Friends on Net 2

The Rooster

Anyone know what the story is with Friends on Network 2 on Monday nights at 9pm. They seem to be alternating between the new series and repeat episodes?

Is there a break in the new series again?

aidan_walsh

AFAIK, NBC are after taking a break in the series. Hard for RTE to show something they don't have...

Mr E

NBC are on a break until April, but there are still 2 episodes left before the break. See here.... http://www.epguides.com/Friends/

- Dave.

projectmayhem

lol

are they just dragging it out as much as possible or is there a genuine reason?

ixoy

US shows often take long breaks, particularly in the month of March after the Sweeps period is over. Currently, for the month, 24, Angel, Smallville, and Friends (of those I know of) are off the air for a bit. I think the idea is let the shows air over a natural 8-9 month period (despite being only 22 or 24 episodes) and only be off the air for the quiet Summer months.

FWIW, Friends is on a shorter season this year so the break is longer as a result. Only eighteen episodes.

The Rooster

Thanks for clearing that up guys.
The problem I have with RTE is the lack of comminication. They don't tell you why suddenly they're showing old rather than new Friends, they give you no warning that they've stopped showing new Friends, and they don't tell you when new Friends will be back.

Pigman II

Originally posted by The Rooster
The problem I have with RTE is the lack of comminication. They don't tell you why suddenly they're showing old rather than new Friends, they give you no warning that they've stopped showing new Friends, and they don't tell you when new Friends will be back.

I think the 'why' is clear and the 'no warning' is even clearer. It made you hang around just to watch a repeat didn't it? So I think you'll find RTE will be quite happy to continue this lack of transparancy.

Personally I wish channels would not commence with their new seasons of shows until they were at a point where they were able to show an uninterupted run of the season until its conclusion. In that respect I (for once) applaud Sky because they just show the shows like clockwork week after week and don't let anything interfere with their predictable scheduling.

All I can say is GET DIGIGUIDE. Saves you from all the nonsence caused by these unscrupulous schedulers.

donhughberto

RTE is going bonkers, i am going to watch series on E4, you wonder what we pay for, tv3 are light years ahead!

ixoy

Originally posted by donhughberto
RTE is going bonkers, i am going to watch series on E4, you wonder what we pay for, tv3 are light years ahead!

Eh why? RTE are still going to show the episodes first. Why do people expect them to show episodes they can't show?! :dunno:

User45701

Originally posted by ixoy
US shows often take long breaks, particularly in the month of March after the Sweeps period is over. Currently, for the month, 24, Angel, Smallville, and Friends (of those I know of) are off the air for a bit. I think the idea is let the shows air over a natural 8-9 month period (despite being only 22 or 24 episodes) and only be off the air for the quiet Summer months.

FWIW, Friends is on a shorter season this year so the break is longer as a result. Only eighteen episodes.

Star Trek enterprise is the same. Could someone please explain to me why us shows take breaks?

TCamen

Could someone please explain to me why us shows take breaks?

I thought it was fairly clearly outlined in previous posts, but here goes:

Sweeps week is when networks set their advertising rates. They usually take place in November, February, May and July. Common sense = TV networks expect big numbers for Sweeps, so the shows generally will have either a) a big guest star b) an 'event' episode or c) both of these. The viewers willing to tune in to see said guest star, and important plot developments push the ratings up, which means the network can charge more for the advertisements that will be on in that timeslot.

From the Nielsen website, the company that compile ratings information:

Diary measurement is used to collect viewing information from sample homes in every one of the 210 television markets in the United States in November, February, May and July of each year. These measurement periods are known in the industry as "The Sweeps". This local viewing information provides a basis for advertising decisions and program scheduling

So this means that the average show that will be airing during Sweeps will at the very least, need to be a new first-run episode, if nothing else to guarantee big ratings. Some lower-rated shows get pulled and replaced with special TV-movies as the network don't expect a good performance ratings-wise from the show. American Idol, which can deliver a large audience for advertisers always launches in late January/early February for Sweeps, for example.

22 episodes is the TV standard in America for most network shows. Some run a little longer, like Star Trek shows, which all ran 26 episodes to a season (although Enterprise's latest season, and next season have been cut down to 24 because of poor ratings) Budgets are made out for the number of episodes , so the networks stretch 22 episodes over the full TV season. Obviously a show takes a lot of time to put together between filming, editing etc., so the effort is always made to have new first run episodes during Sweeps months, and inevitably, that means old repeats of episodes in the meantime.
The American TV season is typically September-May, but some shows start earlier/later than September, which affects the number of episodes completed and ready to air by the start date. Usually over here in Ireland and the UK, the stations will wait until they can show the full season uninterrupted, which is why we wait until after Christmas or later for new US episodes.

'Friends' has always had a longer season, with 24/25 episodes, so Net2 have always been able to start the show earlier, in November/December, and run it straight through to May without repeats. However, as previously stated, the cast only signed on for a shorter season this time, with 18 episodes, which accounts for 6/7 weeks where Net2 would usually have a new, first-run episode, but now don't.

