Upcoming Episodes plus DVD News

8/5 - I Dated A Robot (3ACV15) Fry creates a robot that looks and sounds like (and is voiced by) Lucy Liu, but when Leela and Bender rescue the real Lucy Liu from the company that lets you download her, the company responds with an army of killer Lucy Liu-bots

8/12 - The Cyber House Rules (3ACV09) At a reunion at Leela's orphanage, one of the orphans who used to tease Leela for having one eye is now a doctor, and attaches a cosmetic second eye to her; Bender adopts a group of orphans (you don't think the government stipend has anything to do with it, do you?)

8/19 - Bendin' in the Wind (3ACV13) When Bender is paralyzed in an accident, he joins Beck's tour and ends up forming "Bend Aid" for "useless" robots

ATTENTION SAN FRANCISCO AREA VIEWERS: Futurama will be seen somewhere around midnight on 8/19 (okay, technically it will be 8/20) because of the Raiders-49ers game that night

NEWS ABOUT SIMPSONS AND FUTURAMA DVDs

I don't want to quote anything verbatim, because of copyright issues, but on a July 31 chat with a Fox Home Video representative on the Home Theater Forum, when two different people asked about Futurama, the reply was that it was probably going to be released in Region 2 (pretty much Europe / Japan / South Africa) before Region 1 (USA / Canada) because of the syndication problem (i.e. Fox believes that "the real money is in syndication" and releasing it in any video form first would cut into those profits). (By the way...getting an "all-region DVD" in North America is only half the problem; you need either a DVD player that also either converts 25 frames per second signals to 30 or both a 25-fps player and TV. This also assumes Fox doesn't use that new disc technology that won't play a DVD on a machine that bypasses region checking. Note that DVD-ROM drives that can be set to Region 2 don't have this problem...)

Meanwhile, on the Simpsons side, it was confirmed that only one of the Tracey Ullman-era shorts ("Good Night", from what I've heard) will be included in the first set, and they had enough trouble getting permission to include that one, so the chances of any of the others appearing in future sets are slim at best. Speaking of future sets, the plans are to get Season 2 out within six months after Season 1...and yes, it will be more expensive (because of the additional number of episodes).

For more information, the chat transcript is at: http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/080101htfchat.html

On Sat, 04 Aug 2001 10:53:43 -0700, Don Del Grande wrote:

Maybe Fux should get off their lazy asses and start airing new Futurama episodes. There's not going to be much of a synidication market until there are 100 episodes and the rate Fux is going that won't happen until the year 2010.

BTW, Dilbert was released on R2 DVD first. The show got canceled so there is no R1 DVD to speak of.

But it's been syndicated, though. Teletoon shows it in Quebec (and maybe somewhere else). Im not saying I agree, just that it would fit their "real money is in syndication" line of thought.

*-) K.os

On Sun, 5 Aug 2001, Zikorn zee Inziztent stated this considered view. Waking from my doze, I hastily scrawled -

That's a shame, I quite enjoyed it.

On Sat, 04 Aug 2001 10:53:43 -0700 "Don Del Grande" said:

MMh, don't you think you're going to far here? I mean, it was a public chat, wasn't it? So what laws would be hurt if you would repost a log of that here? And even IF you would do something against copyright rules - and I bet you don't - it's extremly improbable anyone is going come after you because of this.

IOW, please post and/or mail it, thanks.

-< Moon >-

"Moon" wrote in message news:[email]...

Well if you look at the chat you'll notice that Peter Staddon says next to nothing and as just quotes it would be fairly incoherent. Don's version is better, and I feel he didn't want to quote simply because the quotes are almost un quoteable. But judge for yourself. http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/080101htfchat.html

Here is a transcript of the Chat:

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/080101htfchat.html

"Moon" wrote in message news:[email]...

=v= So another thread sez it's already licensed in Asia in VCD format. Does "licensed" mean "released" in the same way? Might I have an easier time playing back a VCD than a Region 2 DVD? <_Jym_>

Yeah, released. There is no region encoding on VCDs. However, the VCD is in PAL format. Make sure your DVD player can playback VCDs in PAL format and still output in NTSC format for your TV. Or play them on a computer.

