# Why do British shows have such short seasons? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 29, 2015, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-british-shows-have-such-short-seasons/711262 "2015-01-29T19:41:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-british-shows-have-such-short-seasons/711262/21 "2015-01-30T02:33:32Z")
> [@Cayuga](#): > > _The Wire_ and _The Sopranos_ were both produced in a manner much more similar to the British model — fewer episodes per season, with the whole season written before production begins. > > Many (most?) of the high-quality shows on American cable channels do it that way. Coincidence? It probably is a coincidence and much more likely because cable channels just don’t have as much money to spend per year as the broadcast networks. Plenty of garbage cable shows also have “british” style seasons too. ---
**Author:** ![Implicit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Implicit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Implicit)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-british-shows-have-such-short-seasons/711262/22 "2015-01-30T17:38:40Z")
American TV used to have plenty of mini-series which were generally 3-6 episodes broadcast in a short time window, (“Roots.” “Shogun.” “Rich Man, Poor Man.” “The Thorn Birds.” “North and South.” for example). Costs of this big event style of programming are all up front, a regular series only needs upfront money for a pilot and a few episodes to test the waters (leaving open the option of mid-series cancellation). US networks currently make money with repeat watchers who will continue to tune into their favourite show during sweeps months, and syndication $, both require long on-going series, so they have adopted a “throw everything at the wall and see what sticks” model. It will be interesting to see if the US network model flounders in the new environment of stream on-demand, shorter self-contained seasons work great for binge watching on Netflix or equivalent. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-british-shows-have-such-short-seasons/711262/23 "2015-01-30T18:20:30Z")
Britain’s seasons are metric. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-british-shows-have-such-short-seasons/711262/24 "2015-01-30T18:21:46Z")
My nonexpert understanding: American network TV has always been driven by the desire to get as many viewers as possible, especially viewers of desired demographics. And they believe the best way to do this is to keep running the same shows that people have grown to know and like, so that they will stay in the habit of tuning in every week. The BBC has never been ratings-driven in the same way. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-british-shows-have-such-short-seasons/711262/25 "2015-01-30T20:34:37Z")
> [@Asympotically\_fat](#): > > I can’t actually think of a single TV show that has been cancelled mid-series on British TV Two that I can think of were _The Gordon Peters Show_ and Bernard Falk’s _Sin on Saturday_ (not a sit-com). I am sure there have been others, but not many. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-british-shows-have-such-short-seasons/711262/26 "2015-01-31T11:17:33Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > My nonexpert understanding: American network TV has always been driven by the desire to get as many viewers as possible, especially viewers of desired demographics. And they believe the best way to do this is to keep running the same shows that people have grown to know and like, so that they will stay in the habit of tuning in every week. The BBC has never been ratings-driven in the same way. Well, the BBC isn’t the only TV provider in the UK, you know – the other (commercial) channels are just as reliant on attracting viewers as the US networks. And even the BBC are very interested in their ratings: they need to justify their funding. I think the differences between the two countries is more down to different approaches to solving the same problem of attracting viewers. The US networks have adopted a sort of “fast food” strategy: find something that a large audience will consume, and provide it in large quantities on a consistent basis. British television is more like a constantly-changing buffet: smaller amounts, but there’s probably something for everyone – and if you can’t find anything you like, come back later when there’s something new. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-british-shows-have-such-short-seasons/711262/27 "2015-01-31T13:56:49Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > The longest running American soap opera started on radio in 1936, moved to television in the early 50’s and was only cancelled in 2009. Just sayin _The Archers_ have been running on Radio 4 since 1745 with most of the same cast. ♫♬ tum te tum te tum te tum, tum te tum te tummmm te, tum te tum te tum te tum, tum te tumpety tum.♪ ♫♪ ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-british-shows-have-such-short-seasons/711262/28 "2015-01-31T13:59:43Z")
> [@Ms\_Boods](#): > > _The Archers_ have been running on Radio 4 since 1745 with most of the same cast. > > tum te tum te tum te tum, tum te tum te tummmm te, tum te tum te tum te tum, tum te tumpety tum. Some of the cast are surprisingly sprightly considering they’re the best part of 300 years old. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-british-shows-have-such-short-seasons/711262/29 "2015-01-31T16:11:57Z")
