15 Minute Episodes! - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

icecream · 08-11-2020, 12:59 AM

I was surprised to see a few 15 minute episodes that were combined together for one half hour in episodes 4 and 5. Looking at the episode guide there is one more of those, then they are dropped. On the other extreme, season 2 has a 5 part episode.

TMC · 08-23-2020, 01:30 AM

I know that the 15 minute episodes were done because NBC at the time had the broadcasting rights to the American Football Conference in the National Football League. NFL games commonly overrun past 7 o'clock on the East Coast. This would naturally cut into Punky Brewster's Sunday evening time slot. So instead of preempting Punky Brewster outright or joining the show in progress, NBC produced 15 minute episodes, so not to disappoint the show's young demographic, who weren't interested in football.

08-11-2020, 12:59 AM	#1
icecream Cat-tastic and Whiskerlicious Forum Celebrity Join Date: Sep 01, 2006 Location: The Catacombs Posts: 20,615	15 Minute Episodes! I was surprised to see a few 15 minute episodes that were combined together for one half hour in episodes 4 and 5. Looking at the episode guide there is one more of those, then they are dropped. On the other extreme, season 2 has a 5 part episode.
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08-23-2020, 01:30 AM	#2
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,545	I know that the 15 minute episodes were done because NBC at the time had the broadcasting rights to the American Football Conference in the National Football League. NFL games commonly overrun past 7 o'clock on the East Coast. This would naturally cut into Punky Brewster's Sunday evening time slot. So instead of preempting Punky Brewster outright or joining the show in progress, NBC produced 15 minute episodes, so not to disappoint the show's young demographic, who weren't interested in football.