News Discovery Would Have Been Different On Regular Television
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Discovery would not have been different at all. The episodes probably averaged 44-48 minutes. Most commercial breaks were planned, and the too-obscene-for-tv content accumulated probably accounts for <30 seconds of screentime.
I have a feeling this show was made to eventually air on TV, or at least to have that option left on the table.
I have a feeling this show was made to eventually air on TV, or at least to have that option left on the table.
I think the breaks are mainly because it airs on TV in Canada. They likely could just break at any moment if just CBS AA was the only factor.
Star Trek Discovery is filmed in Canada. If they got funding from the government (very likely), then it may have been a requirement that the show be put on TV, in order to reach a certain % of the population.
That too. I forgot about that part of it. That very likely answers why the Canadian market would have had influence. And the population here is more likely to be reached via broadcast rather than streaming alone.
How did Canada handle the 37-minute episode? More commercials?
I subscribe via Amazon which is commercial free, so I kind of forget about there being pauses in episodes for commercial breaks to the point I don't even notice the pauses between acts. I'm so used to watching Trek with an act structure that I never think of the idea of a Trek show without them like on original Netflix and HBO content.
Yes.
Politely.
Discovery would have been very different on regular television. Firstly, it wouldn't have received anything like the funding it has. As a show that 95% of the global audience had to subscribe to CBS All Access or Netflix to see, the purse strings were opened up well beyond what broadcast networks can afford to spend on a weekly TV show.
There's no doubt that this show will join all the previous Treks on regular TV. First-run syndication may be dead as far as scripted shows in the US, but second-run syndication has never been bigger, IMO. The edits on DIS would probably only be noticeable for those who had seen it first on CBSAA, otherwise it could seem as if the episodes were filmed that way for those that didn't.
One of the reasons I'm glad DSC is on the internet in America is that Les Moonves has less to do with it. Not having to see those weekly ratings posts in the episode threads certainly doesn't suck, either. But the main reason is because the show can do storylines and character stuff that broadcast shows just can't. There are still some challenges with this, mainly because there are stil a fair number Trek fans who really don't want to see anything different in a Trek show.
But, just knowing there is the possibility of actually seeing something new each episode (because of streaming vs broadcast), is pretty exciting.
But, just knowing there is the possibility of actually seeing something new each episode (because of streaming vs broadcast), is pretty exciting.
Meh, those weekly ratings would be an indication of where less invested fans interest lies. I always remember having a ratings 'box'
It was about when LOST was dipping in popularity and I made sure I watched it (which I would've anyway). Just one sad little fan doing her bit 
Sez who? Back in the mid-sixties there were WAY fewer one hour dramas and sitcoms being broadcast. There were even fewer GOOD one hour dramas and sitcoms. There were only 3 networks and even though those networks offered first run shows 7 days a week in some cases, there was still slim pickings in terms of quality compared to today. The number of screenwriters in Hollywood back then was probably miniscule compared to the number who are in Hollywood today, if for no other reason than there are so many more TV (or small screen) networks and shows.
Why would it take a "distinctive kind of talent" to write a one hour teleplay? It's just a story that can be wrapped up in one hour. The only reason there were more back then was because TV audiences were a lot less sophisticated and needed to see everything wrapped up at the end of an hour. My mother would get crazy if one of her shows dared to do een a two parter.
I would venture to say that there are tons more screenwriters in Hollywood today than back in the sixties. That fact alone means there is also at least a statistical probability that there are also more good screenwriters today. That statistical probability is buttressed by the fact that there are so many more good TV shows these days. Scratch that, there are so many more GREAT TV shows on today than there were back in the sixties.
I don't think the talent pool is an issue. Writing good stories that will engage people is the real issue. I thought Get Out was one of the most unique horror stories I've seen in many years, but remains to be seen if Peele can present a good TZ season. As for the comparison of a show you've never seen to a show you have, this is not unexpected.
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That's when you make up swear words, like Joss Whedon or nuBSG (shudders) or Farscape.
This is just wrong, just because Netflix dumps all episodes at once for their shows doesn't mean that this is the way a show is "designed for online viewing".
There's nothing wrong with releasing episodes weekly online, I actually prefer it to the Netflix model. Weekly episodes allow for discussions both online and in real life for months, people love it or hate it, episodes are picked apart, we come up with theories, there's the anticipation of a new episode finally dropping.
None of that happens when Netflix drops an entire season, take Stranger Things for example, a huge success but people barely talk about it. What happens is a thread is created but because everyone watches at their own pace people can't really talk to each other, they just post opinions under spoiler tags, this goes on for a week or two and then the thread dies.
Communities grow around weekly shows because the vast majority of the audience being on the same level does have an advantage, there's also new content over a longer time which keeps discussion alive.
Internationally Netflix has quite a few shows that air weekly in the US and they're following their schedule. In germany for example it's not just Discovery. Riverdale, Black Lightning, Shadowhunters and Scream release episodes weekly for example and it works just fine and Netflix is already moving away from "everything at once" for some of their shows, some split their seasons into two halfs. I wouldn't be surprised if the binge model goes away eventually and Netflix will move to releasing episodes weekly for their own shows.
Frick is a real word... right?
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