenues but given that other producers are thriving with on demand I think that Skys days in its present format are very numbered.

Ed P you could maybe talk to Kodi about a program called Exodus and see if that can tempt you away from the Devil!

Cheers Knight,

RIP Spike09 Your Missed
If I'm not here, I'm there.

Finally joined Twitter! longr79

[Bob Williams]

I do like the box sets idea: still playing catchup and binge-watching myself, mostly after SWMBO has dozed off on the sofa, woke up and gone to bed. All the shows I like are either in my latest box set, or set to Series-record. SWMBO hates them, in fact tonight I have set a couple of programmes to record while she watches “Call The Midwife”, which for me is the equivalent of being unable to escape from a long conversation with the most boring person I can think of. After all that carrying a massive bump about, and the (<span style=”background-color: #999999;”>supposedly</span> admittedly obvious) pain of childbirth, why do women enjoy watching that? After all our years together, I still don’t understand that, and the programme has the same fascination for our daughter. I told my eldest gdaughter to watch it as a warning, but she won’t.

I would like to take Sky Sports eventually, but not at the price they want. And football is too painful for me atm, as a suffering Nottingham Forest supporter. :negative:  😥

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

First of all Lee your search is brilliant. Well bloody done.

Secondary – I persevered with West world, watch 4 while away last week, and the rest will away this. Episode 5 and 6, was OK. It starts way to slow, and the ending I didn’t like.

This one definitely  wasn’t for me. Which is strange as it as all the things I usually go for.

Is there to be another season? as its final seemed quite final.

[Dave Rice]

I understand there will be another.

As for final, to me it seemed very open ended.

[Robin Long]

Late 2017 or early 2018 according to

http://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/westworld/259106/westworld-season-2-casting-story-details-release-date-info-theories-more

The ending was a bit wired but i think they were setting it up for a couple of series to being with

Cheers Knight,

RIP Spike09 Your Missed
If I'm not here, I'm there.

Finally joined Twitter! longr79

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