[syymon]

Maybe I'm mistaken. Maybe my memory is playing-up. I'm not sure.

I seem to remember a time, on TV, when at the start of a programme they DIDN'T used to put together a montage of all the best bits that were coming-up, during the next half-an-hour!

Why do they now do this?

You used to be able to sit down to watch something factual and there would be none of this "Coming up in tonight's show....." rubbish; followed by a 3-minute compilation of all the best bits, that you didn't really want to see before they actually happened.

If I'm watching a programme, I want the highlights to be a surprise, not revealed to me, in advance, so that I no longer actually need to watch the show, itself!

When I was younger, the British TV shows never did this. However, on the rare occasion that an American documentary was broadcast, sure-enough, there was an annoying 5-minute preview of all the good stuff before it had even come on. I used to hate this and would normally switch over. Now it happens here all the time.

I'm sitting here fast-forwarding through the first 2 minutes of "Steven Fry:Gadget Man" so that I don't see what's going to come on and ruin the surprise for myself!

Are they using it to pad out the programme, by doubling-up on material? Or do they think they will encourage people to keep watching the programme, if they think these good bits will be repeated later?

Whatever, it stinks. Just cut this BS out, please.

T*****s!

Anyone else agree?

[doe_a_deer]

Originally Posted by syymon

Maybe I'm mistaken. Maybe my memory is playing-up. I'm not sure.

I seem to remember a time, on TV, when at the start of a programme they DIDN'T used to put together a montage of all the best bits that were coming-up, during the next half-an-hour!

Why do they now do this?

You used to be able to sit down to watch something factual and there would be none of this "Coming up in tonight's show....." rubbish; followed by a 3-minute compilation of all the best bits, that you didn't really want to see before they actually happened.

If I'm watching a programme, I want the highlights to be a surprise, not revealed to me, in advance, so that I no longer actually need to watch the show, itself!

When I was younger, the British TV shows never did this. However, on the rare occasion that an American documentary was broadcast, sure-enough, there was an annoying 5-minute preview of all the good stuff before it had even come on. I used to hate this and would normally switch over. Now it happens here all the time.

I'm sitting here fast-forwarding through the first 2 minutes of "Steven Fry:Gadget Man" so that I don't see what's going to come on and ruin the surprise for myself!

Are they using it to pad out the programme, by doubling-up on material? Or do they think they will encourage people to keep watching the programme, if they think these good bits will be repeated later?

Whatever, it stinks. Just cut this BS out, please.

T*****s!

Anyone else agree?

Yeah I totally agree. On some programmes it can be even worse, say it's an hour long program, you have to get a 'coming up' before each break and then a recap after the break. The actual content of an hour program with adverts must be around the half hour mark.

[syymon]

Yes, just noticed that pre-break thing as well. Why the hell would I need to know what's going to happen after the ads?

[brewer480]

Originally Posted by syymon

Maybe I'm mistaken. Maybe my memory is playing-up. I'm not sure.

I seem to remember a time, on TV, when at the start of a programme they DIDN'T used to put together a montage of all the best bits that were coming-up, during the next half-an-hour!

Why do they now do this?

You used to be able to sit down to watch something factual and there would be none of this "Coming up in tonight's show....." rubbish; followed by a 3-minute compilation of all the best bits, that you didn't really want to see before they actually happened.

If I'm watching a programme, I want the highlights to be a surprise, not revealed to me, in advance, so that I no longer actually need to watch the show, itself!

When I was younger, the British TV shows never did this. However, on the rare occasion that an American documentary was broadcast, sure-enough, there was an annoying 5-minute preview of all the good stuff before it had even come on. I used to hate this and would normally switch over. Now it happens here all the time.

I'm sitting here fast-forwarding through the first 2 minutes of "Steven Fry:Gadget Man" so that I don't see what's going to come on and ruin the surprise for myself!

Are they using it to pad out the programme, by doubling-up on material? Or do they think they will encourage people to keep watching the programme, if they think these good bits will be repeated later?

Whatever, it stinks. Just cut this BS out, please.

T*****s!

Anyone else agree?

I'm really glad that someone else finds this frustrating too! It can really ruin what would have been a good show.

This morning is the worst for summarising whats going on in their show, your about 30 mins into it before the show starts.

It's like when they advertise movies that are going to come out and show all the funny one liners in the ads so the movie becomes quite a bore.

But the worst is when they have a count down of somthing. Like the top 100 songs ever, or the top 100 adverts ever, really interesting program that I would be happy to watch for hours to see what is included in the top 100, but they stupidly show what's coming up after the break, completely ruins the suprise and the whole point of the show. I have no idea why they do it, it's clearly not to pad the show out as it lasts for over an hour anyway, just stupid.

[Gerry Mandarin]

On programmes like Bargain Hunt, etc it's basically just filler so that when it is shown on channels like UKTV and abroad they can cut out the filler for ad time and not lose parts of the main programme.

[Doghouse Riley]

Originally Posted by syymon

Maybe I'm mistaken. Maybe my memory is playing-up. I'm not sure.

