60's/70's scheduling vs Today - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

dfdureiko · 08-06-2014, 01:18 PM

If I remember from the 60's into perhaps the early 80's? Series had 33-35 episodes per season, many more than we have now, but the special Thanksgiving or Christmas episides actually ran the week of the holiday! and we looked forward to them. Now it seems all 1st run stops in very early november, not to restart till Jan....but even during the season, you might have 1st run on for 3 weeks in a row then all of a sudden, 2 weeks of re-runs......beyond inconsistant! anyone have any idea why???

Regulus · 08-06-2014, 01:30 PM

Corporate Greed, pure and simple.

LUNCH · 08-06-2014, 01:53 PM

It's a little like asking why there's about 4 times the amount of advertising on commercial TV channels now vs. the 1970s(or even the 1980s) and before.Or why there's hundreds of channels,the vast majority being worthless.As mentioned, it really comes down to the fact that the ONLY thing most TV channels these days care about is money.

dfdureiko · 08-06-2014, 02:53 PM

But how would chopping up the season into a mess make more money? OH WAIT, what your saying is.......there are simply too few 1st run to put on, so they have lot's more airtime for reruns, and pay for fewer episodes! ?
Yeah, and I forget how different it was having 4 networks ONLY....vs what we have now, along with Netflix AppleTV and Roku......

Mace Dolex · 08-06-2014, 03:58 PM

From what I've understood from reading TV Guide back when it was informative is that a Fall TV season would last 30 weeks usually staring mid-September to mid-May (give or take a couple of weeks here and there), a regular TV series would normally have 22-24 episodes a season.

November, February, and May were called "sweeps" month in which a fresh batch of new episodes would air among the big 4 networks and then the ratings would be tallied at seasons end to see which of the 4 came out on top.

Keep in mind this was true for shows I guess during the 70's-90's, nowadays with a million channels and a million ways of watching TV I don't know how it works these days.

Cable shows seem to run on 10 episodes a season and they're fine with that but I don't know how you would consider just 10 episodes a proper season.

Frenky · 08-06-2014, 06:06 PM

Up until mid 90s TV season would last 30 weeks, afterwards it was expanded to 35 weeks.

ABC first started showing original episodes during May sweeps which were ignored by NBC and CBS.

I've noticed that All in the Family aired season finales in mid March, meaning no repeats, but today with 200 channels I don't know would that work.

quincywagstaff · 08-06-2014, 06:59 PM

Keep in mind that until the late 70's, the three networks had the TV audience all for themselves. If a show didn't pull a 30 share, it was in danger of cancellation. Back in those days, the networks were rolling in money. With the onset of cable TV and now with hundreds of channels available to most viewers, network shows are struggling to even get a 10 share. Even Big Bang Theory on it's best nights has never gotten more than a 16 share. The only way for networks to make money today is to increase the commercial minutes per hour and reduce the number of episodes ordered for each season. And even with that, their profit margins are only a fraction of what they were decades ago. For the viewer though, it means more commercials and fewer original episodes and it will likely only get worse.

mets82 · 08-07-2014, 02:44 PM

I also think that shows recycle the same plot lines over and over again. It works most of the time but sometimes it doesnt. Also, there isnt a whole lot of thought process in scheduling. I mean all you really have is marathons of shows as opposed to yesteryear where the only time you had a marathon was on a holiday.

torcan · 08-18-2014, 01:59 PM

I love looking at old TVGuides and seeing how seasons ran from mid-September to early June with no reruns at all. This was in the mid-60s. It was around 1974 or so that repeats starting airing during Christmas week. By then, most shows did only 22-24 episodes per year.

The first network to really take advantage of the May sweeps was ABC in 1978. I remember reading TVGuide at that time and being surprised at all the first-run shows they had on their schedule after weeks of repeats. The following year, NBC and CBS started saving episodes for that sweeps period as well, and the rest...is history!

Regulus · 08-18-2014, 05:24 PM

Up until the mid '90s the Networks would spare episodes with well-known "Guest Stars to premier during the "Sweeps", this was also the time you'd see Blockbuster Movies and some Mini-Series tossed in for a good measure.

Today most of your regular TV episodes are premiered only during the "Sweeps" in February, May and November. Non-sweeps months are reserved for "reality" shows and lots of repeats.

Mace Dolex · 08-19-2014, 02:08 AM

The thing I hate most is the networks no longer showing repeats of an episode you might have missed but instead they stream it on their website, but what average the average Joe who hasn't embraced the internet and is not into watching Netfilx of Hulu? Their best bet is to wait for the DVD box set.

For example I hate having to wait almost half a year for new episodes of Hannibal and I've already forgotten where it left off.

08-06-2014, 01:18 PM	#1
dfdureiko Member Forum Cub Join Date: Aug 06, 2014 Posts: 2	60's/70's scheduling vs Today If I remember from the 60's into perhaps the early 80's? Series had 33-35 episodes per season, many more than we have now, but the special Thanksgiving or Christmas episides actually ran the week of the holiday! and we looked forward to them. Now it seems all 1st run stops in very early november, not to restart till Jan....but even during the season, you might have 1st run on for 3 weeks in a row then all of a sudden, 2 weeks of re-runs......beyond inconsistant! anyone have any idea why???

