Why are so few British episodes made?? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

jjjj · 11-29-2002, 08:13 PM

G'day. I'm a relatively new reader of this board. I've always wondered why so few British comedy episodes are made (only 6 or so episodes each year compared with 25-35 epsiodes each year over in the States). Can you clarify? Also, I read on this board that the lady who portrays Hyacinth Bucket passed away a year ago--is this true? I'll be quite sad if it's true--"Keeping Up Appearances" is so funnnnnnny!! Thanks.

egregiousgirl · 11-30-2002, 03:58 AM

I think the British system just works entirely different than the American one. In the States, new shows start in the fall, a full season is usually 22 episodes and then the show is renewed on a year-to-year basis. In Britain, they usually only make six shows at a time and they're renewed on a much more flexible basis. So the downside is that a lot fewer episodes are made, but the quality of each episode is much higher. But now some American shows like "The Sopranos" or "The Shield" are picking up on the British system. They make fewer episodes (13 or so), but the overall quality of the shows are very high.

But I'm just a Yankee, so what do I really know about it?

japfles · 11-30-2002, 05:55 AM

There's also another factor - money.
The budgets for most shows are a fraction of those in the US.

jjjj · 11-30-2002, 05:55 AM

Okay, but if only 6 episodes are made of each television series, how do the British have enough shows to fill all the time slots? Do they have a LOT of repeats all the time, do they only broadcast television shows for just a few hours each day (and then go straight to the test pattern), or.....?

japfles · 11-30-2002, 05:59 AM

Yes, we have a hell of a lot of repeats!

Too damned many!
No Test Card anymore...most channels broadcast 24/7.

And on the subject of Hyacinth....the excellent Patricia Routledge is, as far as I know, alive and well.

RainMan · 12-02-2002, 01:41 AM

JMO I think that they have to air shows WITHOUT commercial breaks so I guess that extra ten minutes cuts the number of episodes:

6 episodes aired fully 30 minutes on the BBC

30 = 10
30 = 20 > 3 Episodes could equal four if they had commercial breaks.
30 = 30

JethroSimpson · 12-02-2002, 12:37 PM

No BBC networks have any commercials, althouh they are now full of BBC advertising their own programmes.

And JJJJ, there are a lot more British shows than you would think other than comedies to run for the time. The test card went a long time ago and all the main stations operate 24/7.

Tourmaline · 12-23-2002, 04:27 PM

There are other factors - usually all episodes of a sitcom will be written by the same person (or same 2 persons, but rarely more than that). It's very unusual for a series to involve large numbers of writers contributing episodes.

webuster · 12-27-2002, 05:49 PM

There isn't as big a tv audience in the UK, and no real set schedule for tv timeslots. There are channels BBC1,BBC 2, ITV, CHANNEL 4 AND CHANNEL 5 IN ENGLAND, in Ireland there are all those Channels plus TV3, RTE1 and Network 2. Ireland has an even less audience, there isn't a big tv demand, and when so many shows are made there are only a few made to suit timeslots. There are few continuous shows, and most of the times there's the odd movie, documentary, political show or something else on.

TMC · 01-29-2015, 07:46 PM

Why do British shows have such short seasons?

11-29-2002, 08:13 PM	#1
jjjj Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Nov 26, 2002 Posts: 10	Why are so few British episodes made?? G'day. I'm a relatively new reader of this board. I've always wondered why so few British comedy episodes are made (only 6 or so episodes each year compared with 25-35 epsiodes each year over in the States). Can you clarify? Also, I read on this board that the lady who portrays Hyacinth Bucket passed away a year ago--is this true? I'll be quite sad if it's true--"Keeping Up Appearances" is so funnnnnnny!! Thanks.

12-02-2002, 12:37 PM	#7
JethroSimpson Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 01, 2001 Location: England,UK Posts: 1,080	No BBC networks have any commercials, althouh they are now full of BBC advertising their own programmes. And JJJJ, there are a lot more British shows than you would think other than comedies to run for the time. The test card went a long time ago and all the main stations operate 24/7.
	__________________ My Brand New Diff'rent Strokes site is now at- http://chrisdoyle0.tripod.com/ ________________ _______________ Chris D.

12-27-2002, 05:49 PM	#9
webuster Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 26, 2002 Posts: 2,150	Not as many channels. There isn't as big a tv audience in the UK, and no real set schedule for tv timeslots. There are channels BBC1,BBC 2, ITV, CHANNEL 4 AND CHANNEL 5 IN ENGLAND, in Ireland there are all those Channels plus TV3, RTE1 and Network 2. Ireland has an even less audience, there isn't a big tv demand, and when so many shows are made there are only a few made to suit timeslots. There are few continuous shows, and most of the times there's the odd movie, documentary, political show or something else on.

11-30-2002, 03:58 AM	#2
egregiousgirl Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Nov 29, 2002 Location: Oregon Posts: 84	I think the British system just works entirely different than the American one. In the States, new shows start in the fall, a full season is usually 22 episodes and then the show is renewed on a year-to-year basis. In Britain, they usually only make six shows at a time and they're renewed on a much more flexible basis. So the downside is that a lot fewer episodes are made, but the quality of each episode is much higher. But now some American shows like "The Sopranos" or "The Shield" are picking up on the British system. They make fewer episodes (13 or so), but the overall quality of the shows are very high. But I'm just a Yankee, so what do I really know about it?

11-30-2002, 05:55 AM	#3
japfles The Japster Frequent Poster Join Date: May 10, 2001 Location: Durham, UK Posts: 145	There's also another factor - money. The budgets for most shows are a fraction of those in the US.

11-30-2002, 05:59 AM	#5
japfles The Japster Frequent Poster Join Date: May 10, 2001 Location: Durham, UK Posts: 145	Yes, we have a hell of a lot of repeats! Too damned many! No Test Card anymore...most channels broadcast 24/7. And on the subject of Hyacinth....the excellent Patricia Routledge is, as far as I know, alive and well.

12-02-2002, 01:41 AM	#6
RainMan Member Senior Member Join Date: Feb 09, 2002 Location: Churdan, Iowa USA (Wish it was the UK so I could go to Holmfirth, West Yorkshire to see the cast of Last of the Summer Wine!) Posts: 1,175	JMO I think that they have to air shows WITHOUT commercial breaks so I guess that extra ten minutes cuts the number of episodes: 6 episodes aired fully 30 minutes on the BBC 30 = 10 30 = 20 > 3 Episodes could equal four if they had commercial breaks. 30 = 30

12-23-2002, 04:27 PM	#8
Tourmaline Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Mar 10, 2002 Location: West Midlands, UK Posts: 71	There are other factors - usually all episodes of a sitcom will be written by the same person (or same 2 persons, but rarely more than that). It's very unusual for a series to involve large numbers of writers contributing episodes.

01-29-2015, 07:46 PM	#10
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 125,960	Why do British shows have such short seasons?