# What is up with all the reruns? Arrrgh **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 7, 2003, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-up-with-all-the-reruns-arrrgh/217561 "2003-12-07T16:52:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-up-with-all-the-reruns-arrrgh/217561/1 "2003-12-07T16:52:07Z")
Most season premiere’s started in October. Why are we into reruns at this point and time? It ticks me off! They left the storylines hanging… When do the storylines pick back up again? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-up-with-all-the-reruns-arrrgh/217561/2 "2003-12-07T18:36:18Z")
For the past two decades (at least), TV shows have been rerun in December and January. You’re just noticing it now? The reason is simple: viewership is down in December. In addition, it is not a sweeps month, so they’re not counting ratings in the same way. Since you have only 22 episodes of a show, no network is going to waste a new show on a small audience when it could be seen by a larger audience at a time when the ratings actually count for something. New shows always begin in mid-January for the February sweeps. They go into reruns again in March, and then finish off their new episodes around the end of April for the May sweeps. This has been the pattern for quite a long time. ---
**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-up-with-all-the-reruns-arrrgh/217561/3 "2003-12-07T19:47:04Z")
The networks _always_ blow their collective load during sweeps month. They then take time off to cuddle and nap. Whenever I look at the late night show guests during a sweeps month I’m happy to see good guests and no re-runs for Letterman. Of course with that ticker of his, he needs to rest after such a draining month. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-up-with-all-the-reruns-arrrgh/217561/4 "2003-12-07T21:55:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > …and then finish off their new episodes around the end of April for the May sweeps. Oh, they’re even craftier than that. The networks will usually save the last three or four new episodes to air during the May sweeps, building up to the season finale at the end of the month. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-up-with-all-the-reruns-arrrgh/217561/5 "2003-12-07T23:24:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > \*\* > The reason is simple: viewership is down in December. In addition, it is not a sweeps month, so they’re not counting ratings in the same way. Since you have only 22 episodes of a show, no network is going to waste a new show on a small audience when it could be seen by a larger audience at a time when the ratings actually count for something. > > \*\* Not to mention that most Americans expect December to be chocked full of Christmas specials, too, which would really mess with the ratings if they were aired against a lot of new shows… ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-up-with-all-the-reruns-arrrgh/217561/6 "2003-12-08T04:49:24Z")
December isn’t full of Christmas specials because Americans expect it, it’s full of Christmas specials because the networks need some crap that they know no one’s going to watch anyway.