I seem to remember a time, on TV, when at the start of a programme they DIDN'T used to put together a montage of all the best bits that were coming-up, during the next half-an-hour!

Why do they now do this?

You used to be able to sit down to watch something factual and there would be none of this "Coming up in tonight's show....." rubbish; followed by a 3-minute compilation of all the best bits, that you didn't really want to see before they actually happened.

If I'm watching a programme, I want the highlights to be a surprise, not revealed to me, in advance, so that I no longer actually need to watch the show, itself!

When I was younger, the British TV shows never did this. However, on the rare occasion that an American documentary was broadcast, sure-enough, there was an annoying 5-minute preview of all the good stuff before it had even come on. I used to hate this and would normally switch over. Now it happens here all the time.

I'm sitting here fast-forwarding through the first 2 minutes of "Steven Fry:Gadget Man" so that I don't see what's going to come on and ruin the surprise for myself!

Are they using it to pad out the programme, by doubling-up on material? Or do they think they will encourage people to keep watching the programme, if they think these good bits will be repeated later?

Whatever, it stinks. Just cut this BS out, please.

T*****s!

Anyone else agree?

Ah!

If I may be so bold, you've experienced part one of my "laws of television" I posted on Urban Dictionary over three years ago.


The number of advance programme trails screened, will be in inverse proportion to the quality of the programme. The ”best bits” of any programme will be included in the trail.


If you're still reading this, here's the full list.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/defin...&defid=3349998

Note to one or two of my previous critics of this, try not to take it, TV, me, or yourselves too seriously.

[Mrscee]

I hate this too..I just want to be surprised if it is good or bad

[catsitter]

I found this most annoying in Battlestar Galactica - used to look away until that bit had finished.

[Listentome]

I noticed this started on American programmes back in the 70s and 80s. I always thought it odd that we'd have Angela Lansbury saying "Tonight on Murder. She Wrote" or Hasslehoff saying "Next on Baywatch". I always thought, what's the point I'm about to watch it.

An American friend told me they did it in the USA because they had a break after the opening titles and wanted to entice people not to change channels.

[mikw]

Originally Posted by syymon

Maybe I'm mistaken. Maybe my memory is playing-up. I'm not sure.

I seem to remember a time, on TV, when at the start of a programme they DIDN'T used to put together a montage of all the best bits that were coming-up, during the next half-an-hour!

Why do they now do this?

You used to be able to sit down to watch something factual and there would be none of this "Coming up in tonight's show....." rubbish; followed by a 3-minute compilation of all the best bits, that you didn't really want to see before they actually happened.

If I'm watching a programme, I want the highlights to be a surprise, not revealed to me, in advance, so that I no longer actually need to watch the show, itself!

When I was younger, the British TV shows never did this. However, on the rare occasion that an American documentary was broadcast, sure-enough, there was an annoying 5-minute preview of all the good stuff before it had even come on. I used to hate this and would normally switch over. Now it happens here all the time.

I'm sitting here fast-forwarding through the first 2 minutes of "Steven Fry:Gadget Man" so that I don't see what's going to come on and ruin the surprise for myself!

Are they using it to pad out the programme, by doubling-up on material? Or do they think they will encourage people to keep watching the programme, if they think these good bits will be repeated later?

Whatever, it stinks. Just cut this BS out, please.

T*****s!

Anyone else agree?

This:

Originally Posted by Gerry Mandarin

On programmes like Bargain Hunt, etc it's basically just filler so that when it is shown on channels like UKTV and abroad they can cut out the filler for ad time and not lose parts of the main programme.

and this :

Originally Posted by Listentome

An American friend told me they did it in the USA because they had a break after the opening titles and wanted to entice people not to change channels.

[MONIFIETHBOY]

Worst still is when the preview of what is to come dresses up the action into a must see, shock horror drama. I've noticed that in many of the Nat Geo programmes that deal with types of gold mining. Usually the drama unfolds into a damp squib.

[Glyn W]

Teasers can whet your appetite for the coming programme and make you want to watch it....if they're done right.

And to see them done right, watch the start of an episode of Thunderbirds.

[Spiderpig]

I can add to the sad story: Whilst watching a programme on one the Discovery channels the add break was comming up. The programme was about some very clever people were building a giant machine (what it will do is not important to my rant). These workers do this job every day and so there is very little left to chance when putting all the bits together but the voice over nutter has to create drama where drama does not exist. He starts to ask questions like "What if that bit does not sit exactly next to that bit? or "What will happen if the crane is not in lowering the thing on to the other thing with 100% skill?". Then the adds.
We return to the next part of the programme and nothing has gone wrong plus if you look at the faces of those doing the work nothing was ever going to go wrong so there was nothing to get exited about. Going back to the adds they show you two shows on later and after the adds they will show two or three other shows on another day but the same shows will come up on each add break as if your life will be totally worthless if you don't watch all of the Channels output.
ITV have add breaks and just when you think the programme is returning they show you that (insert name here) sponser that time of day's progammes so still the show has not come back as you watch some boat going down some river somewhere. I shall now go outside and shout at the birds, thanks.

