Barely anything on ITV tonight worth watching. Seriously can't wait until Saturday Night Takeaway returns.
Any news on Catchphrase? I'm quite interested about The Cube aswell, whether they'll air non-celebrity episodes soon.
Whilst I appreciate the sentiment as that sums up my feeling on ITV most nights, there are hundreds of other channels to choose from Hassaan. On the nights that ITV are neglecting you as a loyal viewer, you should look elsewhere. If you don't, then you're effectively encouraging the station to lower its programming ambitions by constantly rewarding them with your viewership no matter what they broadcast.
As for Catchphrase, great format back in the day but Roy Walker was a big part of the show's success. Has Stephen Mulhern ever fronted a show for ITV that's been a hit? I don't know why they keep persevering with him. This is his biggest gig to date and yet there isn't much evidence that viewers are warming to him as a presenter. He's a bit bland, bordering on charmless. Maybe it won't matter and the break will have done the show good, but I remember it was never the same when Nick Weir did it, and I have a funny feeling this revival could go the same way.
Saturday Night Takeaway will go very well. There isn't much to it as a programme, but crucially it brings out the best in Ant and Dec and it's all good harmless fun, perfect for a Saturday night. The Cube meanwhile should be cancelled, as for me the numbers haven't been satisfactory for a long time and it's blown a lot of chances to show what it can do. I'm convinced it has little to offer.
I don't think dreadful and exploitative is a fair description of the Extraordinary People series at all. Have you ever watched the show? Admittedly the rather sensationalist programme titles don't do the show any favours, and that aspect is regrettable if it gives off the wrong impression to potential viewers...
Which makes you wonder why they haven't changed the titles. As you say the Extraordinary People brand has now established itself and I agree that the documentaries themselves are often very well made. However that Five have persisted with these rather sensationalist titles suggests that actually they do believe there's an element of 'point and stare' to the brands success.
As for Catchphrase, great format back in the day but Roy Walker was a big part of the show's success. Has Stephen Mulhern ever fronted a show for ITV that's been a hit? I don't know why they keep persevering with him. This is his biggest gig to date and yet there isn't much evidence that viewers are warming to him as a presenter. He's a bit bland, bordering on charmless. Maybe it won't matter and the break will have done the show good, but I remember it was never the same when Nick Weir did it, and I have a funny feeling this revival could go the same way.
Presumably Mulhern got the job because they have no one else under contract to front it. I agree that he doesn't seem like a good choice but who else is there? Vernon Key is already fronting a classic game show revival so presumably wanted nothing to do with another one. Ant & Dec obviously wouldn't be interested. Schofield has The Cube. Who else is there? As I've said before there's an alarming lack of talent to front these entertainment formats and no one seems to have any real idea on how to change that. Until we see broadcasters really investing in developing new presenting talent nothing will change.
Paul O'Grady is basically the only other option I can think of to front an entertainment/game show format on ITV at this point. And he seems to have no interest in doing that which is possibly a shame as I think he could probably do a decent job with the right format. Of course this whole situation could have been much worse they could have turned Catchphrase into their latest Keith Lemon on prime time ITV vehicle...
What we were watching in 1972:
1. Eurovision Song Contest( BBC1).
2. This is Your Life( ITV).
3. Miss World ( BBC1).
4. Steptoe and Son ( BBC1).
5. Love Thy Neighbour( ITV).
6. Till Death Do Us Part( BBC1).
7. Coronation St ( ITV).
8. A Family At War( ITV).
9. Public Eye( ITV).
10. Opportunity Knocks( ITV).
Again, the Eurovision wins, 25 million people tuning in to see if the New Seekers would win. Also the infamous Hughie Green gets into the top 10, his talent show would peak at 24 million in 1976. Politically incorrect humour seems to have been all the rage in 1972 judging by numbers 5 and 6.
I think the downfall of NBC was also to do with the fact that a lot of their hit shows ended on by one and they didn't replace them, comedy is the best example because while they did have some success with My Name is Earl, Scrubs and The Office, they failed to find a successful multicamera comedy and abandoned it but I would argue that apart from CBS, the multicamera comedy fell out of favour with broadcasters although they did occasionally a couple to series such as Back to You which lasted one season.
