Who decides what episode are shown in syndication?
The reason I ask … I Tivo The Simpsons everyday from my local Fox station, and they seem to be repeating a lot of them. For example, tonight’s episode was shown last month.
Now, the Simpsons have been on for years, but the epidsodes they show are from the last few seasons.
So, how does syndication work?
I think this particular decision is up to the networks. Episodes for syndication are bought in chucks, often an entire season (or several of them) at once.
In the case of FOX and The Simpsons, I don’t know that it has anything to do with syndication. Different FOX affiliates in different regions around the USA (and the world) each decide which episodes they want to show on any given day. The ones I saw while at school in the Midwest always differed from the ones my friends were seeing in New York because different affiliates were making the schedules.
The owner (of the programs) and the licensee decide. For example, most–but not all–TV programmers don’t want to purchase a package with too many episodes. A general rule of thumb is that they usually license not more than about 130 eps. This way thay can show the entire package twice in one year. If there are too many more than that, usually some get sacrificed. And there are other reasons why some eps are withheld. Some examples:
“My Three Sons” The B/W eps with “Bub” and the later ones with Steve Douglass’s love interest are rarely shown–usually it’s the “color” eps with Uncle Charlie. This program was on for about 11 years, I think, so a lot gets cut out. B/W does not “go over well” anymore, so those are frequently chucked.
“Mannix” was on for 8 seasons–about 200 eps. The first season is never shown because that was almost a different program. Only seasons 2-6, and a few from season 7 are included in their package. Season 1 did not include Peggy (what’s Mannix without Peggy!), and the older ones just aren’t needed. Also in season 1, Mannix was not a PI, but some kind of “computer-using” investigator. It was a novel and cutting-edge idea at the time.
“Gunsmoke” lasted for over 600 eps. Ain’t nobody gonna bite off on a package that big.
TVLand is notorious for licensing a very, very small package of programs. Some of their packages are only 40 eps of programs that lasted over 100.
Also, some individual eps are withheld for various reasons:
The “Christmas Episode” of “I Love Lucy” has never been part of the syndication package, although it has been shown several times as a special.
“Twilight Zone” has two eps that have never been part of the syndication package, although they are available on video.
TVLand refuses to show one ep of “The Munsters” because of its content, although they have the entire package.
So, it’s possible that in an example of “The Simpsons”–and any other program that has been aired for, oh, say, more than six seasons–that any syndication package will not be complete. Just the nature of the business.
I’m intrigued. What ep and what “content”? I’m picturing Grampa and Lily with fangs bloody and a bleeding victim at their feet, when it’s revealed that Marilyn is actually a Judas goat for luring young male vidtims into their grasp. Or maybe where they explain why Grampa and Herman have the same last name.
The ep is “Herman’s Peace Offensive.” TVLand will not comment on why they will not show it, only that “It does not meet our broadcast standards.” Two possible reasons: It deals with bullying and retaliation (Eddie is being bullied). And the “practical joke” mentioned in the ep has to do with someone hot-wiring a locker or something and giving Herman a jolt. Those are the two most likely reasons.
Oh, and Grandpa’s last name was actually “Dracula.” His actual name mentioned in one of the eps was “Sam Dracula.”
In case you’re wondering:
“An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge”: this was actually a French short film about a man being hanged during the Civil War and managing to escape the noose (or does he?).
“The Encounter”: A WWII vet shows his neighbor (George “Sulu” Takei) a Samurai sword he got in the war. It’s gots “Twilight Zone-y” powers, of course. Several racist slurs are tossed about.
DO the programmers buy different packages every year? Will I be stuck with the same episodes of the Simpsons for years?
…also, I’ve read that stations tend not to buy any of the first few seasons of The Simpsons. They’re under the impression that viewers prefer “newer” episodes of the show…
Any show with 100 or more episodes is eligible for syndication. My experience has been that reruns are typically chronological, probably for continuity’s sake. I’ve also noticed that syndicated Simpsons are often more edited than the original airings. A good example of this is when Homer and Flanders get stuck out at sea on a raft (the Ernest Borgnine episode). In the original airing, Homer slaps the crap out of Flanders for a while, whereas the syndicated version omits the slapping sequence entirely.