There is no concept of ‘syndicated reruns’ here and until recently contractual agreements with the various acting and broadcasting unions imposed strict limits on the number of times a show could be rerun, and the time limit within which this was possible (so as to generate a continuing stream of new work for their members). Only with the multi-channel digital revolution did this start to change. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-british-shows-have-such-short-seasons/711262/30 "2015-01-31T16:43:36Z")
> [@BOOM](#): > > They don’t, the US has long ones. I picked two British non-comedy, non-soap opera shows off the top of my head: “The Bill” and “Dixon of Dock Green” The Bill had 2400 (!) episodes over 26 seasons. Dixon of Dock Green had 432 episodes over 22 seasons. Did I just pick two freakish examples? Because those seem like reasonably long seasons to me. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-british-shows-have-such-short-seasons/711262/31 "2015-01-31T17:21:14Z")
\*The Bill \*started out as a police procedural and turned into a soap opera, obsessed with the characters’ sex lives. At one time it turned into a two-half-hour episodes a week format, though the 30 minute slot (less with commercials) allowed no time for anything but the most perfunctory plotlines. _Dixon of Dock Green_ started in the 1950s. The first five season lengths were 6, 12, 13 and 29 and 27 according to the IMDB. The show was very popular, at a time when there were only two TV channels, and the BBC clearly knew they had a winner. Later seasons tended to settle down to about 16 episodes, running from fall to Christmas. By the end of its run it was looking increasingly old-fashioned and took a rather uncritical everything-is-under-control view of the British police, also it’s star, Jack Warner, was over 80 and looked increasingly implausible. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-british-shows-have-such-short-seasons/711262/32 "2015-01-31T17:21:34Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I picked two British non-comedy, non-soap opera shows off the top of my head: “The Bill” and “Dixon of Dock Green” > > The Bill had 2400 (!) episodes over 26 seasons. > > Dixon of Dock Green had 432 episodes over 22 seasons. > > Did I just pick two freakish examples? Because those seem like reasonably long seasons to me. I don’t know about Dixon of Dock Green, but The Bill changed format a few times over the years - it ran for many years as a multiple times a week cop-based “soap opera”. ---
**Author:** ![DeptfordX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DeptfordX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeptfordX)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-british-shows-have-such-short-seasons/711262/33 "2015-01-31T23:42:43Z")
> [@Asympotically\_fat](#): > > The attitude certainly used to be that once something was filmed, it would be shown. I remember in the late 1990s ITV went out of it’s comfort zone and produced a surreal comedy sketch show. The result was probably the worst TV show I have ever seen: it was surreal in a completely predictable sub-Monty Python way and totally unfunny. ITV still put it on TV- they put it on at about 3AM in the morning probably when they thought all the TV critics were fast asleep. Out of curiosity, what was the show? ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-british-shows-have-such-short-seasons/711262/34 "2015-02-01T06:44:09Z")
> [@Ms\_Boods](#): > > _The Archers_ have been running on Radio 4 since 1745 with most of the same cast. > > ♫♬ tum te tum te tum te tum, tum te tum te tummmm te, tum te tum te tum te tum, tum te tumpety tum.♪ ♫♪ Normally I’d assume it was a typo, but for most people in the UK, the Archers has always been running… Who can say when it began. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-british-shows-have-such-short-seasons/711262/35 "2015-02-01T09:01:01Z")
> [@Namkcalb](#): > > Normally I’d assume it was a typo, but for most people in the UK, the Archers has always been running… Who can say when it began. It is a typo. I meant to say 1475. **RobDog** It’s the country air oo er. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-british-shows-have-such-short-seasons/711262/36 "2015-02-01T09:14:53Z")
> [@Ms\_Boods](#): > > It is a typo. I meant to say 1475. > > **RobDog** It’s the country air oo er. That’s better. Otherwise you’d be omitting important episodes such as #3, Chaucer’s “Ye Grundys’ Tail”. By the way, a quick Wiki check tells me that 7 November 2006 saw the transmission of episode… 15,000! I wonder if they’re all available on BBC iPlayer? ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-british-shows-have-such-short-seasons/711262/37 "2015-02-01T15:49:27Z")
> [@RobDog](#): > > That’s better. Otherwise you’d be omitting important episodes such as #3, Chaucer’s “Ye Grundys’ Tail”. > > By the way, a quick Wiki check tells me that 7 November 2006 saw the transmission of episode… 15,000! > > I wonder if they’re all available on BBC iPlayer? Episode 15,000, a retrospective where very special guest Simon de Montfort came on to reminisce with Tamsin Grieg about his favourite plotlines. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-british-shows-have-such-short-seasons/711262/38 "2015-02-06T15:00:24Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > The longest running American soap opera started on radio in 1936, moved to television in the early 50’s and was only cancelled in 2009. Just sayin Nitpick: _Guiding Light_ started airing in January 1937. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-british-shows-have-such-short-seasons/711262.md?page=1)