In terms of ratings it'll probably be the most popular
I was just suggesting a 'popular' sitcom as Seinfeld was
Gavin & Stacey is nowhere near as big in the UK as Seinfeld was in the US. G&S got very good ratings for BBC Three, and when it was shown on BBC2 is rated decently.
Seinfeld was the biggest show in the US - the equivalent of Coronation Street or EastEnders. It's impossible to get ratings that big without being fairly mainstream and I don't think there's any good reason why a broad, mainstream sitcom shouldn't get good ratings over here.
I think we can discount scheduling as a reason for its initial poor performance, as it launched in a good slot.
I doubt that the marketing was particularly strong - certainly I don't have any recall of it. I really do think that the main reason Seinfeld flopped in the UK was that the BBC are not great at selling US shows, particularly comedies.
Like other posters here I just don't get Seinfeld at all, although in fairness I probably haven't given it a fair crack of the whip.
Seriously though, the slap bass music after every scene is sooooooo annoying plus the character of Kramer is just ridiculous. Oh look he's quirky, he's weird, therefore he's funny. No he isn't.
In fairness, it started out at 9pm on BBC2, but did so bad that they shunted it later and later.
I think the first series or two are weak. If that's what they showed in the early slot, then that could be why it failed there. By the time it got good, it had moved to the later slot.
I don't suppose you know what was being shown on the other sides at that time?
Yes, Seinfeld started at BBC2 on Wednesdays at 9pm in October 1993. Interestingly they started it from the first episode of season two, the very short first season has never been screened on terrestrial telly. Obviously BBC1 was showing the news at the time, but ITV showed numerous films and specials, it used to be a big slot for them. It was also opposite two England matches during its run.
The series ran in that slot until Christmas (and the last episode was at 8pm) and then when it returned in April 1994 it was on Saturday nights at around ten o'clock. It stayed there for two seasons, and then in 1996 it was moved to a post-Newsnight slot, paired with The Larry Sanders Show. For a while it was shown three times a week in this slot. For the last three seasons, in 1999, 2000 and 2001 it was moved again to midnight, stripped across the week, in September and October when Parliament wasn't sitting (as Despatch Box filled the slot the rest of the year).
In terms of scheduling, the big problem BBC2 has always had with American sitcoms is their length - 22 and a half minutes, usually, which is a pain in the arse. When it was at 9pm it meant the next show was on at 9.25 which is awkward as it doesn't match any other channel so there's no scope to hook channel hopping viewers.
This is one of the reasons why it used to be paired with Larry Sanders, together it was 45 minutes which fitted just right in the slot between Newsnight and Despatch Box. But when Sanders finished, they couldn't find anything else to pair it up with, so they ended up moving it to midnight where the awkward length didn't matter so much.
Although BBC2 never showed the first series, it had been shown in the UK on Sky One and, before that, The Comedy Channel, the short-lived Sky channel, which screened it for the first time in the UK in February 1992.
I loved Seinfeld and think it definitely suffered from being shunted around the schedule and a lack of promotion by the BBC. However, I think that many people may not have taken to it because - deliberately - none of the four lead characters was likeable. Even Frasier, for all of his pomposity, is fundamentally vulnerable and likeable.
I think your point about Channel 4 is a good one, OP. For many years they promoted 9pm on Fridays as the American comedy slot and Seinfeld could have benefited from the automatic audience that this brought. C4 also repeat (and repeat, and repeat) Friends, Frasier, Will & Grace, etc. on E4 and in the mornings. BBC2 has never done this with Seinfeld.
I loved Seinfeld, but got sick of it never seeming to have a regular time slot. I bought the DVDs in the end, and have got a lot of pleasure out of watching them. Funny show.
This is one of the reasons why it used to be paired with Larry Sanders, together it was 45 minutes which fitted just right in the slot between Newsnight and Despatch Box.
But Larry Sanders was an HBO show and as there was no commercial breaks had a running time of roughly 28 minutes.
I loved Seinfeld, but got sick of it never seeming to have a regular time slot. I bought the DVDs in the end, and have got a lot of pleasure out of watching them. Funny show.