What exactly is the difference (apart from the obvious) between single camera and multi-camera comedy. Is the latter filmed in front of an audience?
As for Catchphrase, great format back in the day but Roy Walker was a big part of the show's success. Has Stephen Mulhern ever fronted a show for ITV that's been a hit? I don't know why they keep persevering with him. This is his biggest gig to date and yet there isn't much evidence that viewers are warming to him as a presenter. He's a bit bland, bordering on charmless. Maybe it won't matter and the break will have done the show good, but I remember it was never the same when Nick Weir did it, and I have a funny feeling this revival could go the same way.
He must be doing something right to have not been sacked by Simon Cowell. He's fairly good on Britain's Got More Talent but there although he hosts alone he's very much part of the team of judges and Ant and Dec and sends himself up quite a bit. He's still really to break out on ITV but something like Catchphrase could work for him - I think people forget that compared to his peers Roy Walker was a bit bland, bordering on charmless.
What exactly is the difference (apart from the obvious) between single camera and multi-camera comedy. Is the latter filmed in front of an audience?
Multicamera is with a laugh track. Single doesn't have one I believe. Single camera comedies seem to be in thing these days with multicam's being mocked/looked down upon by critics and what people call themselves as "people with taste". Maybe the wrong people are creating these multicamera comedies.
Yes there's stuff like Lone Star that dies painfully on broadcast but truth is I suspect that would have died quite painfully anywhere. If the audience don't want to watch a show putting it on cable won't help.
I think the above and shows like Awake/Good Wife/etc that failed or barely surviving are what gets the whole "cable show" tag.
Then again if all these shows that are seen to be better off on cable get 1.5's in the demo on the main networks, what's the point?
All the big networks are looking for the next "Lost" and especially the next "Modern Family". The next "Big Bang Theory" would help also, though it took 5 or 6 seasons?
I'm hoping Nanny McPhee grabs a bumper rating tonight and humiliates the final of Britain's Brightest. I've only seen a few minutes of the series (mainly while waiting for In It To Win It to come on) but it annoys the hell out of me.
Full of its own self-importance, really thinks it's found Britain's Brightest whereas actually it's only found the brightest of however many people got through the auditions. And that incidental music is crap as well. The producers look as if they used the Light Entertainment Programme Making For Dummies manual. It's light entertainment by numbers and resembles all the National Lottery game shows that flopped.
Plus it lost to Splash! in the ratings, so that alone is enough to give it the boot. It can't possibly be allowed a second series.:mad:
Silent Witness was a bit low last night. Has been running for many years now though so hard to complain about it rating lower than it used to. Interesting that Great Night Out has seen a bit of a rise in the last couple of weeks. Eastenders did reasonably for a Friday, whilst Corrie pulled in some strong numbers also.
Tipping Point going above 2million feels like a significant milestone and although The Chase is losing out to Pointless that is more due to Pointless seeing a rise in its own viewers rather than The Chase losing viewers. Actually I thought the quiz shows might have started falling back by now what with daylight creeping into the 5pm hour. (I'm not suggesting people are out sunbathing).
Channel 4 seem to be doing all they can to target the same audience that might watch Channel 5's recently returned Person Of Interest.
Last week, they showed Source Code, and now they are planning to screen Complicit. Source Code succeeded POI too, probably absorbing atleast some of its audience. So, it seems their strategy is working. I just hope their new drama flops, because POI deserves some success on Channel 5...
What we were watching forty years ago:
1. Eurovision Song Contest( BBC1).
2. Benny Hill( ITV)
3. World Cup Football( ITV).
4. This is Your Life( ITV).
5. Miss World ( BBC1).
6. Love Thy Neighbour( ITV).
7. Colditz( BBC1).
8. Coronation St( ITV).
9. Bless This House( ITV).
10. My Good Woman( ITV).
It seems comedy and contests of the singing, beauty and fitba variety were the big thing in 1973. Coronation St was going through a bit of a slump this year, there were rumours it was a possibility for the axe, but, of course, survived. Meanwhile the infamous sitcom Love Thy Neighbour was the top sitcom this year, myself I far preferred Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads, not in the top ten but still watched by 16 million.
