# Calling all Brits! -- Explain your TV seasons? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 21, 2005, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-brits-explain-your-tv-seasons/285933 "2005-01-21T17:02:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Avenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@Avenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avenger)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-brits-explain-your-tv-seasons/285933/41 "2005-01-22T19:07:18Z")
> [@Usram](#): > > If the orchestras matter, people will subscribe to Radio Three. If they don’t subscribe, then I have to ask why they were forced to pay for it in the first place. > > Or are you arguing that the masses don’t know what’s good for them, and should be forced to pay for the production of stuff that they don’t (yet) appreciate? Sounds kind of, dare I say it, socialist. Are _you_ arguing that only ‘commercially viable’ media, art and culture should be allowed to exist.? Because that soulds like a horrible proposition. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-brits-explain-your-tv-seasons/285933/42 "2005-01-22T19:40:06Z")
> [@Avenger](#): > > Are _you_ arguing that only ‘commercially viable’ media, art and culture should be allowed to exist.? Because that soulds like a horrible proposition. Like I’m arguing that art should be burnt unless somebody buys it. Don’t worry, in my brave new world you will still be allowed to make doucumentares about the plight of Chilean llama herders. The rest of us just won’t pay your expenses, that’s all. ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-brits-explain-your-tv-seasons/285933/43 "2005-01-22T21:47:22Z")
> [@WotNot](#): > > At one time in the deep and murky past (back in the 60s and 70s) a run of 13 weeks for a particular programme was more usual than not, and a 26 week run was not unheard of. This started to change in the 80s: with more channels chasing fewer viewers, it seems the executives became shyer of committing too much money and airtime to shows that weren’t guaranteed ratings-grabbers. Well, in that regard, it sounds like a similar trend to what’s happened here in the U.S., too. A show’s “season” is typically thought of as its run during one year – usually a September - May time frame, and everybody knows summer will be reruns. Some exceptions. But the seasons definitely used to be longer – more than the 22 episodes that seems to be the norm now. I think the old number used to be more like 34-ish. Reduced I suppose to decrease production costs and such. And here when a new show comes out, a full 22-episode season run is certainly not guarateed. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-brits-explain-your-tv-seasons/285933/44 "2005-01-23T05:42:42Z")
> [@Dusty](#): > > _Little Britain_ comes on BBC America. Or at least it ran once, BBCAs lineup changes more frequently than any other station I know of–it might be in a different timeslot now. Never watched it myself since I wasn’t home when it aired, but I’ve heard nothing but praise for it. BBCA doesn’t even list it among its shows anymore. Probably got poor ratings. I know I didn’t really care for it much. Had a few laughs, but I guess I mostly didn’t “get” it. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-brits-explain-your-tv-seasons/285933/45 "2005-01-23T11:19:01Z")
> [@Usram](#): > > If the orchestras matter, people will subscribe to Radio Three. If they don’t subscribe, then I have to ask why they were forced to pay for it in the first place. > > Or are you arguing that the masses don’t know what’s good for them, and should be forced to pay for the production of stuff that they don’t (yet) appreciate? Sounds kind of, dare I say it, socialist. Very few orchestras, anywhere, are able to exist on their own private income. More importantly, they never have. Maybe they are inherently socialist. Either way, you’re effectively arguing for all orchestras to be disbanded. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-brits-explain-your-tv-seasons/285933/46 "2005-01-24T19:36:11Z")
The simple fact is you either have the BBC as it is - with the licence fee or you have something else. What you can’t have is the BBC as it currently exists with the Classical music, spoken word broadcasts (have you EVER heard what passes for spoken word radio in the USA?), radio drama, ethnic stuff on the radio, educational stuff, teacher support, local radio, the websites, non-commercial TV, religious programmes etc etc… I think a tenner a month is pretty good value for all that. Thankfully most Brits seem to agree. ---
**Author:** ![Ponster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponster/32/17081_2.png) [@Ponster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponster)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2005, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-brits-explain-your-tv-seasons/285933/47 "2005-01-25T16:32:34Z")
Not forgetting of course that shows like Little Britian first started on BBC 3 (one of the new digital channels) and worked it’s way up the ladder to it’s BBC1 primetime slot. Without the fee such comedy shows may not get produced in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2005, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-brits-explain-your-tv-seasons/285933/48 "2005-01-26T12:57:14Z")
> [@Ponster](#): > > Not forgetting of course that shows like Little Britian first started on BBC 3 (one of the new digital channels) and worked it’s way up the ladder to it’s BBC1 primetime slot. > > Without the fee such comedy shows may not get produced in the first place. This doesn’t really help the arguement. I know it’s heresy to say this but little Britain is as funny as childhood cancer. It’s the same sketches every time. Not funny after the first time. ---
**Author:** ![Iceland\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@Iceland\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iceland_Blue)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2005, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-brits-explain-your-tv-seasons/285933/49 "2005-01-26T13:07:32Z")
And when I was growing up in the 80s, we had 4 channels. Ah luxury! ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2005, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-brits-explain-your-tv-seasons/285933/50 "2005-01-26T13:09:03Z")
> [@Iceland\_Blue](#): > > And when I was growing up in the 80s, we had 4 channels. Ah luxury! Bloody kids! Two channels, Black and white, 405 Lines. Those were the days. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2005, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-brits-explain-your-tv-seasons/285933/51 "2005-01-26T13:16:05Z")
I can remember when we only had 1 channel. That bloody wheel spinning around was realy annoying . I told John Logi it was no good but he wouldn’t listen. ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2005, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-brits-explain-your-tv-seasons/285933/52 "2005-01-26T15:20:44Z")
> [@Mk VII](#): > > at its best, American TV can produce high-quality drama with sound production values. Naturally the buyers cherry-pick what they deem to be the best when selecting stuff for transmission here (though they seem to buy some turkeys too). The _real_ turkeys never get to us. So you don’t have Sky then? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2005, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-brits-explain-your-tv-seasons/285933/53 "2005-01-26T15:43:18Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > The simple fact is you either have the BBC as it is - with the licence fee or you have something else. > > What you can’t have is the BBC as it currently exists with the Classical music, spoken word broadcasts (have you EVER heard what passes for spoken word radio in the USA?), radio drama, ethnic stuff on the radio, educational stuff, teacher support, local radio, the websites, non-commercial TV, religious programmes etc etc… > > I think a tenner a month is pretty good value for all that. Thankfully most Brits seem to agree. Yes - it’s a total bargain. And no - I don’t mind a portion of that £10 going on stuff I don’t personally watch, just like I don’t mind my taxes paying for the education of other people’s kids etc. It’s a common good resource. There is not one commercial broadcaster in the world with such a range of quality output from programmes to web sites to support the National Curriculum. And if companies get bent out of shape at the BBC robbing them of the chance to screw people then too bad. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-brits-explain-your-tv-seasons/285933.md?page=2)