[Most of the time the only way I know that a new program season has started is when episodes start showing up on my DVR.]
Tuned In: Traditional TV season slips away December 7, 2012 12:18 am By Rob Owen Pittsburgh Post-Gazette http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/tv-radio/tuned-in-traditional-tv-season-slips-away-665331/ "Why are there no new episodes of X show?" "When will Y show be back?" These recurring questions all trace back to the same issue: Viewers need to reset their expectations when seeking new episodes of their favorite TV series. In the era before cable networks got addicted to original, scripted shows it was easy to know when to look for your favorite programs: Anytime between September and May original episodes would be on the air; from May to August, broadcast networks put out a "Gone Fishin' " sign. With the advent of cable that easily understood schedule has been jettisoned -- and so has a predictable programming model that succeeded it. In the early days of cable original series, cable networks pretty much only put their programming on in the summer when the broadcast networks went into hibernation. As ratings for cable networks climb, cable outlets have gotten more aggressive and now program shows year-round. But they don't all do it in the same way, which can make it tough to keep up with when your TV favorite is rolling out new episodes. Most of the time the premium and prestige cable networks (HBO, Showtime, FX, AMC) follow a formula of airing a full season in a single 13-week burst (or a 10-week burst or however many episodes are ordered) -- but not always. AMC breaks "The Walking Dead" into two half-seasons, one airing in the fall that wrapped up this past Sunday and another that begins on Feb. 10. FX's "American Horror Story" is taking a shorter break over the holidays: After next week's episode the show takes two weeks off, returning on Jan. 2. Basic cable network shows are more confusing. USA routinely breaks seasons of its series into multiple chunks: a batch of new episodes in the summer, maybe another batch in the fall, a batch in the winter. TNT also programs in batches. The cable trend of breaking shows up has come full circle as the broadcast networks have taken to labeling the last new episode of the fall as a show's "winter finale" or "midseason finale." How is a viewer to keep track? The best way is to read as much as possible about TV to make yourself media literate. I do my best to include season premiere dates and other media outlets do, too. If you're lost and don't know where to turn, it's always smart to check the show's official homepage on the website of the network that airs the program. You can find links to network sites at http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/tv-radio/tv-network-addresses-web-site-information-632906/ _______________________________________________ Please be sure to include a URL to the article. Reply to the sender with a "Thank you" if you like this post. _______________________________________________ Medianews mailing list [email protected] http://lists.etskywarn.net/mailman/listinfo/medianews