What we were watching in 1972:
1. Eurovision Song Contest( BBC1).
2. This is Your Life( ITV).
3. Miss World ( BBC1).
4. Steptoe and Son ( BBC1).
5. Love Thy Neighbour( ITV).
6. Till Death Do Us Part( BBC1).
7. Coronation St ( ITV).
8. A Family At War( ITV).
9. Public Eye( ITV).
10. Opportunity Knocks( ITV).
Again, the Eurovision wins, 25 million people tuning in to see if the New Seekers would win. Also the infamous Hughie Green gets into the top 10, his talent show would peak at 24 million in 1976. Politically incorrect humour seems to have been all the rage in 1972 judging by numbers 5 and 6.
Thanks for this it's very interesting. Brings back memories of being a naughty kid again.
Silent Witness was a bit low last night. Has been running for many years now though so hard to complain about it rating lower than it used to. Interesting that Great Night Out has seen a bit of a rise in the last couple of weeks. Eastenders did reasonably for a Friday, whilst Corrie pulled in some strong numbers also.
Tipping Point going above 2million feels like a significant milestone and although The Chase is losing out to Pointless that is more due to Pointless seeing a rise in its own viewers rather than The Chase losing viewers. Actually I thought the quiz shows might have started falling back by now what with daylight creeping into the 5pm hour. (I'm not suggesting people are out sunbathing).
I'm hoping Nanny McPhee grabs a bumper rating tonight and humiliates the final of Britain's Brightest. I've only seen a few minutes of the series (mainly while waiting for In It To Win It to come on) but it annoys the hell out of me.
Full of its own self-importance, really thinks it's found Britain's Brightest whereas actually it's only found the brightest of however many people got through the auditions. And that incidental music is crap as well. The producers look as if they used the Light Entertainment Programme Making For Dummies manual. It's light entertainment by numbers and resembles all the National Lottery game shows that flopped.
Plus it lost to Splash! in the ratings, so that alone is enough to give it the boot. It can't possibly be allowed a second series.:mad:
I think you are harsh on it. But your right it wasn't very good and doesn't deserve to come back.
Barely anything on ITV tonight worth watching. Seriously can't wait until Saturday Night Takeaway returns.
Any news on Catchphrase? I'm quite interested about The Cube aswell, whether they'll air non-celebrity episodes soon.
It has been mentioned on the net it will be Sunday evenings in March. Guessing it will be 10th March, Which I think is also the final of Dancing on Ice,
What exactly is the difference (apart from the obvious) between single camera and multi-camera comedy. Is the latter filmed in front of an audience?
Single cameras are (mostly) shot in the same way as drama. One camera with multiple takes of the same scene to get coverage and on sets/location. Multi-cameras are essentially the 'traditional' sitcom set up filmed on a sound stage in front of a studio audience. That they're filmed in front of an audience means that the production uses multiple cameras to get all their coverage in (mostly) one go or as close to it as possible. If memory serves the usual set up these days is three cameras for multi-cam.
So Miranda and Mrs Brown's Boys are multi-cam whilst Outnumbered would be a single cam.
Just as an FYI, multi-cams are usually much cheaper to make than single camera shows. The cost of production is much cheaper because they're able to shoot an episode in an hour or two. Comparing the schedule of the Big Bang Theory cast to the Modern Family cast is insane. I think I'm right in saying that the Big Bang cast work 2-3 days a week which includes a table read, rehearsals and actually shooting and won't be full days. And last I heard Modern Family shoots one episode every 6-8 days. The exception to this is when the cast salaries start to get stupidly high and then multi-cams can begin to get pretty expensive. Friends would have been at $7+ million per episode with ease by the end of its run.
Multicamera is with a laugh track. Single doesn't have one I believe...
Single camera comedies occasionally use laugh tracks.
I think the above and shows like Awake/Good Wife/etc that failed or barely surviving are what gets the whole "cable show" tag.
Then again if all these shows that are seen to be better off on cable get 1.5's in the demo on the main networks, what's the point?
All the big networks are looking for the next "Lost" and especially the next "Modern Family". The next "Big Bang Theory" would help also, though it took 5 or 6 seasons?