When I started watching it on Paramount a few years ago, it was on at 8:00pm every night for at least a year, so all the episodes got shown about twice over. It then dissappeared to Paramount 2, then mid-morning somewhere, then Virgin1 at stupid o'clock.
Can't wait for the Curb episodes to be shown on More4, the first 'Not quite a Reunion' episode is on next Thursday.
Yes, Seinfeld started at BBC2 on Wednesdays at 9pm in October 1993. Interestingly they started it from the first episode of season two, the very short first season has never been screened on terrestrial telly. Obviously BBC1 was showing the news at the time, but ITV showed numerous films and specials, it used to be a big slot for them. It was also opposite two England matches during its run.
The series ran in that slot until Christmas (and the last episode was at 8pm) and then when it returned in April 1994 it was on Saturday nights at around ten o'clock. It stayed there for two seasons, and then in 1996 it was moved to a post-Newsnight slot, paired with The Larry Sanders Show. For a while it was shown three times a week in this slot. For the last three seasons, in 1999, 2000 and 2001 it was moved again to midnight, stripped across the week, in September and October when Parliament wasn't sitting (as Despatch Box filled the slot the rest of the year).
In terms of scheduling, the big problem BBC2 has always had with American sitcoms is their length - 22 and a half minutes, usually, which is a pain in the arse. When it was at 9pm it meant the next show was on at 9.25 which is awkward as it doesn't match any other channel so there's no scope to hook channel hopping viewers.
This is one of the reasons why it used to be paired with Larry Sanders, together it was 45 minutes which fitted just right in the slot between Newsnight and Despatch Box. But when Sanders finished, they couldn't find anything else to pair it up with, so they ended up moving it to midnight where the awkward length didn't matter so much.
Although BBC2 never showed the first series, it had been shown in the UK on Sky One and, before that, The Comedy Channel, the short-lived Sky channel, which screened it for the first time in the UK in February 1992.
Thanks for that. This explains why I always thought it was shown at ridiculous o'clock from the beginning. I was at university in the early 90s and then lived on a commune for a while after leaving and didn't have a TV .
I think I first watched the show in the US when I was on a business trip, which would have been around 1996-97 I think.
But Larry Sanders was an HBO show and as there was no commercial breaks had a running time of roughly 28 minutes.
Hmm, I was wondering about that but BBC2 always scheduled them in a 45 minute block from 11.15 to midnight. So I dunno what they did but Larry Sanders was always less than 25 minutes on the Beeb.
Hmm, I was wondering about that but BBC2 always scheduled them in a 45 minute block from 11.15 to midnight. So I dunno what they did but Larry Sanders was always less than 25 minutes on the Beeb.
Checking the DVDs of Seinfeld and some of the episodes are only about 21 minutes long, so they probably could have fit both in the 45 minute slot.
Perhaps the british public had to be educated in getting use to American Comedy? If Seinfeld came after Curb and Larry Sanders perhaps it would have been a hit.
This is one of the reasons why it used to be paired with Larry Sanders, together it was 45 minutes which fitted just right in the slot between Newsnight and Despatch Box. But when Sanders finished, they couldn't find anything else to pair it up with, so they ended up moving it to midnight where the awkward length didn't matter so much.
Why did they not just run two episodes back to back to fill the 45 minute slot?
In fairness, it started out at 9pm on BBC2, but did so bad that they shunted it later and later.
However, crucially, they refused to re-evaluate its scheduling after Friends' success caused an explosion in the popularity of US sitcoms in the UK.
Before Friends, it was basically Roseanne, Cheers and MASH in terms of prime time US sitcoms over here. After Friends, there were loads, but Seinfeld - the biggest sitcom in the US - was still looked on by the BBC as a pariah.
Never got why it was funny. It looked like a lot of Childish jokes that could only humour a 5 year old, I mean only a 5 year old can find something funny in a Soup-Nazi-man taking soup from a person.
Never got why it was funny. It looked like a lot of Childish jokes that could only humour a 5 year old, I mean only a 5 year old can find something funny in a Soup-Nazi-man taking soup from a person.
Comments
It will be studied in future as a brilliant comedy of manners on late 20th c. social mores
In terms of ratings it'll probably be the most popular
I was just suggesting a 'popular' sitcom as Seinfeld was
Gavin & Stacey is nowhere near as big in the UK as Seinfeld was in the US. G&S got very good ratings for BBC Three, and when it was shown on BBC2 is rated decently.
