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Post 06 Sep 2011, 5:51 am

You sure you don't have this backwards. I can't think of one British show that is more then 6-8 episodes a series. On the other hand almost all American shows have minimum of 12 episodes a season, though they may not always have all 12 episodes shown

Used to be exactly as you describe in the 60-90s. .. The BBC generally now is more likely to commit to a full season,. whatever length. although usually shorter in England, (I don't really know about the private Channels in England) In the US, where ratings are more important, it might be an 8 week commitment from the network, then reupped if ratings deliver the first three weeks.
Generally, the cable networks, that operate more like the BBC where subscriber revenue (license revenue for the BBC ) is more important than advertiser revenue, allow for more patience whih results in longer term commitments. Full seasons. Dexter, for instance is always bought as a full season... (a personal favorite, especially the last season with Julia Stiles) . But many dramas disappear in the US after 8 to 10 episodes.

One good thing about knowing a complete story arc for some series is the quality of the writing. Remember how LOST wandered for a while as the network decided to commit to a longer term? Imagine having to write a story where you have only a vague idea about how much you need to fit in between the beginning and end? Thats why procedurals like L&O tend to maintain writing quality. Each story is reasonbably self contained and character development inches along as the seasons progress without any pressing need to advance a character for the sake of the story.

It will be interesting to see how Prime Suspect translates to the US. If Maria Bella (sp?) can translate Hellen Mirren into an American setting.
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Post 06 Sep 2011, 7:04 am

rickyp wrote:In the US, where ratings are more important, it might be an 8 week commitment from the network, then reupped if ratings deliver the first three weeks.


Again, I can't think of a single American show that does not have at least 12 episodes in the can before it shows on the air. Granted, many may not show beyond episode 8. Defying Gravity is an example of that. It aired 8 episodes before being cancelled but had 12 in the can.

Further, I can't think of one British show that I have looked at that had more then 8 episodes a series.
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Post 06 Sep 2011, 7:24 am

Yeah, British shows tend to be 6 episodes long with the exception of Doctor Who. But the six episode ones tend to be commissioned by E4 as opposed to the BBC, so maybe that is why?
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Post 06 Sep 2011, 11:47 am

Diemo wrote:Yeah, British shows tend to be 6 episodes long with the exception of Doctor Who. But the six episode ones tend to be commissioned by E4 as opposed to the BBC, so maybe that is why?
No, the BBC does commission a lot of 6/7-episode series, often via BBC3 rather than BBC1 nowadays for the first one (comedy).

The traditional UK means of scheduling is to split the year into 4 parts (13 weeks each), and then divide them into two 6 or 7 week runs. Some weeks are 'special' like Christmas or used for one-offs in some time slots, so there are more than four 6-week runs in a year.

In recent years that has changed quite a bit, but the tradition remains, particularly for comedy series (Outnumbered, Ideal, Look Around You, Him & Her are all 6-part per series comedies that the BBC commissioned).

Often the first series will be short, 6-8 episodes. That way if it's a flop it's not so bad, and if it is a success a new series can be commissioned. Then you end up with longer runs. Waking the Dead (kind of our version of Cold Case) is an example. Started off as a 2-part special. Then an 8-part series, with the last few being about 12 long. Waterloo Road (a school-based drama) is another: first series was 8 parts, the last few have been about 20. Both are BBC.
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Post 06 Sep 2011, 5:30 pm

Has anyone watched The Thick of It?

I found myself not liking the show yet strangely wanting to see what happened next.

Of course, the show is not nearly as refined as Yes Minister (which I particularly enjoy watching) but The Thick of It is, I found, simultaneously repulsive and fascinating.

Lately (that is, over the last day or so) I’ve started watching To the Manor Born again. Another serial which I quite like.


danivon wrote:Poppins...will have you talking like Bart Simpson's @#$!... Lower class would be a better fit.


"It’s a jolly holiday with you, Bert. Gentlemen like you are few. Though you’re just a diamond in the rough, Bert, underneath your blood is blue."
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Post 07 Sep 2011, 4:06 pm

The Thick of It, and the film spin off - In the Loop are both fantastic, in my opinion.

where the Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister guys picked up on the peculiar arrogance and overcomplexity of high ranking civil servants of the old style and the desperate thrashings of incompetent politicians around them, this recent pretender captures the deviousness and oversimplicity of more recent 'Special Advisers' and the desperate thrashings of incompetent politicians around them.
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Post 07 Sep 2011, 7:55 pm

You want to know something funny. Apparently there is going to be a U.S. version of The Thick of It next year called Veep. It is being done by the same guy who did it in the U.K.
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Post 08 Sep 2011, 6:09 am

I was visiting my Mother over the long weekend and she was talking about some British shows she likes, I told her about Hulu and I think I now have her tied to her couch for several weeks straight?
She was watching a very interesting show called Doc Martin, it's a clever show that mixes just the right amount of humor into it without being silly, very well done, I think I will try to catch up on it myself!
(I told her to also check out Father Ted of course, it's also on Hulu and my Mom being Irish Catholic, it should be well received as well)
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Post 14 Jul 2012, 7:47 am

So I have been watching Luther on Netflix. I have 3 episodes of Series 2 left. Any word on a Series 3 yet? Is this show particularly popular over there?
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Post 14 Jul 2012, 8:24 am

It was popular in our house :yes:

:mad: Not seen anything about a third series.
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Post 14 Jul 2012, 10:56 am

I just looked it up on Wikipedia and it says a third series has been decided on but no start date yet.

And I loved Alice Morgan.
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Post 15 Jul 2012, 1:35 am

Cool. Not sure 'love' is what Alice Morgan evokes. She makes Dexter look like a cuddly teddy bear.
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Post 15 Jul 2012, 8:10 am

True on that about Alice Morgan. I think the difference between them, and the reason I can like Alice and dispise Dexter, is that Alice is a nominal bad guy. There is absolutely no attempt to make her the hero like they do with Dexter.

That is what I like about her. She is such a well written bad guy and Ruth Wilson does an awesome job portraying her.
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Post 23 Aug 2012, 7:03 am

Diemo wrote:
well, one of the main reasons is language difference.


I find that a bit hard to believe. I know that there are a few words that are pronounced differently (or, in the case of the misfits, all words).


I just started watching Misfits as it is finally available over here. Between the slang and hard core accents, I find that I can understand only about half of what they are saying. Especially the Kelly character.
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Post 24 Aug 2012, 4:47 am

Mary Poppins clearly did not prepare you for the realities of the British English set of idioms. :smile: