Someone explain this to me (TV Shows/Networks)

[GKarsEye]

First and foremost, Reality TV is cheap, it doesn't matter so much if it doesn't rack in the ratings

I see this claim all the time, but I'm skeptical. Yes, reality is cheap, but network revenue is still based on ad money. Low ratings mean they have to charge less and thus make less money. I seriously question if there's a greater profit margin by spending less and charging less.

 

[PillowRock]

But revenue isn't the "bottom line".

The thing is, if their rating are eroding regardless of they show; due to more and stronger competition from cable channels, more home video, etc.; then the lower production costs allow them to still maintain their profit at a lower ratings point.

I think what they have been finding is that drop in ratings (in terms of its impact on revenue) is smaller than the drop in production costs. It remeains to be seen whether that is a sustainable situation. It seems like most of the reality genre gets its appeal from shock value. That can't remain much longer than you can continue up the ante, and I think that there are limits in that regard.


Relatively expensive programming (which still generally includes a lot of "genre" shows, certainly all of the space-based shows) has exactly the opposite thing going on, and that is the problem. As ratinggs for the entire medium erode, the more expensive shows are the first ones to become non-profitable. I think that is why we aren't likely to see many shows like B5 that aren't produced by the same corporation that airs them (so that the same company gets both the TV ad revenue and the DVD money) .... for a fair while. That will turn around when all of the digital effects required for a show become cheaper than building the physical sets that a normal show needs (and all of the acting starts happening in front of green screen, or blue screen, or whichever).

 

[2aMageing]

First and foremost, Reality TV is cheap, it doesn't matter so much if it doesn't rack in the ratings

I see this claim all the time, but I'm skeptical. Yes, reality is cheap, but network revenue is still based on ad money. Low ratings mean they have to charge less and thus make less money. I seriously question if there's a greater profit margin by spending less and charging less.

I think what allows such "cheap" poor programming theory to hang in is because it is cheaper to just "chuck" the cheap trash that doesn't catch.....and toss some other cheap concept out there that took someone's nephew 5 minutes to come up with..........and yes, this is what the state of TV has driven me to......I only tune in for Gilmore Girls and Who's Line is it Anyway (the West Wing was robed of it's creative gift).......look what "they" have reduced me to......scrounging for decent dialog and characters with ANY depth........

 

[GKarsEye]

That sounds plausible. I admit to not knowing the numbers- in fact, I would be curious to see some (but not enough to look it up )

..I only tune in for Gilmore Girls and Who's Line is it Anyway (the West Wing was robed of it's creative gift).......look what "they" have reduced me to......scrounging for decent dialog and characters with ANY depth........

Dude.. the Gillmore Girls?

 

[2aMageing]

There is TOTALLY ....NOTHING out there with good snappy dialog......the rest is pretty much soap opera....but the dialogue between the mother and the daughter is pretty good stuff......I'm a sucker for clever and/or interesting dialogue .........guilty, none the less.

 

[vacantlook]

I agree; the fast, full dialogue of Gilmore Girls draws me in too. Plus the occational cute guy on the show doesn't hurt either.

 

[2aMageing]

Well, yeah.....I'd kinda have to be rather DEAD to not notice the rather atractive combo of Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel..........

Two very different looks, both VERY attractive.

 

[Ninja_Squirrel]

....but the dialogue between the mother and the daughter is pretty good stuff......I'm a sucker for clever and/or interesting dialogue .........guilty, none the less.

I completely agree. I never watched it because I thought it was just a chick show. But, TV has been so blaa on Tuesday nights that I've occasionally channel surfed and ended up on Gilmore Girls. It's good enough I almost regret not watching it sooner. The cast is so full of quirky characters you'd think David E. Kelley was somehow involved with the show.

With it being in season five now, it would be too expensive to catch up by buying the DVDs, but I would be tempted to rent them if they get them at Blockbuster.

I agree; the fast, full dialogue of Gilmore Girls draws me in too.

Sometimes it's so fast that it seems un-natural, and yet, it's still so witty and impressive that I like it anyway. There were several moments from last night's repeat that had me laughing out loud.

I'd kinda have to be rather DEAD to not notice the rather atractive combo of Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel.........

I guess that makes me alive then too. It's odd. They both have a wholesome sexiness that is unfortunately rare on TV these days. As good as they look on the outside (which is plenty good) their appearance is both enhanced by and surpassed by their personality.

They're quirky but definitely the sanest characters on the show. They're girly but not annoying-girly or feminazi-girly or California-valley-girl-girly. They're cute, but not so cute you wanna gag.

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I'm guessing that the show had to re-invent itself a little bit when Rory went off to college, but that season one probably started off as a coming-of-age story for both of them with Rory starting high school and Lorelai turning 30 (which sounds about right if Lorelai had Rory when she was very young). Am I right?

 

[GKarsEye]

The curly-haired Gilmore Girl was in Bad Santa. She is rather sexy.

 

[Recoil]

I watched that movie with my brother and his wife. We watched the un-rated version called "Badder Santa." Extremely rude movie but damn if it wasn't funny. My bro and his wife both watch Gilmore Girls (well, he does only because she does, you get the idea) and they said that one of the funniest things in that movie was the lady from Gilmore Girls (whose character is obviously very different than her character in Bad Santa) saying "Fuck me Santa! Fuck me Santa!"

 

[GKarsEye]

Yeah, love that flick. Even though a lot of the humor is so obvious, it was just a lot of fun. I remember going to see it alone after a long, tough, depressing week and it was the perfect mood-lifter. I'm a big Billy Bob Thorton fan.

I wonder how much extra stuff is in the unrated version. Might be worth a netflix.

 

[Recoil]

It is worth it. They really take some of the rude comments and go way over the top. Some of his insults are just killer.