Will you mourn the end of the fall-to-spring TV season?

aaa Thu, Feb 21, 2008 at 01:44 PM EST

ACK!! Summer is baseball season. It's hard enought trying to squeeze in shows in April and May!

josh Thu, Feb 21, 2008 at 01:35 PM EST

I'm really gonna miss the Fall TV Preview issues of EW and TV Guide. Sigh.

Emily Thu, Feb 21, 2008 at 10:57 AM EST

"the network will invite the sponsors to collaborate"? Yuck. Sounds like more bad television is on the way.

Danna Thu, Feb 21, 2008 at 09:58 AM EST

I hate the idea of the Sept-May schedule ending and I'm slightly confused by the new idea. Would there be less episodes? Why would networks do that to us? I love TV, love it, love it, love it. I want 22-24 episodes stretched over 9 months, so I can spend the summer watching reruns of other shows that I didn't have time for in the regular season. That's how I've always done it.

JenCar Thu, Feb 21, 2008 at 09:27 AM EST

I'm going to miss summers off too. I don't think I'll watch as much in the summer. That means I'll lose interest in serial shows. That means I'll watch a lot more TLC, HGTV, MTV instead of ABC, CBS and NBC.
Plus, there's always the excitement of having your favorite show come back in the fall.

Cassie Thu, Feb 21, 2008 at 08:49 AM EST

I don't know, as much as I love TV I kind of enjoy having my summer off. I go outside, I interact with others. It's a refreshing change.

R. D. Thu, Feb 21, 2008 at 01:18 AM EST

I've got TIVO anyway. I rarely watch anything 'live' except sports. I might have more than a few episodes stored before I watch then in a row ( Especially 2 part finales). My folks used to record the entire season of NYPD Blue on their VCR and then watch marathon sessions after the season finale. If it means more short seasons without reruns I'll be happy. I like the way HBO does its series, run the episodes straight through then replace it with something else until the series returns.

cimagato Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 09:41 PM EST

I know I'm cynical but as a teenager I realized the shows were there just to have people watch ads. This was when there four networks and a few UHF channels (remember them?). Network TV has got to come up with something to stop us all from leaving in greater numbers. Between other entertainment venues and DVRs, the old concepts of the shows being there to watch ads is disappearing. So if the old fall to spring season disappears, so what? As noted, it's been eroding anyway. Will they use this a chance to give us great programs all year around? No. But if it's part of an overall conspiracy to change network TV, then go for it.

jaime Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 07:44 PM EST

I dont like the idea of the advertisers getting involved, honeslty how many of them are going to want homosexuality in the shows. It would not be fair and i think the quality of the shows would also suffer b/c the writers may be restricted on the potential growth of the charecter. What if in the 1st season he is a straight man and by the end he finds out he is gay. They wouldnt be able to do that b/c of prior restrictions with the advertisers! I dont care how they are aired i have DVR and watch them on my own schedule, anyways!

Crystal Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 06:50 PM EST

I like the end of the 9-month schedule, although I don't watch much TV during the summer, which is partially why that system was set up in the first place.

I still DON'T like NBC's idea of not ordering pilots of any kind. That seems like a stupid move and it makes the potential of finding a good show less likely.

Also - what the heck ever happened to RERUNS?! Networks need to start airing reruns to gain new fans for lesser viewed shows (for shows like Life and Chuck, NBC!)

Snarf Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 06:48 PM EST

I don't mind an end to the traditional sep - may tv season and it's endless reruns and pre-emptiedness (is that even a word?) Anyway what I do mind is advertisers having a say in what gets written. Xenophobic self appointed watchdog group The Family Television Council will be all over this like a fat kid on a smartie. Trust.

Laura Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 06:45 PM EST

I actually prefer the Sept-May season. The summer is typically filled with all sorts of activities that prevent a lot of people from watching TV. I get frustrated when I can't watch my shows live because I have other obligations.

Oh, and I loved Kidnapped. Still haven't seen the final episodes, because if I remember properly, they didn't air them. Grr.

Luis PJ Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 06:27 PM EST

Great, where going to have a semester worth of fall and spring hits. I don't want my shows getting the football treatment (al la Sunday night football)...the reason people like it is because it fit with out attention-span which shrinking less and less.

Only reason there doing it is because NBC is gone down the hill...if they had more then one hit...they woudn't be doing this

B Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 06:16 PM EST

I love the idea of getting rid of the Sept-May season. I absolutely hate re-runs and would love to watch the season all the way through like I do with shows on cable.
However, I don't really love the advertisers getting more involved with the series. It seems wrong somehow.

Kristen Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 06:12 PM EST

I'd miss the Sept-May viewing season. Right now, from June-August, I hardly watch any network TV at all, choosing instead to hang out with friends, catching up on my reading, or all of those DVDs I haven't watched. I also REALLY love the big Fall TV previews. And yes I realize that is weird. If the nets were to change thier seasons, I'd watch way less TV.