Seinfeld was the biggest show in the US - the equivalent of Coronation Street or EastEnders. It's impossible to get ratings that big without being fairly mainstream and I don't think there's any good reason why a broad, mainstream sitcom shouldn't get good ratings over here.
I think we can discount scheduling as a reason for its initial poor performance, as it launched in a good slot.
I doubt that the marketing was particularly strong - certainly I don't have any recall of it. I really do think that the main reason Seinfeld flopped in the UK was that the BBC are not great at selling US shows, particularly comedies.
Seriously though, the slap bass music after every scene is sooooooo annoying plus the character of Kramer is just ridiculous. Oh look he's quirky, he's weird, therefore he's funny. No he isn't.
Yes, Seinfeld started at BBC2 on Wednesdays at 9pm in October 1993. Interestingly they started it from the first episode of season two, the very short first season has never been screened on terrestrial telly. Obviously BBC1 was showing the news at the time, but ITV showed numerous films and specials, it used to be a big slot for them. It was also opposite two England matches during its run.
The series ran in that slot until Christmas (and the last episode was at 8pm) and then when it returned in April 1994 it was on Saturday nights at around ten o'clock. It stayed there for two seasons, and then in 1996 it was moved to a post-Newsnight slot, paired with The Larry Sanders Show. For a while it was shown three times a week in this slot. For the last three seasons, in 1999, 2000 and 2001 it was moved again to midnight, stripped across the week, in September and October when Parliament wasn't sitting (as Despatch Box filled the slot the rest of the year).
In terms of scheduling, the big problem BBC2 has always had with American sitcoms is their length - 22 and a half minutes, usually, which is a pain in the arse. When it was at 9pm it meant the next show was on at 9.25 which is awkward as it doesn't match any other channel so there's no scope to hook channel hopping viewers.
This is one of the reasons why it used to be paired with Larry Sanders, together it was 45 minutes which fitted just right in the slot between Newsnight and Despatch Box. But when Sanders finished, they couldn't find anything else to pair it up with, so they ended up moving it to midnight where the awkward length didn't matter so much.
Although BBC2 never showed the first series, it had been shown in the UK on Sky One and, before that, The Comedy Channel, the short-lived Sky channel, which screened it for the first time in the UK in February 1992.
Then go watch this....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0Ffca4xU7E
Interesting to see which other comedy stars turn up in this sketch.
Same here, loved Seinfeld, tried several times to watch Friends, wanted to like it but found all the characters unlikeable and totally unfunny.
I think your point about Channel 4 is a good one, OP. For many years they promoted 9pm on Fridays as the American comedy slot and Seinfeld could have benefited from the automatic audience that this brought. C4 also repeat (and repeat, and repeat) Friends, Frasier, Will & Grace, etc. on E4 and in the mornings. BBC2 has never done this with Seinfeld.
i always watching this when it was on paramount tv.
classic show about nothing
But Larry Sanders was an HBO show and as there was no commercial breaks had a running time of roughly 28 minutes.
When I started watching it on Paramount a few years ago, it was on at 8:00pm every night for at least a year, so all the episodes got shown about twice over. It then dissappeared to Paramount 2, then mid-morning somewhere, then Virgin1 at stupid o'clock.
Can't wait for the Curb episodes to be shown on More4, the first 'Not quite a Reunion' episode is on next Thursday.
Thanks for that. This explains why I always thought it was shown at ridiculous o'clock from the beginning. I was at university in the early 90s and then lived on a commune for a while after leaving and didn't have a TV
I think I first watched the show in the US when I was on a business trip, which would have been around 1996-97 I think.
Hmm, I was wondering about that but BBC2 always scheduled them in a 45 minute block from 11.15 to midnight. So I dunno what they did but Larry Sanders was always less than 25 minutes on the Beeb.
Checking the DVDs of Seinfeld and some of the episodes are only about 21 minutes long, so they probably could have fit both in the 45 minute slot.
thought Taxi was primetime
I saw it and couldn't understand why it was considered funny. I don't really like US comedy though.
Well we know what he'd say to you....