"Jym Dyer" wrote in message news:[email]...

=v= Okay, short shameful confession time. Actually, I guess I've already confessed this: I don't have a DVD player.

=v= I didn't have a TV or VCR until _The_Simpsons_ came out; I didn't buy a computer until _Simpsons_ software was sold; and I plan to buy a DVD player for the upcoming _Simpsons_ DVD set. Matt Groening forced me to become an electronics consumer. You might say he's good for the economy.

=v= So, I reckon I should get a DVD player that does VCD, huh? <_Jym_>

"Jym Dyer" wrote in message news:[email]...

Just buy SONY and you'll be set. All their current stuff is supposed to handle VCD.

On Wed, 08 Aug 2001 05:47:54 GMT, "Michael Zaite" wrote:

Also, check if it will play VCDs from CDRs. There are a lot of decks that advertise CDR/CDRW, but they only play them if they are CD Audio. If you would like the option of downloading VCD format MPEGs, or ripping your old VHS tapes and burning your own disks, this is an important feature.

Futurama episodes are posted in VCD format a day or so after they are aired and they are reposted frequently.

Panasonic and some other brands also support MP3, but they rarely give info on what bitrates they can play. Depending on what you plan to use your DVD for, this may be an important option.

--Larry

Good advice from these guys. You might also find more info at vcdhelp.com where I think there is a list of many current dvd players and the features they have.

"Larry" wrote in message news:[email]...

"Michael Zaite" wrote in message news:eo4c7.19524$[email]...

Actually, most DVD players handle VCDs as well... At least they do in the far-east and in Europe...

Nadimo Nyth

8)

"Nadimo Nyth" wrote in message news:9ksd22$4qc5@news-dxb...

Some of the less then $200 models here don't. Like the cheap Samsung and Toshibas you can get for like $120. At least that's what I have heard. But they may, as Larry brought up simply not be able to play CD-R media not VCD the format itself.

If they release one of those scam "Region sensitive" DVDs I'll return it as defective.

I refuse to comply with the region-coding scam and only buy region-free Macrovision-removed players.

"George Johnson" wrote in message news:3b7734ed$0$1519$[email]...

it

Yea don't even waste the time to go buy them because they will be region sensitive. I on the other hand could care less.

Don Del Grande wrote in message news:...

Quick question from a European type - what exactly *is* syndication? It's a term I hear bandied about relentlessly in reference to American television, and yet I've no clear idea of what exactly it is. I suspect it's the point where so many episodes of a particular series have been made so it can be repeated in a seemingly endless loop on cable or local TV, but I may be wrong.

In the UK, as long as more than six episodes have been made of a series, non-terrestrial broadcasters see fit to show it as often as they can, as UK Gold's treatment of Men Behaving Badly and The Royle Family will attest. Leading to the end result that any fond memories people harbour of a programme are soon destroyed as they see Martin Clunes' big face for the millionth time.

Cheers, Mark X --- www.xbollox.com/family.htm - Family Guy Uncensored. Now with added Love Thy Trophy. www.familyguy.da.ru - As above, but easier to remember. And a nasty frame. www.gamebroth.co.uk - The gaming site that's relegated to third place in my sig.

[email] (Mark X) wrote in message news:...

Pretty much. Syndication is when a show is aired on different channels and at different times during the day on local stations throughout the country. Some shows are made for syndication (i.e., 'Xena: Warrior Princess'), but often, a syndicated show will have aired in prime time at one point, and has achieved enough episodes to aired in that "endless loop." The drawback is that syndication peoples don't have as much cash as the regular ntworks, so they have to show more commercials than in prime time. So, shows like 'The Simpsons' have scenes liberally removed from each episode to compensate for the extra ad time.

Also a common complaint here in the US. Many people feel that 'The Simpsons' has been cheapened by having the same episodes shown over and over to the point where people get sick of it.

