what the hell is this stuff?

[master_shake_]

you’re still keeping up with The Big Bang Theory, which is currently midway through its ninth season on CBS, then you probably noticed something different about the most recent episode, “The Sales Call Sublimation.” As Reddit user specialkkurtis pointed out on the r/television forum, the episode was only 18 minutes and 34 seconds in length. Being that TBBT sits in a coveted half-hour slot on Thursday nights, this means that viewers were treated to a whopping 11 minutes and 26 seconds of commercials.

http://uproxx.com/tv/the-big-bang-theory-18-minutes/

i don't even watch the big bang...

but even i think this is excessive.

 

[Ns1]

gotta pay the bills somehow

 

[JSt0rm]

well if they go under 22 minutes they must request a variance from the network. Thats extremely low but I wouldnt worry unless its always. There could have been a production issue or something that made them come in under.

 

[Crono]

To be fair, in that instance the commercials are probably better written and more humorous than the show...

 

[Imp]

$20 is $20...

 

[ControlD]

I think you get about that much actual show time from The Walking Dead these days and it's an hour show.

 

[Red Squirrel]

PVRs FTW. I can't stand watching stuff live anymore, I always start watching it when there's like 20 minutes left of the snow, I end up catching up and finishing it at the same time it was going to finish because of all the commercials. Was watching PVRed episodes of Mythbusters, like 20 minutes of actual show and 40 minutes of commercials, ridiculous. I understand TV networks have to pay the bills but that's just excessive.

 

[ControlD]

PVRs FTW. I can't stand watching stuff live anymore, I always start watching it when there's like 20 minutes left of the snow, I end up catching up and finishing it at the same time it was going to finish because of all the commercials. Was watching PVRed episodes of Mythbusters, like 20 minutes of actual show and 40 minutes of commercials, ridiculous. I understand TV networks have to pay the bills but that's just excessive.

Agreed. And my Tivo just got an update that added an honest to god commercial skip function.

 

[Skeeedunt]

If it weren't for Adblock this never would have happened.

 

[BrokenVisage]

Disgusting, but this is what DVRs are for.

 

[Crono]

Product placement ("promotional consideration") is getting bad, too. I don't mind it when it's done in a clever or non-obvious way, but often it's for something like a car where a character is overly interested in the infotainment system.

Also weird is the times when a product or industry gets mentioned in a favorable way and it's hard to tell if it was done because the writers were told to put it in or whether they just happened to pick up on a trend.

For instance: what the hell was with that sorghum reference on The Walking Dead?

 

[destrekor]

For instance: what the hell was with that sorghum reference on The Walking Dead?

Who knows, that might not have been any kind of true product reference. And I don't think there's much of a sorghum lobby.

But it definitely worked in terms of plot. Who the hell thinks of sorghum? I don't think I've ever had sorghum in my life, or perhaps it was in some multi-grain granola mix or something, but I've never sought it out that's for sure.

Since nobody thinks about it - heck, it might just be there!

 

[Red Squirrel]

What's funny about product placement is that companies will PAY a show to use their product, but if a show was to include their logo willingly because it just happens to be part of a prop or scenery, then they can get sued for trademark infringement lol. I always laugh when I see car logos blurred on TV shows because it's pretty obvious what kind of car it is, but they probably have to do it to avoid a lawsuit.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

well if they go under 22 minutes they must request a variance from the network. Thats extremely low but I wouldnt worry unless its always. There could have been a production issue or something that made them come in under.

Wow, a variance? How do you think that conversation goes?

BBT Producers: We're lazy and want to make our show 18 minutes instead of 22 minutes. The upside is that you can sell 4 minutes more commercials. That's $2.5 million extra per week, 24 weeks, that works out to $50 million per season.

Network: Variance granted. Can we blow you in gratitude?

 

[destrekor]

I think you get about that much actual show time from The Walking Dead these days and it's an hour show.

Nah, Walking Dead has been rather consistent - might have a ton of breaks, but really but quite a few are short. Standard runtime for an hour-long broadcast is about 42 minutes, and I'm pretty sure they've been right around that mark more often than not.

 

[Ns1]

Product placement ("promotional consideration") is getting bad, too. I don't mind it when it's done in a clever or non-obvious way, but often it's for something like a car where a character is overly interested in the infotainment system.