The better question is if a show can barely break a 1 on broadcast (or in fact doesn't) then how much lower would it go on cable? The general assumption seems to be that because they're getting that number on broadcast they'd be able to do it on a cable network as well but there's very little to indicate that's the case. Whilst their numbers might be at historic lows the broadcast networks still have a much larger inbuilt audience than any of the cable nets.
Also the cable networks are all looking for those big hits as well. That's why USA is now moving into comedy. They want a Modern Family of their own. FX as well for that matter. They want a Two and a Half Men they can call their own despite how poorly that seems to sit in the rest of their schedule.
Single cameras are (mostly) shot in the same way as drama. One camera with multiple takes of the same scene to get coverage and on sets/location. Multi-cameras are essentially the 'traditional' sitcom set up filmed on a sound stage in front of a studio audience. That they're filmed in front of an audience means that the production uses multiple cameras to get all their coverage in (mostly) one go or as close to it as possible. If memory serves the usual set up these days is three cameras for multi-cam.
So Miranda and Mrs Brown's Boys are multi-cam whilst Outnumbered would be a single cam.
Just as an FYI, multi-cams are usually much cheaper to make than single camera shows. The cost of production is much cheaper because they're able to shoot an episode in an hour or two. Comparing the schedule of the Big Bang Theory cast to the Modern Family cast is insane. I think I'm right in saying that the Big Bang cast work 2-3 days a week which includes a table read, rehearsals and actually shooting and won't be full days. And last I heard Modern Family shoots one episode every 6-8 days. The exception to this is when the cast salaries start to get stupidly high and then multi-cams can begin to get pretty expensive. Friends would have been at $7+ million per episode with ease by the end of its run.
Single camera comedies occasionally use laugh tracks.
Thanks - that was what I was kind of thinking but surely there is room for both in the market and basically if a show is funny, it's funny - regardless of how many cameras they use.
Channel 4 seem to be doing all they can to target the same audience that might watch Channel 5's recently returned Person Of Interest.
Last week, they showed Source Code, and now they are planning to screen Complicit. Source Code succeeded POI too, probably absorbing atleast some of its audience. So, it seems their strategy is working. I just hope their new drama flops, because POI deserves some success on Channel 5...
Don't give up just yet on Person of Interest turning good numbers wise. I certainly haven't. I know one or two in here have already cast judgement, but it's an import that's not airing on an ITV or Sky branded channel so this kind of dismissive attitude is par for the course.
The total audience for last Sunday's episode (inc. +1) which wasn't reported at the time in here was 911k (3.6%). Now obviously that's still on the low side and well below what I'd hoped for, but a 24% increase through +1 is abnormally large and suggests there's some sort of viewing conflict holding it back at present, Ripper Street one possible cause (we might learn more when Monday's figures come through), and obviously C4 deciding they want to aggressively target males in that slot all of a sudden doesn't help particularly either, mopping up a lot of the viewers that typically watch Channel 5's films on a Sunday.
We're still awaiting potentially revealing news on last Sunday's timeshift, but to this point the consolidated numbers remain very very good, which is a negative for C5's advertising clients but a positive in the sense that it demonstrates viewers haven't given up on it entirely and it is capable of bouncing back in the overnights when things fall right. It is obviously a procedural drama as well so it doesn't matter that much if viewers miss the odd episode. Sundays are just a little too hectic at the moment, but that won't always be the case. For now, a little time and patience is required I feel.
Hope you're having a good weekend. It's nice to have someone on board that has similar taste in TV to myself.
Hmm, why the sudden dip in Silent witness' ratings this week? It's not like the shows it was against were much more popular than before.
In the Friday 9pm hour this week:
Total viewing: 22.8m (slightly up from 22.7m last week)
BBC One (Silent Witness) - down 581k and 2.7 share points on last week (same show)
BBC Two (Monty Don...) - virtually flat on last week (same show) [exc HD]
ITV (Great Night Out) - up 221k and 0.9 share point on last week (same show)
Channel 4 (8 Out of 10 Cats/The Last Leg) - down 47k and 0.2 share point on last week (same shows)
Channel 5 (FILM: Bad Boys II - first hour) - up 359k and 1.6 share points on last week (FILM: The Last Samurai - first hour)
Other channels - up 97k and 0.2 share point on last week
It appears ITV1 and particularly Channel 5 were the beneficiaries of Silent Witness's fall. It should be said that a Friday episode earlier in the run had a share almost as low as last night's.