Thus, the reason people would prefer to see 'Futurama' released on DVD than go into syndication. Personally, I'd almost rather see 'Futurama' stay on the air for five or six seasons and never become a really successful series, than see it reach the point that 'The Simpsons' has, where the original artistic vision is buried in a pile of commercialism.

But that's me.

-C

[email] (Craig) wrote in message news:...

That must be incredibly annoying. I only hope they make the cuts less obvious than Sky One do in the UK with their showings of Family Guy </subliminal plug for website>.

I'm still amazed that for once Europe is getting a DVD boxset (and more importantly, one I really want to buy) before our American cousins. Of course, I've already taped every episode, so in effect I'll be paying through the nose for a few deleted scenes and so on, but generally 'hurrah!' from the blimmin' rooftops.

And here's to quality above quantity (although Seinfeld managed both).

Cheers, Mark X --- http://www.gamebroth.co.uk - The gaming site that cares, dammit. http://www.familyguy.da.ru - UK Family Guy: The Uncut Transcripts. http://www.xbollox.com/family.htm - The same, sans annoying frame.

I've noticed onthe syndicated eps shown locally, there are no commercials between the main title and the opening, like there are in the regular FOX eps. A 1/2 hour TV show sans commericals is short anyway, do have an idea of how much they remove?

I like the Simpsons, but right now, the local syndication eps are the early ones, where they all had pointed mouths, the animation is jerky and fuzzy at times, which looks nothing like the current eps. I'll tell you a show I'm personally tired of seeing, "The Andy Griffith Show", it's on at least 2 local stations, plus TV Land.

I would like to see it just to see eps I've missed since I live in the east coast time slot. I think the idea of not releasing eps on DVD in the US due to syndication is crazy, my local cable is horrible, no digital is available yet with no idea of when or if we'll get it. So I haven't seen Buffy, about a seasons worth of Voyager, no DS9, plus about 1/3 of Futurama. ---------------- Ken Lilly [email] *remove .org to reply* When diplomacy fails, send in the B-52's

[email] (Ken) wrote in message news:...

Whoa! So, just after the couch gag, you normally get a bunch of adverts? I knew there were adverts before the end credits, but that's gotta be really annoying. That's one thing that (hopefully) will never happen in the UK. Sky One tried it (running ads before the end credits of Seinfeld and Mad About You) for a bit, and there were near riots in the streets. Well, a few nasty letters were sent, anyway.

Cheers, Mark X --- http://www.familyguy.da.ru - New design so it's doesn't look like something from 1995 any more. http://www.xbollox.com/family.htm - Same site, sans annoying frame banner thing. http://www.gamebroth.co.uk - The gaming site that really needs to be updated. Badly.

"Mark X" wrote in message news:[email]...

news:...

The original FOX broadcast does. the syndicated episodes don't. Strangely Futurama does not have commercials right after the intro. (I don't think....It has been a number of months since I watched it on FOX.)

Only the Syndication. The original FOX broadcasts go strait into the credits.

That's too bad since both shows originaly had commercials Before their credits.

The syndicated Simpsons episodes in New Orleans have a commercial break before the end credits, unless the end credits have something special like music or something in the background. If that's the case, then the break is right after the couch gag.

There is no break after the Futurama intro on Fox. Or even between some shows.

In article ,

In the states, sitcoms usually start with a quick gag, the opening credits, and then the first commercial break. There's the "first act" after that, followed by a commercial break and the second act, then commercials before the end credits/closing gag. "Malcolm in the Middle" has often gone straight from the opening credits to the first act (they often break the main action into three acts, besides), and I sometimes get caught, because I'm now in the habit of making a quick dash to the powder room during opening credits (which I've seen dozens of times, so don't mind missing)! Whatever happened to the good old days when networks weren't so paranoid that we'd change channels between shows and they'd show more than a quick station I.D. in the gap?

