I love Britcoms, but why are the seasons so short?!?! - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

U2baby · 11-27-2001, 04:30 AM

I love AbFab, Keeping Up Appearances, Are Your Being Served, Bean, Black Adder and others, but why on earth are there only 6 shows per season??? Can someone from Britain tell me? I mean 18 episodes of AbFab over 3 years, then they go off. Over here, a SINGLE typical season is 22 episodes! We're used to 22 NEW episodes of shows a year. Only now are there enough AbFab episodes to make a single American TV season. Anyway, I just want to know why? Is there a reason?
I also noticed this with all the other British shows I see on BBC America, it seems like there are only 6 (?) episodes in a season of, say, Monarch of The Glen (which I love), Hamish Macbeth, Ballykissangel etc, etc.
And that Red Dwarf, I don't get it at all...

japfles · 11-27-2001, 12:11 PM

It's mainly down to one thing - MONEY.

There just isn't the kind of finance in British TV that there is in the States. Sitcoms usually just run to six or eight episodes in a series/season.

There are occasional exceptions but the above is almost always the case. Sad, in some ways but good in others. There is a danger of a sitcom going stale when it runs to too many episodes per season. I think 'Frasier' is a good recent example of this myself.

Also, I notice that many of the American shows employ many writers thereby increasing the volume of episodes with ease. Britcoms are usually written by one or two people at most and these individuals are very protective of their work and no doubt reluctant to allow anyone else to dabble with the characters etc.

OK, that's my ten cents worth!

japfles · 11-27-2001, 12:13 PM

...oh and 'Red Dwarf' is VERY British!
I hear it has a good following in the States though.

vivaknievel · 12-01-2001, 10:57 PM

That was a great question. I've often wondered that myself... Thanks for supplying an answer as well!

- Jaye
Los Angeles, CA, USA

------------------
Visit me at http://www.golittlerecords.com

stephy · 11-23-2003, 05:48 PM

I think that its good that britcom seasons are short, when i lived there, if there was a series you like, you don't have to sit and watch it every time for half a year, just a few weeks. it gives you a chance for more of a social life

TJL · 11-23-2003, 06:14 PM

One of the things I like about Britcoms is that they are written by only one or two people. One writer, one vision.
Many American sitcoms have a very disjointed feel to them from week to week, moslty because there usually is a different writer who can change the nuance of a character because he-she has a different style.

Also, shorter season mean cheaper DVDs to collect.

bry · 12-28-2003, 08:02 PM

so you are sayng that what the dvd calls a series, is what we would call a season?

japfles · 12-29-2003, 10:37 AM

Yes

bry · 12-29-2003, 07:12 PM

i was wondring that as i was in BEST BUY the other week and saw series was on a few of them. thanks.

ClassicComedyFan2 · 02-14-2004, 11:47 AM

Personally, I am glad American shows have a greater quanitity of episodes. Its always fun when a show breaks the 100, 200, or even 300 barrier.

japfles · 02-14-2004, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ClassicComedyFan2
Personally, I am glad American shows have a greater quanitity of episodes. Its always fun when a show breaks the 100, 200, or even 300 barrier.

Let's not get carried away....'Friends' springs to mind!

*shudder*

randsta · 04-18-2004, 05:20 PM

The good thing about britcoms they leave u wanting more

Marvo301 · 05-10-2004, 05:50 PM

What Britcoms lack in quantity they more than make up for in quality. What american sitcoms lack in quality they attempt to make up for with quantity. Thats the major difference between American and British T.V. By the way, as a Canadian, I'd like to say I love Red Dwarf!!!!!

Aardvark · 05-31-2004, 06:59 AM

Hold on a sec... Has anyone tried looking at this from the writer's view here?

Let's take the most hillarious sitcom ever created: Blackadder. This had four series, each with six episodes. And each series was a different story. Yet it still remains the most hillarious sitcom in the universe, and I think that's partly due to it being short. For one, to write funny stuff, the writer has to completely love what they're doing. and after writing about the same thing for six episodes, it get's a little boring. The writers know they can't write good stuff without even liking it, and so they decide to stop. Then they have a fresh new series to write about. Also, there's a limit to what can be written about with one series. Instead of dragging it on, they realise that there is nothing more to say, and so end the series.

That is (partly) why Blackadder is the greatest sitcom in the world.

*Bela Lugosi* · 07-05-2004, 03:20 PM

I hate shows that go farther than 6 seasons. Some such as...

Cheers (11)
Gunsmoke (20)
Friends (10)
Frasier (11)
Bonanza (14)
The Beverly Hillbillies (9)
Dallas (13)
Dynasty (8)
My Three Sons (12)
All in the family (9)
The Mary Tyler Moore Show (7)
The Andy Griffith Show (8)
Bewitched (8)
The Carol Burnett Show (11)
Petticoat junction (7)

11-27-2001, 04:30 AM	#1
U2baby Go Veggie! Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 31, 2000 Location: OR Posts: 120	I love Britcoms, but why are the seasons so short?!?! I love AbFab, Keeping Up Appearances, Are Your Being Served, Bean, Black Adder and others, but why on earth are there only 6 shows per season??? Can someone from Britain tell me? I mean 18 episodes of AbFab over 3 years, then they go off. Over here, a SINGLE typical season is 22 episodes! We're used to 22 NEW episodes of shows a year. Only now are there enough AbFab episodes to make a single American TV season. Anyway, I just want to know why? Is there a reason? I also noticed this with all the other British shows I see on BBC America, it seems like there are only 6 (?) episodes in a season of, say, Monarch of The Glen (which I love), Hamish Macbeth, Ballykissangel etc, etc. And that Red Dwarf, I don't get it at all...