Over its 10-part run, Silent Witness averaged 5.58m (23.25%) in overnights. The first 8 episodes had a consolidated average of 7.36m (25.9%), adding an average of 1.63m to the overnight average.
Don't give up just yet on Person of Interest turning good numbers wise. I certainly haven't. I know one or two in here have already cast judgement, but it's an import that's not airing on an ITV or Sky branded channel so this kind of dismissive attitude is par for the course.
The total audience for last Sunday's episode (inc. +1) which wasn't reported at the time in here was 911k (3.6%). Now obviously that's still on the low side and well below what I'd hoped for, but a 24% increase through +1 is abnormally large and suggests there's some sort of viewing conflict holding it back at present, Ripper Street one possible cause (we might learn more when Monday's figures come through), and obviously C4 deciding they want to aggressively target males in that slot all of a sudden doesn't help particularly either, mopping up a lot of the viewers that typically watch Channel 5's films on a Sunday.
We're still awaiting potentially revealing news on last Sunday's timeshift, but to this point the consolidated numbers remain very very good, which is a negative for C5's advertising clients but a positive in the sense that it demonstrates viewers haven't given up on it entirely and it is capable of bouncing back in the overnights when things fall right. It is obviously a procedural drama as well so it doesn't matter that much if viewers miss the odd episode. Sundays are just a little too hectic at the moment, but that won't always be the case. For now, a little time and patience is required I feel.
Hope you're having a good weekend. It's nice to have someone on board that has similar taste in TV to myself.
Well we can only hope - So I'm not the only one thinking Channel 4 have targetted males and try and turn viewers away from Channel 5!
Single cameras are (mostly) shot in the same way as drama. One camera with multiple takes of the same scene to get coverage and on sets/location. Multi-cameras are essentially the 'traditional' sitcom set up filmed on a sound stage in front of a studio audience. That they're filmed in front of an audience means that the production uses multiple cameras to get all their coverage in (mostly) one go or as close to it as possible. If memory serves the usual set up these days is three cameras for multi-cam.
So Miranda and Mrs Brown's Boys are multi-cam whilst Outnumbered would be a single cam.
Just as an FYI, multi-cams are usually much cheaper to make than single camera shows. The cost of production is much cheaper because they're able to shoot an episode in an hour or two. Comparing the schedule of the Big Bang Theory cast to the Modern Family cast is insane. I think I'm right in saying that the Big Bang cast work 2-3 days a week which includes a table read, rehearsals and actually shooting and won't be full days. And last I heard Modern Family shoots one episode every 6-8 days. The exception to this is when the cast salaries start to get stupidly high and then multi-cams can begin to get pretty expensive. Friends would have been at $7+ million per episode with ease by the end of its run.
Single camera comedies occasionally use laugh tracks.
M*A*S*H used canned laughter.:mad: No wonder Robert Altman (the director of the film) hated the TV series (as I understand it). Well done to the BBC for showing the series without the laughter-track. Pity Comedy Central can't do the same.
I always thought single-camera comedies were cheaper than multi-camera, hence the reason that there's been an increase in them in recent years. I though the admin costs of organising a studio audience (who don't pay for their tickets) would make it more expensive.
In this age of BBC budget cuts, maybe it's time for BBC1 to make multi-camera sitcoms the rule rather than the exception. It was either Lawrence Marks or Jimmy Perry (can't remember which one) who wrote recently that he thought Me And Mrs Jones would have done better with a studio audience and I think the same about Worst Week Of My Life.
I reckon the new Ben Elton comedy will have a studio audience (sounds like it will be in the same style as The Thin Blue Line), but maybe the David Walliams sitcom won't.
Well we can only hope - So I'm not the only one thinking Channel 4 have targetted males and try and turn viewers away from Channel 5!
Yeah I'm having a good weekend thanks, you?