If Net2 wanted to run it uninterrupted, they would only have started at the same time as E4 did. They were stuck between starting the show when people expect 'Friends' to return with new episodes, or waiting until they could run it without repeats.
Had they waited until February this year like E4 did, I'm sure there'd be as many people posting and complaining about the length of time they had to wait for Net2 to begin the final series, so frankly, you can't have it both ways. Either you want the show as soon as possible, with breaks in the run, or you wait until such time as the episodes are so plentiful that there doesn't have to be any repeats.

Net2 are probably holding the most recent 2 new episodes that aired on NBC last month until the run picks up again in late April, and thus have a longer stretch of new episodes including the finale. If that's not their plan, at least the break will be lessened next time. According to the Sky EPG, it's an old episode again next Monday.

The Rooster

Sky One have had breaks in series before. At the end of the relevant show the voiceover girl came on and said "Enterprise (or whatever it was) is taking a break for a few weeks and will be back on [whatever date]". I've seen LivingTV do the same with Charmed.

Common courtesy to your customer. RTE should look into it. The customer is king. Treat'em right or he'll go elsewhere.

TCamen

Yes, but when Sky take off shows, it's cos they're moving it for something else, rather than cos they don't have any new episodes to show. Sky have been pretty damn terrible for saying stuff will return on a particular date, and then it doesn't reappear, or more recently, moving shows to Sky One Mix without so much as a warning, so really they're not much better.
Living TV has never been close to US airings of Charmed to ever *need* a repeat either, but they typically are pretty decent for advertising changes, and for airing some good shows

Still, Net2 prob should let people know beforehand, but as someone said before, it makes ya tune in to see if it's new, and surely some people will stick around even if it's a repeat.
Just as easy to check TV Listings and though. The RTE Guide always says whether it's new or not, giving the season number, and either having 'new' beside it or not. More than once they're printed that new episodes of Friends would return in a few weeks. Dunno why they can't be bothered with the same thing on-air, but they do make *some* effort.

Go Figure!

Originally posted by TCamen
I thought it was fairly clearly outlined in previous posts, but here goes:

Sweeps week is when networks set their advertising rates. They usually take place in November, February, May and July. Common sense = TV networks expect big numbers for Sweeps, so the shows generally will have either a) a big guest star b) an 'event' episode or c) both of these. The viewers willing to tune in to see said guest star, and important plot developments push the ratings up, which means the network can charge more for the advertisements that will be on in that timeslot.

From the Nielsen website, the company that compile ratings information:


So this means that the average show that will be airing during Sweeps will at the very least, need to be a new first-run episode, if nothing else to guarantee big ratings. Some lower-rated shows get pulled and replaced with special TV-movies as the network don't expect a good performance ratings-wise from the show. American Idol, which can deliver a large audience for advertisers always launches in late January/early February for Sweeps, for example.


22 episodes is the TV standard in America for most network shows. Some run a little longer, like Star Trek shows, which all ran 26 episodes to a season (although Enterprise's latest season, and next season have been cut down to 24 because of poor ratings) Budgets are made out for the number of episodes , so the networks stretch 22 episodes over the full TV season. Obviously a show takes a lot of time to put together between filming, editing etc., so the effort is always made to have new first run episodes during Sweeps months, and inevitably, that means old repeats of episodes in the meantime.
The American TV season is typically September-May, but some shows start earlier/later than September, which affects the number of episodes completed and ready to air by the start date. Usually over here in Ireland and the UK, the stations will wait until they can show the full season uninterrupted, which is why we wait until after Christmas or later for new US episodes.

'Friends' has always had a longer season, with 24/25 episodes, so Net2 have always been able to start the show earlier, in November/December, and run it straight through to May without repeats. However, as previously stated, the cast only signed on for a shorter season this time, with 18 episodes, which accounts for 6/7 weeks where Net2 would usually have a new, first-run episode, but now don't.

If Net2 wanted to run it uninterrupted, they would only have started at the same time as E4 did. They were stuck between starting the show when people expect 'Friends' to return with new episodes, or waiting until they could run it without repeats.
Had they waited until February this year like E4 did, I'm sure there'd be as many people posting and complaining about the length of time they had to wait for Net2 to begin the final series, so frankly, you can't have it both ways. Either you want the show as soon as possible, with breaks in the run, or you wait until such time as the episodes are so plentiful that there doesn't have to be any repeats.

Net2 are probably holding the most recent 2 new episodes that aired on NBC last month until the run picks up again in late April, and thus have a longer stretch of new episodes including the finale. If that's not their plan, at least the break will be lessened next time. According to the Sky EPG, it's an old episode again next Monday.

You were spot on as the episodes tonight and next week are the two that have been held over since February so to make the last run of episodes longer.

Elmo

RTE, TV3 and TG4 all have competition from Britain.

Each of the Irish channels want to have the American shows before their british counter parts.

Thus the run them as soon as the have them. Unlike the British channels who do not have to worry weather RTE show them first or not.

How ever this has only ever happened with ER and Friends.

RTE never take breaks with other american shows. ER and Friends are their Top 2 american shows thus they need them to be on months before E4, Sky and the like get their hands on them. Thus RTE end up catching their american counter parts who are doing the same thing in America.

However CSI is another story which as no explenation.

Tru Calling has had two episodes air on Sky please some one tell me why?

I think TG4 may have had this problem with Without A Trace. But they are miles ahead of C4 so one wonders why they didn't hold back.