If the epsode is on FOX, not syndicated, then there is a commerical break right after the couch gag. But the sydicated eps that are shown at 5:30pm mon-fri on the local FOX affiliate do not have this break, bu I think they have one before the end credits.

And speaking of end credits, the one thing I like about the syndicated eps is NO half-screen credits, these are one of the most annoying things on TV today.

In article , [email] (Ken) wrote:

Deep Space Nine's syndication rights were supposedly purchased by TNN (the erstwhile Nashville Network, now TNN - the first pop network! - whatever) along with the rights to the original Star Trek and TNG. Not sure when they will start running on TNN, but dampen your enthusiasm: TNN has one of the most garish, full-color and non-ignorable screen logos of any network, and have taken to having a PERMANENT strip at the bottom of the screen with what you are watching. Thanks a lot, but I *DO* have digital cable, and when I didn't, I knew how to read TV Guide.

I never cared for first-run DS9 but now have reasons to watch it, and naturally, I get one episode a week, Sundays 3-4 a.m.

To bring this closer to topic, I've never noticed any missing scenes from ST:TNG. Can anyone confirm that this is because it was ALWAYS syndicated (thus, all the commercial space was there all along) or am I just wrong?

David Z Houston, TX

I think TNG starts this fall, they;'re going to do it kinda odd too. 1st season on monday, 2nd season on tuesday, then some kind kind of alternating pattern for the rest of the seasons fo rhte rest of the weedays. And they're picking the most popular eps, but not by poll, they lurked and read fan pages to figure out which ones.

I noticed it last night when ST V was on, I thoigh it was one of thise temporary pop-up things, but I noticed it didn't go away. Too in-your-face in my book.

But remember, most of the public can't or won't, they have to have everything spoon-fed to them.

At least you get it, we never did locally.

I never heard of the deleted scenes until recently, to me, they might help fill out a story in places, but we never saw them to begin with, so how are we to know what we missed?

In article , [email] (Ken) wrote:

Oh crap. Thanks for the news; I'm currently getting 13 episodes a week of TNG on a local independent (two daily M-F, two on weekends) and knowing that, I'll definitely try to get as many as I can before TNN gets its hands on it. Oh why oh why did I wait so long to tape TNG.

And that's BRILLIANT reasoning on the season breakdown; first season TNG is easily the weakest, so let's show it EVERY WEEK.

On the flipside, the screen graphic for "Channel 55 - the TUBE!" is almost as bad as TNN.

Amazing we managed to catch anything on TV AND win the Cold War at the same time, all without on-screen graphics. Don't get me started on screen garbage. I can go all day. Try watching CNN these days.

Yeah I know, it's not much to bitch about. I want as much as I can on tape, so it's frustrating. A friend in LA gets stripped DS9, but claims there is no LA syndication for TNG. The grass is always greener.

David Z Houston, TX

I think that's how they were planning on doing it. To me, why don't they do like everyone else and just start at the beginning? I missed a few eps during the later seasons, so hopefuly I'll get those on tape shortly.

This is network TV

Never seen it, I already hate the TNN one.

Well, during the Cold War, people actually Read the newspaper and TV Guide, now we're told that we're too busy for anything, so we have see it all in color graphics, or else have 5 things on the screen at once.

I saw Headline News the other day, I think there was an anchor on it, I'm not sure since the screen was so small and jumbled up.

Although I will admit I do like the TV guide channel, not for the crap up top, but for the listings. Our local paper does not list all the channels we get, but I don't enough TV to make it worthwhile to buy TV Guide, so the channel does come in handy.

Move to southern WV, it's worse. ---------------- Ken Lilly [email] *remove .org to reply* When diplomacy fails, send in the B-52's

<< Although I will admit I do like the TV guide channel, not for the crap up top, but for the listings. >>

They now have ads with people addressing the audience, "Hello? Look up here! You'll see all kinds of celebrity interviews and other mindless crap!" They had one feature where a kid wrote to Kevin Nealon, and asked him, "What was it like to work on 'Saturday Night Live'?" I mean, they couldn't get a better question than that? Sometimes I put my hand in my line of vision to obscure the top half of the screen. At least it doesn't expand by 50% every few minutes anymore. The MUTE button is never enough.