It does seem funny the timing. It's not normal for them to air so many big male-skewing films in such a short space of time. Might be nothing in it, but then part of me thinks there could be clashes with Homeland further down the line and they wouldn't want it to pose any kind of threat.
Yeah, great thanks. Well, apart from working all the way through it. But have to pay the bills somehow.
Thanks - that was what I was kind of thinking but surely there is room for both in the market and basically if a show is funny, it's funny - regardless of how many cameras they use.
I would agree on both counts.
Its not clear how well multi-camera and single camera comedies match-up on a schedule together (most of the evidence suggests not well) but for the most part I can't see any reason why the two styles can't co-exist. Although as has been mentioned there's been something of a negative outlook aimed at the multi-camera genre in recent years although I think the rise of Big Bang in the US and the success of Miranda and Mrs Brown in the UK dispels a lot of that.
It might be worth mentioning at this point that the two most successful shows on US television this year have been Big Bang Theory and Modern Family. A single camera and mutli-camera comedy. In the final +7 figures for January 7-13 Big Bang Theory had an 8.3 demo and Modern Family had a 7.0. Those are from overnights of 4.7 for Modern Family and 6.4 for Big Bang. Both of them are producing huge timeshifts. In fact their timeshift audience alone that week (a 2.3 and 1.9 respectively) would get them renewed on any network other than CBS.
Comments
As for Catchphrase, great format back in the day but Roy Walker was a big part of the show's success. Has Stephen Mulhern ever fronted a show for ITV that's been a hit? I don't know why they keep persevering with him. This is his biggest gig to date and yet there isn't much evidence that viewers are warming to him as a presenter. He's a bit bland, bordering on charmless. Maybe it won't matter and the break will have done the show good, but I remember it was never the same when Nick Weir did it, and I have a funny feeling this revival could go the same way.
Saturday Night Takeaway will go very well. There isn't much to it as a programme, but crucially it brings out the best in Ant and Dec and it's all good harmless fun, perfect for a Saturday night. The Cube meanwhile should be cancelled, as for me the numbers haven't been satisfactory for a long time and it's blown a lot of chances to show what it can do. I'm convinced it has little to offer.
Aside from rzt's +1 day access, I don't believe so.
I would request a trial myself, but would prefer to wait until mid March to do so *cough* F1 *cough*.
- Penguins: Spy in the Huddle [BBC1]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDtqvYDM41k
- Itv: Where Life Lives: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfIHJIOG3M8
- The Brits 2013 [Itv]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSbuUY3g8yc
- Complicit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuWF-m5RTXM
- The Year Britain Flooded [C4]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIJiTLjufvA
Presumably Mulhern got the job because they have no one else under contract to front it. I agree that he doesn't seem like a good choice but who else is there? Vernon Key is already fronting a classic game show revival so presumably wanted nothing to do with another one. Ant & Dec obviously wouldn't be interested. Schofield has The Cube. Who else is there? As I've said before there's an alarming lack of talent to front these entertainment formats and no one seems to have any real idea on how to change that. Until we see broadcasters really investing in developing new presenting talent nothing will change.
Paul O'Grady is basically the only other option I can think of to front an entertainment/game show format on ITV at this point. And he seems to have no interest in doing that which is possibly a shame as I think he could probably do a decent job with the right format. Of course this whole situation could have been much worse they could have turned Catchphrase into their latest Keith Lemon on prime time ITV vehicle...
rzt posted the latest demos earlier this week:
So, Mr Selfridge was 68% female, Ripper Street 52% female (very male-skewing compared with the average drama), and Call the Midwife 63% female.
1. Eurovision Song Contest( BBC1).
2. This is Your Life( ITV).
3. Miss World ( BBC1).
4. Steptoe and Son ( BBC1).
5. Love Thy Neighbour( ITV).
6. Till Death Do Us Part( BBC1).
7. Coronation St ( ITV).
8. A Family At War( ITV).
9. Public Eye( ITV).
10. Opportunity Knocks( ITV).
Again, the Eurovision wins, 25 million people tuning in to see if the New Seekers would win. Also the infamous Hughie Green gets into the top 10, his talent show would peak at 24 million in 1976. Politically incorrect humour seems to have been all the rage in 1972 judging by numbers 5 and 6.