DanOregon Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 05:54 PM EST

Sounds like a plan by Zucker to buy more time to drive NBC further into the ground. When you can't compete with the other networks, you change the playing field. I can't believe people are buying this desperation play. NBC has had good shows, they just have done a crappy job marketing them. Or maybe people are now accustomed to Nothing But Crap.

FNL LOVER Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 05:32 PM EST

Oh... the reason I don't mind poroduct placement?

I hate when someone is drinking "bud Zap Cola". Have Pepsi pay for the starts to drink theirn product during the scene.

I always fast forward through commercials anyway, so that is the only way I would see ads anyway.

Product placement does not have to interrupt the show. It can be weaved into the show without damaging integrity

FNL LOVER Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 05:29 PM EST

I think this is a good idea, just for the fact that it may help little watched shows like Friday Night Lights. They do some product placements that don't seem like product placements, and it may help with counter programming issues.

For example, FNL airs on Friday nights, when the people who watch the show are at ACTUAL football games. But, there is no where else to put it, because of the fall- spring TV season.

If they air it spring and summer, they would have more viewers, and could put it in a slot previous occupied by a fall winter TV series... giving it some help.

Shows may be less "edgy" but it may help shows with a limited niche.

Nick'd Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 05:20 PM EST

With all of the breaks and reruns that shows have adopted over the years it seems like we are already unofficialy in this system. I am supportive of it and think it will have little effect on the creativity and viewership of new and returning shows. But, that's just me.

Raven_Moon Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 05:19 PM EST

Oh, and I loved "Kidnapped."

Raven_Moon Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 05:18 PM EST

I can't say that I care about the traditional September-May TV season, but what does bother me is the idea of advertisers getting more involved with the shows. More product placement? That annoys me, but the statement that bothers me the most, "fewer shows with dark or controversial elements that scare advertisers." Uck.

Jennifer Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 05:18 PM EST

What's worse, that a show like Kidnapped never gets to air at all, or what happens now? How many episodes of it aired before it got pulled? It's not like the networks take any real risks as it is. There have been shows on the air that are cancelled before I even get a chance to watch an episode. Edgier, darker shows are going to continue to flourish on cable channels because networks clearly don't want to invest in them. There's no point mourning a network system that is creatively independent from advertisers - at least, there is an alternative.

Shawn Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 05:15 PM EST

The demise of the Fall-Spring season, already underway for many years, has personally resulted in a decrease of my time spent watching TV. For those raising families (which is many of us) the fall is a huge transition period each year. It is the ideal time to pick up and get emotionally involved in a new (or continuing) series.

Series that don't start until January (24 say), or series that begin in the fall and end for the season in December (ie Heroes this year), have a markedly reduced chance of my carving time out to watch them. And that is exactly what I need to do with a busy life -- set aside the time. My schedule is in transition in the fall, and is pretty much set in stone during winter and spring. It is pretty foolish to expect me to rearrange my time in January to adopt a new show.

Just my 2 cents.

-Shawn

MrKitty Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 05:12 PM EST

I say amen to the end of the traditional season premiers in the fall. As you write, cable has made it possible to watch new material all year long. 'Bout time the networks got some sense.
As for me, it will make me more liable to watch NBC than reruns on CBS and ABC...of course, will watch the 10th Doctor Who reruns on SciFi ANYTIME.

annie Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 05:02 PM EST

While it will be neat to have new shows all year round (I always thought it weird there were only reruns during the summer when kids are out of school), I don't like the idea of advertiser involvement. Product placement really bothers me, and if this new system means riskier shows stand a less likely chance of getting picked up, that's something for all of us to lament.

Amy Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 05:00 PM EST

I would think artists would hate having commercial advertisers involved in the creation of their shows. I know I don't like the idea.

I do like the end of the 9 month season. I'd rather have three mini-seasons. I think that would encourage networks to take more risks, and if shows we're only going to be on for 10-12 weeks before being replaced with an entirely new slate, I think networks would be less inclined to pull the plug after 4 or fewer episodes, which would give viewers time to discover new shows.

Amy Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 05:00 PM EST

I would think artists would hate having commercial advertisers involved in the creation of their shows. I know I don't like the idea.

I do like the end of the 9 month season. I'd rather have three mini-seasons. I think that would encourage networks to take more risks, and if shows we're only going to be on for 10-12 weeks before being replaced with an entirely new slate, I think networks would be less inclined to pull the plug after 4 or fewer episodes, which would give viewers time to discover new shows.

Rahul Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 04:56 PM EST

One more huge summer premiere was 'Survivor' back in 2000.
To answer the question, I'm not upset that the traditional TV season may be on its way out. Shows on cable run during the summer with success. Advertisers still need to sell their products during the summer months, so why not put shows on the air during that time?