On Fri, 24 Aug 2001 22:28:59 GMT, [email] (Ken) wrote:

You can also check out www.tvguide.com . Once you enter your zip code and cable provider, it always comes up with your correct local line up. At least it does for me. You can click on a show and get more information, like what episode is on tonight. When you click on a channel name it used to bring up the whole day for that channel, but that function doesn't seem to be working lately.

On C-Band, the TV Guide channel went off the air about a year ago. I used to tape it for five mins then I could fast forward to the channels I cared about.

--Larry

<< You can also check out www.tvguide.com . Once you enter your zip code and cable provider, it always comes up with your correct local line up. At least it does for me. You can click on a show and get more information, like what episode is on tonight. When you click on a channel name it used to bring up the whole day for that channel, but that function doesn't seem to be working lately. >>

Gee, thanks. Does this mean we're no longer mortal enemies ;-)

<< On C-Band, the TV Guide channel went off the air about a year ago. I used to tape it for five mins then I could fast forward to the channels I cared about. >>

That's a wonderful idea. I wish I'd thought of it years ago. I really hate how they show the Pay-Per View and porno listings. That slows it up even more.

When we got Voyager all of a sudden last year, I checked out the web site, it wasn't listed, yet I was watching the ep at the same time. I think it took a month or more for them to finally get it right. The local paper always had it listed as a rerun from the 3rd or 4th season, and did that up untill the last few eps.

In article , [email] (Ken) wrote:

I bought the current (or, ex-current) TV Guide with the "Enterprise" story, and was a little shocked to find the cover price is now $2.49! I haven't lived in a house that subscribed to TV Guide in *years*, with none the worse for wear. Only when there is a can't miss story have I bought one in a store. The higher than price goes, the less essential the magazine gets. The local Sunday newspaper insert equivilent is actually more convenient to me, since they run strip boxes for every hour of the day.

If/when you can, consider the digital cable upgrade. Mine has program guide and search capabilities, so you can search for a specific program. It's not always perfect, fast, complete or accurate, but essentially, it's like individualized TV Guide Channel.

David Z Houston, TX

<< Deep Space Nine's syndication rights were supposedly purchased by TNN (the erstwhile Nashville Network, now TNN - the first pop network! - whatever) along with the rights to the original Star Trek and TNG. >>

If I remember correctly, they are trying to get rid of their redneck image by changing their network title to "The National Network". But they still show monster truck shows, "professional" wrestling and tractor pulls.

<< Not sure when they will start running on TNN, but dampen your enthusiasm: TNN has one of the most garish, full-color and non-ignorable screen logos of any network, and have taken to having a PERMANENT strip at the bottom of the screen with what you are watching. Thanks a lot, but I *DO* have digital cable, and when I didn't, I knew how to read TV Guide. >>

Just before this season of South Park, Comedy Central put an animation of that wheelchair kid running back and forth at the bottom of the screen which turned into their logo after a few seconds. They did this once EVERY half-hour for almost a month.

In article , "Robert J. Muldoon" wrote:

If I'm correct, TNN was sold to MTV Networks, who moved to offices from Nashville to New York and completely changed the programming. I would remind the camp at "The National Network" that we already have the USA network, and it sucks.

TNN and CMT (Country Music Television) were formerly part of Gaylord Entertainment, a group which ran the networks, the Opryland amusement park and the Opryland Hotel. I suppose their shareholders or owners are happy, but curiously, over the past several years have sold off EVERYTHING except the hotel. Apparently they are content enough to run the hotel and completely abandon every other field they ever operated in.

I was certainly not TNN's most loyal viewer by a long long shot but find it distressing that cable networks are moving in the same direction as local radio, where after 6+ months of a good format, you tune the station and suddenly it's tejano or oldies (for the next 6+ months). Funny, too, that the local cable companies didn't complain about TNN's switch - I presume the network wasn't sinking into bankruptcy as it was, it must have had plentiful viewers.