[Doghouse Riley]

Originally Posted by MONIFIETHBOY

Worst still is when the preview of what is to come dresses up the action into a must see, shock horror drama. I've noticed that in many of the Nat Geo programmes that deal with types of gold mining. Usually the drama unfolds into a damp squib.

Be wary of any documentary titled "The hunt for" or "The search for."

They don't find "it."

[snukr]

Originally Posted by syymon

Maybe I'm mistaken. Maybe my memory is playing-up. I'm not sure.

I seem to remember a time, on TV, when at the start of a programme they DIDN'T used to put together a montage of all the best bits that were coming-up, during the next half-an-hour!

Why do they now do this?

You used to be able to sit down to watch something factual and there would be none of this "Coming up in tonight's show....." rubbish; followed by a 3-minute compilation of all the best bits, that you didn't really want to see before they actually happened.

If I'm watching a programme, I want the highlights to be a surprise, not revealed to me, in advance, so that I no longer actually need to watch the show, itself!

When I was younger, the British TV shows never did this. However, on the rare occasion that an American documentary was broadcast, sure-enough, there was an annoying 5-minute preview of all the good stuff before it had even come on. I used to hate this and would normally switch over. Now it happens here all the time.

I'm sitting here fast-forwarding through the first 2 minutes of "Steven Fry:Gadget Man" so that I don't see what's going to come on and ruin the surprise for myself!

Are they using it to pad out the programme, by doubling-up on material? Or do they think they will encourage people to keep watching the programme, if they think these good bits will be repeated later?

Whatever, it stinks. Just cut this BS out, please.

T*****s!

Anyone else agree?

The worst was "Moviedrome" on BBC2, where some nerdy geek used to preview a film which was just about to be shown, giving previews of all the exciting bits and even explaining the plot, making it almost not worth watching the film.

[halloweenbabe]

Originally Posted by syymon

Yes, just noticed that pre-break thing as well. Why the hell would I need to know what's going to happen after the ads?

So you don't go to another channel during the ad break...

And producers assume all viewers have the attention span of a gnat and will have forgotten what the programme is about...

Originally Posted by Glyn W

Teasers can whet your appetite for the coming programme and make you want to watch it....if they're done right.

And to see them done right, watch the start of an episode of Thunderbirds.

Love 'em

Originally Posted by Listentome

...An American friend told me they did it in the USA because they had a break after the opening titles and wanted to entice people not to change channels.

You mean we have this "improvement" to our viewing pleasure to look forward to in years to come... ye gods...

[StaxVolt]

Originally Posted by Doghouse Riley

Be wary of any documentary titled "The hunt for" of "The search for."

They don't find "it."

Here's another one DR ... If a programme poses a question along the lines of "Could this be ...?","Did the Aztecs ...?" or "Was this the ...?" at any time but usually just before an ad break ... The answer is always NO.

[intoxication]

Originally Posted by Listentome

I noticed this started on American programmes back in the 70s and 80s. I always thought it odd that we'd have Angela Lansbury saying "Tonight on Murder. She Wrote" or Hasslehoff saying "Next on Baywatch". I always thought, what's the point I'm about to watch it.

An American friend told me they did it in the USA because they had a break after the opening titles and wanted to entice people not to change channels.

This is true, well it was when I went to America. Personally I don't mind when British shows do it before an ad break for the same reason as above, but I too hate the "here's what's coming up" at the start of the programme.

[Doghouse Riley]

Originally Posted by StaxVolt

Here's another one DR ... If a programme poses a question along the lines of "Could this be ...?","Did the Aztecs ...?" or "Was this the ...?" at any time but usually just before an ad break ... The answer is always NO.

The most irritating thing about them is that you have to watch 55 minutes of "obfuscation" before they finally admit just before the credits that they've wasted your time.

[Doghouse Riley]

duplicate post

[jw2011]

I think it's because these days TV is aimed at 'channel hoppers'. That's why you have 'Coming Up' and 'Before the break' scenes. So that if you come into the programme half way through you can still catch up.

Shame, because it is the most annoying thing that they do in TV just about.

[Doghouse Riley]

Originally Posted by StaxVolt

Here's another one DR ... If a programme poses a question along the lines of "Could this be ...?","Did the Aztecs ...?" or "Was this the ...?" at any time but usually just before an ad break ... The answer is always NO.

Here's another one that's no doubt already in production to which I'll be giving a miss.

"The Search for the Buried Spitfires."

[Prince Monalulu]

Originally Posted by snukr

The worst was "Moviedrome" on BBC2, where some nerdy geek used to preview a film which was just about to be shown, giving previews of all the exciting bits and even explaining the plot, making it almost not worth watching the film.

Well lots of us liked Moviedrome, Alex Cox and Mark Cousins and found it a nice addition to the films shown.

[Billy_Value]

you mean like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MFtl2XXnUc

[bookaddict]

They used to do it with St Elsewhere in the 80s. Well, for the first couple of seasons anyway...I think they dropped it after a bit.