Season One question about episode lengths - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

BuddyHinton · 08-26-2006, 03:33 AM

Are these syndication prints? Many of these seem to run only about 22-23 mintues and I thought for sure it was STANDARD in this era to be 25+. I notice the box says "complete" but it doesn't seem to indicate "uncut". Any word on this?

EricR · 09-14-2006, 03:39 PM

They are complete. During the first season, there was no set time that a television show must air. It depended on the sponsor for that week.

TV Knowledge Fan · 09-14-2006, 04:33 PM

...however, the original opening, transitions to the Philip Morris commercials, Lucy & Desi's "closing plug" for PM and original closing credits were about four minutes. The body of each episode is about 25 minutes. When the episodes were "reedited" for network rebroadcasts (beginning in 1955) and future syndication, the opening and closing titles were "standardized" (adding up to about one minute).

EricR · 09-14-2006, 10:49 PM

Also, footage cut was restored, such as several references to Philip Morris

08-26-2006, 03:33 AM	#1
BuddyHinton Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 31, 2006 Location: CA Posts: 441	Season One question about episode lengths Are these syndication prints? Many of these seem to run only about 22-23 mintues and I thought for sure it was STANDARD in this era to be 25+. I notice the box says "complete" but it doesn't seem to indicate "uncut". Any word on this?

09-14-2006, 04:33 PM	#3
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	Yes, those episodes ARE the "original length"... ...however, the original opening, transitions to the Philip Morris commercials, Lucy & Desi's "closing plug" for PM and original closing credits were about four minutes. The body of each episode is about 25 minutes. When the episodes were "reedited" for network rebroadcasts (beginning in 1955) and future syndication, the opening and closing titles were "standardized" (adding up to about one minute).

09-14-2006, 03:39 PM	#2
EricR Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Mar 10, 2005 Posts: 66	They are complete. During the first season, there was no set time that a television show must air. It depended on the sponsor for that week.

09-14-2006, 10:49 PM	#4
EricR Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Mar 10, 2005 Posts: 66	Also, footage cut was restored, such as several references to Philip Morris