11-23-2003, 06:14 PM	#6
TJL Suburbanite Extrordinaire Forum Star Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: New Jersey - the cradle of civilization Posts: 16,591	One of the things I like about Britcoms is that they are written by only one or two people. One writer, one vision. Many American sitcoms have a very disjointed feel to them from week to week, moslty because there usually is a different writer who can change the nuance of a character because he-she has a different style. Also, shorter season mean cheaper DVDs to collect.
	__________________ "I think I'll stroll up to the front to see how the shooting's going..." - Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce Read my blogs! http://centralparkamisguide.com/ http://dvdcriticscorner.com Visit me on Facebook!http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=641138880 Hey, I do the tweet thing too! http://twitter.com/TomLevier My shop of handmade items! http://www.etsy.com/shop/ColdGarageCreations

12-28-2003, 08:02 PM	#7
bry Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jan 21, 2003 Location: n.c. Posts: 819	so you are sayng that what the dvd calls a series, is what we would call a season?
	__________________ that's Y-A-T-E-S.

02-14-2004, 11:47 AM	#10
ClassicComedyFan2 Coolicious! Forum Regular Join Date: Sep 28, 2001 Location: AL, United States, Alpha Quadrant Posts: 698	Personally, I am glad American shows have a greater quanitity of episodes. Its always fun when a show breaks the 100, 200, or even 300 barrier.
	__________________ The world always looks brighter from behind a smile. ~Author Unknown Optimism is the foundation of courage. ~Nicholas Murray Butler Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you - not because they are nice, but because you are. ~Author Unknown It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice. ~ John Cassis ~

04-18-2004, 05:20 PM	#12
randsta Sit com writer Occasional Poster Join Date: Mar 29, 2004 Location: UK, Brighton Posts: 45	The good thing about britcoms they leave u wanting more
	__________________ Dj Rand on the case

11-27-2001, 12:11 PM	#2
japfles The Japster Frequent Poster Join Date: May 10, 2001 Location: Durham, UK Posts: 145	It's mainly down to one thing - MONEY. There just isn't the kind of finance in British TV that there is in the States. Sitcoms usually just run to six or eight episodes in a series/season. There are occasional exceptions but the above is almost always the case. Sad, in some ways but good in others. There is a danger of a sitcom going stale when it runs to too many episodes per season. I think 'Frasier' is a good recent example of this myself. Also, I notice that many of the American shows employ many writers thereby increasing the volume of episodes with ease. Britcoms are usually written by one or two people at most and these individuals are very protective of their work and no doubt reluctant to allow anyone else to dabble with the characters etc. OK, that's my ten cents worth!

11-27-2001, 12:13 PM	#3
japfles The Japster Frequent Poster Join Date: May 10, 2001 Location: Durham, UK Posts: 145	...oh and 'Red Dwarf' is VERY British! I hear it has a good following in the States though.

12-01-2001, 10:57 PM	#4
vivaknievel Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Dec 01, 2001 Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA Posts: 9	That was a great question. I've often wondered that myself... Thanks for supplying an answer as well! - Jaye Los Angeles, CA, USA ------------------ Visit me at http://www.golittlerecords.com

11-23-2003, 05:48 PM	#5
stephy Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Nov 11, 2003 Location: Illinios Posts: 96	I think that its good that britcom seasons are short, when i lived there, if there was a series you like, you don't have to sit and watch it every time for half a year, just a few weeks. it gives you a chance for more of a social life

12-29-2003, 10:37 AM	#8
japfles The Japster Frequent Poster Join Date: May 10, 2001 Location: Durham, UK Posts: 145	Yes

12-29-2003, 07:12 PM	#9
bry Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jan 21, 2003 Location: n.c. Posts: 819	i was wondring that as i was in BEST BUY the other week and saw series was on a few of them. thanks.

05-10-2004, 05:50 PM	#13
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,453	What Britcoms lack in quantity they more than make up for in quality. What american sitcoms lack in quality they attempt to make up for with quantity. Thats the major difference between American and British T.V. By the way, as a Canadian, I'd like to say I love Red Dwarf!!!!!

05-31-2004, 06:59 AM	#14
Aardvark Member Occasional Poster Join Date: May 25, 2004 Location: England, Britain, Europe, Earth, Solar System, Milky Way Posts: 19	Hold on a sec... Has anyone tried looking at this from the writer's view here? Let's take the most hillarious sitcom ever created: Blackadder. This had four series, each with six episodes. And each series was a different story. Yet it still remains the most hillarious sitcom in the universe, and I think that's partly due to it being short. For one, to write funny stuff, the writer has to completely love what they're doing. and after writing about the same thing for six episodes, it get's a little boring. The writers know they can't write good stuff without even liking it, and so they decide to stop. Then they have a fresh new series to write about. Also, there's a limit to what can be written about with one series. Instead of dragging it on, they realise that there is nothing more to say, and so end the series. That is (partly) why Blackadder is the greatest sitcom in the world.
	__________________ "The best thing, is not to be born, but none of us here today were that lucky." "Aardvark: Medium sized insectivore with protruding nasal implement." "We will call you Large Jack. Because you are so little."

07-05-2004, 03:20 PM	#15
Bela Lugosi Don't be afraid. Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 30, 2004 Location: My House Posts: 216	I hate shows that go farther than 6 seasons. Some such as... Cheers (11) Gunsmoke (20) Friends (10) Frasier (11) Bonanza (14) The Beverly Hillbillies (9) Dallas (13) Dynasty (8) My Three Sons (12) All in the family (9) The Mary Tyler Moore Show (7) The Andy Griffith Show (8) Bewitched (8) The Carol Burnett Show (11) Petticoat junction (7)