He must be doing something right to have not been sacked by Simon Cowell. He's fairly good on Britain's Got More Talent but there although he hosts alone he's very much part of the team of judges and Ant and Dec and sends himself up quite a bit. He's still really to break out on ITV but something like Catchphrase could work for him - I think people forget that compared to his peers Roy Walker was a bit bland, bordering on charmless.
Multicamera is with a laugh track. Single doesn't have one I believe. Single camera comedies seem to be in thing these days with multicam's being mocked/looked down upon by critics and what people call themselves as "people with taste". Maybe the wrong people are creating these multicamera comedies.
I think the above and shows like Awake/Good Wife/etc that failed or barely surviving are what gets the whole "cable show" tag.
Then again if all these shows that are seen to be better off on cable get 1.5's in the demo on the main networks, what's the point?
All the big networks are looking for the next "Lost" and especially the next "Modern Family". The next "Big Bang Theory" would help also, though it took 5 or 6 seasons?
Full of its own self-importance, really thinks it's found Britain's Brightest whereas actually it's only found the brightest of however many people got through the auditions. And that incidental music is crap as well. The producers look as if they used the Light Entertainment Programme Making For Dummies manual. It's light entertainment by numbers and resembles all the National Lottery game shows that flopped.
Plus it lost to Splash! in the ratings, so that alone is enough to give it the boot. It can't possibly be allowed a second series.:mad:
Silent Witness was a bit low last night. Has been running for many years now though so hard to complain about it rating lower than it used to. Interesting that Great Night Out has seen a bit of a rise in the last couple of weeks. Eastenders did reasonably for a Friday, whilst Corrie pulled in some strong numbers also.
Tipping Point going above 2million feels like a significant milestone and although The Chase is losing out to Pointless that is more due to Pointless seeing a rise in its own viewers rather than The Chase losing viewers. Actually I thought the quiz shows might have started falling back by now what with daylight creeping into the 5pm hour. (I'm not suggesting people are out sunbathing).
Last week, they showed Source Code, and now they are planning to screen Complicit. Source Code succeeded POI too, probably absorbing atleast some of its audience. So, it seems their strategy is working. I just hope their new drama flops, because POI deserves some success on Channel 5...
Thanks for this it's very interesting. Brings back memories of being a naughty kid again.
Ken
I am! Is there something wrong with that!
Ken
I think you are harsh on it. But your right it wasn't very good and doesn't deserve to come back.
Ken
It has been mentioned on the net it will be Sunday evenings in March. Guessing it will be 10th March, Which I think is also the final of Dancing on Ice,
So Miranda and Mrs Brown's Boys are multi-cam whilst Outnumbered would be a single cam.
Just as an FYI, multi-cams are usually much cheaper to make than single camera shows. The cost of production is much cheaper because they're able to shoot an episode in an hour or two. Comparing the schedule of the Big Bang Theory cast to the Modern Family cast is insane. I think I'm right in saying that the Big Bang cast work 2-3 days a week which includes a table read, rehearsals and actually shooting and won't be full days. And last I heard Modern Family shoots one episode every 6-8 days. The exception to this is when the cast salaries start to get stupidly high and then multi-cams can begin to get pretty expensive. Friends would have been at $7+ million per episode with ease by the end of its run.
Single camera comedies occasionally use laugh tracks.
The better question is if a show can barely break a 1 on broadcast (or in fact doesn't) then how much lower would it go on cable? The general assumption seems to be that because they're getting that number on broadcast they'd be able to do it on a cable network as well but there's very little to indicate that's the case. Whilst their numbers might be at historic lows the broadcast networks still have a much larger inbuilt audience than any of the cable nets.
Also the cable networks are all looking for those big hits as well. That's why USA is now moving into comedy. They want a Modern Family of their own. FX as well for that matter. They want a Two and a Half Men they can call their own despite how poorly that seems to sit in the rest of their schedule.
Thanks - that was what I was kind of thinking but surely there is room for both in the market and basically if a show is funny, it's funny - regardless of how many cameras they use.