David Z Houston, TX

On Thu, 23 Aug 2001 04:51:20 -0500, [email] (David) wrote:

Obviously, I wrote this basic routine a while back and I'm far too lazy to update it (Do I look like a guy who's not lazy?), but here it is:

(Radio jingle) "K - S - T - X All Styx all the time!!!"

(cue DJ): That was some Styx going out by request. Coming up after the commercial we've got some classic Styx, our Styx trivia challenge and a preview of what you might hear at the upcoming Styx concert."

(cue commercial): Buy things! your life will finally be complete when you buy more things!!!

(Radio jingle) "K - N - O - H All number one radio!!"

cue DJ: For those of you who haven't heard, we changed format during the commercial break. Are you tired of top 40 stations? Who has time for 2-40? They're just 39 runners up. We play only the number one hit in the country and we play it all the time. Coming up next it's Michael Jackson . . .

--Larry

"David" wrote in message news:[email]...

<...>

Your right. If it's syndicated from the get go they are usually shown in entirety by their stations since they have been tailored for syndication. Where as a syndicated network show is usually a little long compared to how syndication stations like. Ofcouse some individual stations aren't below self editing the shows when the Syndicators contract isn't descriptively forbidding of it.

In article , [email] (Craig) wrote:

news:...

Return quick question: What is a European "type"?

Roughly 100 episodes of a show that originated on a network, or four seasons (of approx 25 episodes). There are exceptions: original Star Trek has around 80 episodes. Sports Night only ran one season on ABC but Comedy Central is re-running it, but that's not exactly syndication. There may be different preferences depending on whether it's a 30 or 60 minute show being re-run.

The drawback is that syndication peoples don't have as

Sort of. It all has to do with how television stations make money: sell advertising time. Local television stations are 'independent', per se; the network affiliates simply have lots of their broadcast day filled with the feed from a single network. The networks do not own the local stations showing their programs (except each network can own 12 - usually in the bigger markets). The more ad space available the more money the station makes. By cutting scenes from the show, or speeding it up slightly, the show will fill less time of its time slot and thus more ad time results.

It may only be one or two extra commercials per showing. But that's 1-2 extra commercials every episode, every broadcast, and it adds up $$.

American TV is going the way of American radio. If you want a song, you can buy the CD. Or you can tape it off the radio and get a cheap, shitty copy. Essentially the same model applies, more and more often, to TV and DVD. I would be very surprised if DVD sales affected syndication profitability to any measurable degree; I expect The Simpsons to continue to re-run after the DVDs are out, and if they don't, I would attribute it to it having been syndicated for so many years already rather than the masses watching DVDs rather than suffering through a cut episode sandwiched between Home Improvement and Drew Carey.

Maybe you can clear this up for me: what is the broadcast cycle of British TV? If I interpret the 'AbFab' tapes correctly, a British "series" is what Americans would call a "season"; and, a series is only about 6 episodes. Except for very few exceptions, MOST shows end after perhaps 3-5 series. Is this right?

David Z Houston, TX

On Wed, 22 Aug 2001 06:34:20 -0500, [email] (David) wrote:

Red Dwarf ran for 8 seasons and there is supposed to be a movie version in the works. Perhaps they will bring it back for another season or more. When it was in production, they made six episodes per year, Seasons 7 and 8 had more (8 and 10 I think). I heard that they increased the number of episodes to get it into American syndication sooner.

There is much to be said for that model. The writers don't seem as pressured to crank out the scripts, so quality can be better. I would like to see The Simpsons continue at six or eight really good eps per year, rather than 22 that are mostly forgettable.

When Comedy Central ran AbFab, they ran it in a one hour time slot and padded the time with stand up comedy, rather than cut it down to fit in a half hour slot. A rare example of good judgement on American TV.

Larry F

[email] (Larry) wrote in message news:...