Also weird is the times when a product or industry gets mentioned in a favorable way and it's hard to tell if it was done because the writers were told to put it in or whether they just happened to pick up on a trend.

For instance: what the hell was with that sorghum reference on The Walking Dead?

Well with everyone using their DVR's to skip through commercials gotta find other ways to pay the bills.

 

[KeithTalent]

To be fair, in that instance the commercials are probably better written and more humorous than the show...

This. :thumbsup:

KT

 

[TheSlamma]

Yep, up until 1990 commercials didn't break more than 20% of the show time. Now the average is 30% and it just gets worse.

The other problem is it's the same set of commercials every break

 

[Carson Dyle]

Why I don't feel the least bit guilty about torrenting TV shows.

 

[Jeff7]

What's funny about product placement is that companies will PAY a show to use their product, but if a show was to include their logo willingly because it just happens to be part of a prop or scenery, then they can get sued for trademark infringement lol. I always laugh when I see car logos blurred on TV shows because it's pretty obvious what kind of car it is, but they probably have to do it to avoid a lawsuit.

It's probably a control issue.

If a lovable character gets bludgeoned unconscious with a Dewalt DW511 hammer drill, and then sustains fatal injury when its durable 7.8 amp motor powers a Dewalt Rock Carbide® masonry bit through their skull, precisely hitting critical parts of their brain due to the Rock Carbide tip's reduced bit walking, Dewalt might have some grievances with that portrayal.

Or maybe it's just sitting on a shelf, and the main character, a handyman working on something in his garage, selects a Bosch hammer drill resting nearby simply because the Dewalt's battery was low, Dewalt's lawyers could still say something, though the letter would likely be worded a little bit less strongly.

Yep, up until 1990 commercials didn't break more than 20% of the show time. Now the average is 30% and it just gets worse.

The other problem is it's the same set of commercials every break

Marketing by Stockholm syndrome.

Wow, a variance? How do you think that conversation goes?

BBT Producers: We're lazy and want to make our show 18 minutes instead of 22 minutes. The upside is that you can sell 4 minutes more commercials. That's $2.5 million extra per week, 24 weeks, that works out to $50 million per season.

Network: Variance granted. Can we blow you in gratitude?

Does BBT have a theme/intro sequence too?
You can also pad out the runtime by 1) having an intro, and 2) lengthening it in later seasons.

 

[JSt0rm]

Wow, a variance? How do you think that conversation goes?

BBT Producers: We're lazy and want to make our show 18 minutes instead of 22 minutes. The upside is that you can sell 4 minutes more commercials. That's $2.5 million extra per week, 24 weeks, that works out to $50 million per season.

Network: Variance granted. Can we blow you in gratitude?

Well considering the network ordered and paid for a 22 minute show they usually aren't too happy about short episodes. 44 minutes for 1 hour and 22 minutes for half is what they should be unless it's a cable show. The network doesn't want people bitching about the shows running short.

 

[A Casual Fitz]

18 minutes too long

 

[master_shake_]

1 - The Matrimonial Momentum - 20:31
2 - The Separation Oscillation - 19:20
3 - The Bachelor Party Corrosion - 19:38
4 - The 2003 Approximation - 18:51
5 - The Perspiration Implementation - 18:45
6 - The Helium Insufficiency - 19:16
7 - The Spock Resonance - 18:45
8 - The Mystery Date Observation - 19:17
9 - The Platonic Permutation - 21:09
10 - The Earworm Reverberation - 21:30
11 - The Opening Night Excitation - 21:44
12 - The Sales Call Sublimation - 18:38

https://www.reddit.com/r/television/comments/401dre/last_nights_the_big_bang_theory_was_only_18/

found this on reddit.

damn.

 

[mrjminer]

Yea, TV shows have been hijacked by commercials big-time. The worst part is that they also do it on their online versions now. Definitely part of the reason I watch almost everything on Netflix / Prime now

 

[Charmonium]

I don't really care about commercials. I've gotten so good at fast forwarding through them it's almost a sport for me now to see how fast I can go and still not have to backtrack much on the other side. I've gotten to the point where I can absolutely nail exactly when the show resumes about 30-40% of the time.

But it's difficult because the breaks aren't a consistent length and an hour show will have at least 6 breaks, in some cases 7. That's fine too since I'm used to it. What screws me up is those 60-90 second breaks.