The total audience for last Sunday's episode (inc. +1) which wasn't reported at the time in here was 911k (3.6%). Now obviously that's still on the low side and well below what I'd hoped for, but a 24% increase through +1 is abnormally large and suggests there's some sort of viewing conflict holding it back at present, Ripper Street one possible cause (we might learn more when Monday's figures come through), and obviously C4 deciding they want to aggressively target males in that slot all of a sudden doesn't help particularly either, mopping up a lot of the viewers that typically watch Channel 5's films on a Sunday.
We're still awaiting potentially revealing news on last Sunday's timeshift, but to this point the consolidated numbers remain very very good, which is a negative for C5's advertising clients but a positive in the sense that it demonstrates viewers haven't given up on it entirely and it is capable of bouncing back in the overnights when things fall right. It is obviously a procedural drama as well so it doesn't matter that much if viewers miss the odd episode. Sundays are just a little too hectic at the moment, but that won't always be the case. For now, a little time and patience is required I feel.
Hope you're having a good weekend. It's nice to have someone on board that has similar taste in TV to myself.
Hollyoaks (C4): 1.05m (5.1%) inc +1
Hollyoaks (E4): 747k (3.5%) inc +1
In the Friday 9pm hour this week:
Total viewing: 22.8m (slightly up from 22.7m last week)
BBC One (Silent Witness) - down 581k and 2.7 share points on last week (same show)
BBC Two (Monty Don...) - virtually flat on last week (same show) [exc HD]
ITV (Great Night Out) - up 221k and 0.9 share point on last week (same show)
Channel 4 (8 Out of 10 Cats/The Last Leg) - down 47k and 0.2 share point on last week (same shows)
Channel 5 (FILM: Bad Boys II - first hour) - up 359k and 1.6 share points on last week (FILM: The Last Samurai - first hour)
Other channels - up 97k and 0.2 share point on last week
It appears ITV1 and particularly Channel 5 were the beneficiaries of Silent Witness's fall. It should be said that a Friday episode earlier in the run had a share almost as low as last night's.
Over its 10-part run, Silent Witness averaged 5.58m (23.25%) in overnights. The first 8 episodes had a consolidated average of 7.36m (25.9%), adding an average of 1.63m to the overnight average.
Well we can only hope - So I'm not the only one thinking Channel 4 have targetted males and try and turn viewers away from Channel 5!
Yeah I'm having a good weekend thanks, you?
M*A*S*H used canned laughter.:mad: No wonder Robert Altman (the director of the film) hated the TV series (as I understand it). Well done to the BBC for showing the series without the laughter-track. Pity Comedy Central can't do the same.
I always thought single-camera comedies were cheaper than multi-camera, hence the reason that there's been an increase in them in recent years. I though the admin costs of organising a studio audience (who don't pay for their tickets) would make it more expensive.
In this age of BBC budget cuts, maybe it's time for BBC1 to make multi-camera sitcoms the rule rather than the exception. It was either Lawrence Marks or Jimmy Perry (can't remember which one) who wrote recently that he thought Me And Mrs Jones would have done better with a studio audience and I think the same about Worst Week Of My Life.
I reckon the new Ben Elton comedy will have a studio audience (sounds like it will be in the same style as The Thin Blue Line), but maybe the David Walliams sitcom won't.
Yeah, great thanks. Well, apart from working all the way through it. But have to pay the bills somehow.
Its not clear how well multi-camera and single camera comedies match-up on a schedule together (most of the evidence suggests not well) but for the most part I can't see any reason why the two styles can't co-exist. Although as has been mentioned there's been something of a negative outlook aimed at the multi-camera genre in recent years although I think the rise of Big Bang in the US and the success of Miranda and Mrs Brown in the UK dispels a lot of that.
It might be worth mentioning at this point that the two most successful shows on US television this year have been Big Bang Theory and Modern Family. A single camera and mutli-camera comedy. In the final +7 figures for January 7-13 Big Bang Theory had an 8.3 demo and Modern Family had a 7.0. Those are from overnights of 4.7 for Modern Family and 6.4 for Big Bang. Both of them are producing huge timeshifts. In fact their timeshift audience alone that week (a 2.3 and 1.9 respectively) would get them renewed on any network other than CBS.