Although in the UK, just about every sitcom is entirely written by just one or two people (unlike the US, where it's more of a team effort), which is probably the main reason for the short runs our comedies get. There have been attempts to copy the US style of team-based writing over here, but as far as I can recall, they've all been rather ghastly (Babes in the Wood, anyone? Thought not).

Most British shows do tend to quit while they're ahead, after two, three or four great series' (cf. Monty Python, Father Ted, Fawlty Towers), some stand out perfectly well after just one series, able to step aside knowing that their job has been done (The Day Today, Ripping Yarns, I'm Alan Partridge), and some drag on for too long, degenerating into a mish-mash of obvious gags, 'celebrity' cameos, and tired performances (Absolutely Fabulous, Blackadder Back and Forth, The Fast Show). Some go on for years and years and years, and their greatness continues to shine ever brighter (One Foot in the Grave, Only Fools and Horses).

That said, I agree, six tremendous episodes of the Simpsons per year is infinitely preferable to 22 mediocre ones.

Cheers, Mark X --- http://www.familyguy.da.ru - New design so it's doesn't look like something from 1995 any more. http://www.xbollox.com/family.htm - Same site, sans annoying frame banner thing. http://www.gamebroth.co.uk - The gaming site that really needs to be updated. Badly.

In article , [email] (Mark X) wrote:

A friend and I were talking over how distressingly tacky the Mexican telenovelas are, but he noted that as bad as they are, at least they END, on a schedule closer to that of British series. American soap operas have run for decades and decades, literally starting on radio before television then making the switch and running for 30-50 seasons or more.

Several of the series you mentioned are unfamiliar to me, but I've noticed the names on BBC America. I'll try and have a look.

David Z Houston, TX

[email] (David) wrote in message news:...

A quick squint at the BBC America web site reveals that there are a lot of great shows that they could be showing, but aren't (at least at the moment). But if you want to see good British comedy (i.e. not Are You Being Served), try and catch People Like Us, Blackadder (as long at it's not the first series or the 'Back and Forth' one), Father Ted, and Later With Jools Holland (not comedy, but an excellent music show).

Anyone more informed than me know why Fr Ted and So Graham Norton are on there, what with being Channel 4 shows? Have Hat Trick signed some sort of 'deal' or something? And does this mean the US might eventually get repeats of Who Dares Wins, Paul Merton: The Series and Chelmsford 123? If so, lucky 'the US' - they're all vastly underrated.

Cheers, Mark X --- http://www.familyguy.da.ru - New design so it's doesn't look like something from 1995 any more. http://www.xbollox.com/family.htm - Same site, sans annoying frame banner thing. http://www.gamebroth.co.uk - The gaming site that really needs to be updated. Badly.

In article , [email] says...

A 'show' I'd really like to see would be 'Johnny Bravo' which we could get for a few months till the Cartoon Network disapperad from our free Astra satellite. I think it was totally hilarious! Is it available on DVD in the UK?

-< Moon >-

In article , [email] (Larry) wrote:

In the end, really, the "enjoyment factor" remains the same: Since around the ninth season of Simpsons, I end up admiring around 5-10 episodes out of any given season (or, 5-10 minutes of any given episode). Some TV contracts are set up in 13-week cycles; perhaps one day we'll see more "quarterly" shows. HBO basically does this now: Six Feet Under, Sex and the City and The Sopranos are not 22-episode seasons. Showtime is different: Queer As Folk [U.S.] had a 22-episode first season.

Excellent decision. There is a special, 90-minute episode of DALLAS that was cut to 60 minutes for syndication purposes on the old TNN. Not sure what the alternatives were, but that's butchery. If you care about DALLAS, which you probably don't and didn't.

David Z Houston, TX

6 Episodes is the max for a British series... Especially ones done by the BBC or Channel 4. Seasons, as such, do exist and are aired as the American ones are if possible. For example, The X-Files is aired as a an American season of 24 episodes over 24 weeks except that the British always find a way to mess up the order or miss a week for some reason or other...