08-06-2014, 01:30 PM	#2
Regulus Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 07, 2011 Location: Port Orange, Florida Avatar - Poiuyt Posts: 3,374	Corporate Greed, pure and simple.
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08-06-2014, 01:53 PM	#3
LUNCH Member Senior Member Join Date: Oct 23, 2010 Location: New York State Posts: 1,304	It's a little like asking why there's about 4 times the amount of advertising on commercial TV channels now vs. the 1970s(or even the 1980s) and before.Or why there's hundreds of channels,the vast majority being worthless.As mentioned, it really comes down to the fact that the ONLY thing most TV channels these days care about is money.
	Last edited by LUNCH; 08-06-2014 at 02:42 PM.

08-07-2014, 02:44 PM	#8
mets82 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Mar 14, 2011 Location: Connecticut Posts: 5,058	I also think that shows recycle the same plot lines over and over again. It works most of the time but sometimes it doesnt. Also, there isnt a whole lot of thought process in scheduling. I mean all you really have is marathons of shows as opposed to yesteryear where the only time you had a marathon was on a holiday.
	__________________ http://www.superbowlgreatness.blogspot.com/ Please check out my blog. I vent on all things. TV, sports etc. you name it. Its also a work in progress. Check out and see what you think.

08-06-2014, 02:53 PM	#4
dfdureiko Member Forum Cub Join Date: Aug 06, 2014 Posts: 2	But how would chopping up the season into a mess make more money? OH WAIT, what your saying is.......there are simply too few 1st run to put on, so they have lot's more airtime for reruns, and pay for fewer episodes! ? Yeah, and I forget how different it was having 4 networks ONLY....vs what we have now, along with Netflix AppleTV and Roku......

08-06-2014, 03:58 PM	#5
Mace Dolex Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 12, 2013 Posts: 2,670	From what I've understood from reading TV Guide back when it was informative is that a Fall TV season would last 30 weeks usually staring mid-September to mid-May (give or take a couple of weeks here and there), a regular TV series would normally have 22-24 episodes a season. November, February, and May were called "sweeps" month in which a fresh batch of new episodes would air among the big 4 networks and then the ratings would be tallied at seasons end to see which of the 4 came out on top. Keep in mind this was true for shows I guess during the 70's-90's, nowadays with a million channels and a million ways of watching TV I don't know how it works these days. Cable shows seem to run on 10 episodes a season and they're fine with that but I don't know how you would consider just 10 episodes a proper season.

08-06-2014, 06:06 PM	#6
Frenky Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Dec 28, 2013 Posts: 146	Up until mid 90s TV season would last 30 weeks, afterwards it was expanded to 35 weeks. ABC first started showing original episodes during May sweeps which were ignored by NBC and CBS. I've noticed that All in the Family aired season finales in mid March, meaning no repeats, but today with 200 channels I don't know would that work.

08-06-2014, 06:59 PM	#7
quincywagstaff Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 15, 2009 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 191	Keep in mind that until the late 70's, the three networks had the TV audience all for themselves. If a show didn't pull a 30 share, it was in danger of cancellation. Back in those days, the networks were rolling in money. With the onset of cable TV and now with hundreds of channels available to most viewers, network shows are struggling to even get a 10 share. Even Big Bang Theory on it's best nights has never gotten more than a 16 share. The only way for networks to make money today is to increase the commercial minutes per hour and reduce the number of episodes ordered for each season. And even with that, their profit margins are only a fraction of what they were decades ago. For the viewer though, it means more commercials and fewer original episodes and it will likely only get worse.

08-18-2014, 01:59 PM	#9
torcan Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 04, 2009 Location: Toronto Posts: 154	I love looking at old TVGuides and seeing how seasons ran from mid-September to early June with no reruns at all. This was in the mid-60s. It was around 1974 or so that repeats starting airing during Christmas week. By then, most shows did only 22-24 episodes per year. The first network to really take advantage of the May sweeps was ABC in 1978. I remember reading TVGuide at that time and being surprised at all the first-run shows they had on their schedule after weeks of repeats. The following year, NBC and CBS started saving episodes for that sweeps period as well, and the rest...is history!

08-18-2014, 05:24 PM	#10
Regulus Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 07, 2011 Location: Port Orange, Florida Avatar - Poiuyt Posts: 3,374	Up until the mid '90s the Networks would spare episodes with well-known "Guest Stars to premier during the "Sweeps", this was also the time you'd see Blockbuster Movies and some Mini-Series tossed in for a good measure. Today most of your regular TV episodes are premiered only during the "Sweeps" in February, May and November. Non-sweeps months are reserved for "reality" shows and lots of repeats.

08-19-2014, 02:08 AM	#11
Mace Dolex Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 12, 2013 Posts: 2,670	The thing I hate most is the networks no longer showing repeats of an episode you might have missed but instead they stream it on their website, but what average the average Joe who hasn't embraced the internet and is not into watching Netfilx of Hulu? Their best bet is to wait for the DVD box set. For example I hate having to wait almost half a year for new episodes of Hannibal and I've already forgotten where it left off.