U.K. Satellite T.V. series differ entirely... The Simpsons and Futurama are played constantly... Although the "new" Simpsons Episode, i.e. the lates in the current series, is shown on Sundays on Sky One. And the terrestrial broadcasts of most shows are at least a season behind the satellite broadcasts, so Buffy would be in it's 4th season on BBC2 (or wherever its shown) while it would be towards the end of season 5 on Sky.

Unless a British show is insanely popular and well funded, they rarely last more than one season... Even 3 or 4 seasons is a sort of max for most shows...

Comedian shows, Soaps, and American series last longer on British T.V. than British series...

I think I'll stop now..

Nyth

8)

In article , "Nadimo Nyth" wrote:

Wow. Do the Brits get 2-3 repeats of each show, each year? I mean, in America, you get roughly 22 episodes per 52-week year... usually one, sometimes two repeats in first-run network broadcast. I'm not sure that ANY show would be watchable shown that often.

David Z Houston, TX

David wrote:

They must have re-worked the rights for re-runs then if they repeat more than once... the way they used to do it was one showing only, then re-negotiate the contracts with all the actors for any repeats. That's why most of Doctor Who from the 1960's was only shown once. And don't even get me started on why they destroyed them later on... :-)

"David" wrote in message news:[email]...

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Actually it depends on the series... There seems to be (as with most T.V. channels) a lot of really bad programs on air. But terrestrial doesn't repeat unless they feel they have to... X-Files Series one is being repeated to fill in the gap before they start Season 8... (yes they're that far behind). You have to remember that a lot of British soaps take up most of the "prime" viewing slots, add all the kids programs, and you're left with a few episodic series and all the comedians...

Nyth

8)

<< Roughly 100 episodes of a show that originated on a network, or four seasons (of approx 25 episodes). There are exceptions: original Star Trek has around 80 episodes. Sports Night only ran one season on ABC but Comedy Central is re-running it, but that's not exactly syndication. There may be different preferences depending on whether it's a 30 or 60 minute show being re-run. >>

They've been running "The Critic" for almost five years now, and that only had 24 episodes, IIRC.

You know the one that amazed me? "The Honeymooners" There are only about 25 episodes of it, it lasted 1 season only. The lost eps were live performances. And this show has been reran how many times?

Weren't all of "The Honeymooners" live?

petben wrote in message ...

I think in those days basically all of TV was "live". The eps were recorded using something called "kinescope" (I think). I don't remember the story on the "lost" Honeymooners eps. I think Gleason just hoarded them for 30 years or so and then released them when he thought the market was ripe. I STILL watch this show whenever they show it.

<< I think in those days basically all of TV was "live". The eps were recorded using something called "kinescope" (I think). >>

I believe that "Honeymooners" and "I Love Lucy" were the first ones to be previously recorded. Before that, recordings of live shows (the few times it was attempted) were poor at best, and as such, extremely rare. Imagine if there was no television and we went to the theaters to see episodes of "Futurama" just before cheesy sci-fi flicks ;-) That would be kind of nice. Surround sound, no commercials, no preempting for football....

petben wrote:

Not the 39 episodes that were their own series - they were recorded. I think the ones that were made from pieces of "The Jackie Gleason Show" were live (otherwise, how do you explain one episode that didn't have an ending - the story ran long, and as it was live, they couldn't just record it over again).

"The story of lunar exploration started with one man. A man with a dream."

"One of these days, Alice ... straight to the moon!"

"Wow! I never realized the first astronauts were so fat!"

    <_Jym_>

"Jym Dyer" wrote in message news:[email]...

Ahh the perfect setup to one of my all time favorite lines.

"That's not an astronaut it's a T.V. comedian. And he's just using space travel as a metaphor for beating his wife."

<< You know the one that amazed me? "The Honeymooners" There are only about 25 episodes of it, it lasted 1 season only. The lost eps were live performances. And this show has been reran how many times? >>

Wow... It is a good show though. IIRC, "The Lost Episodes" were not compiled until 1985. That's a long time to rerun twenty-five episodes.