How much advertising is/isn't acceptible when watching television?

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OK, this has come up separately on a couple of different threads now, so by law, we must make another thread about it.

Someone mentioned on the 24 thread that they were recording the programmes to watch them without ads. Someone on another thread was complaining about the volume of advertising on US television, and someone responded to them that complaining about advertising was "so 1972".

Is there a point at which your enjoyment of a programme *does* become seriously hampered by ads, or does it not make a difference to you? (You may or may not wish to discuss annoyance at programmes being cut in different places for US or UK TV?)

How have ads, or the lack thereof, affected your TV viewing habits?

― The River Kate (kate), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 11:50 (twenty-two years ago)

A few strategically ad breaks are actually urgent & key, especially when watching long BBC dramas, when you just WISH there were an ad break or a pause button to go to the loo. (What about the supposed drain on the national grid from the collective putting on of kettles at the end of Eastenders?)

But when the ads seem to comprise 50% or more of the bulk of the programming, I start to get irritated. But what irritates me most of all is programmes, like, for instance, Buffy, where the writers PROGRAMME IN cliffhangers for the ad breaks, and UK TV just splices them in different places! Grrrrr!

― The River Kate (kate), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 11:53 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't have a problem with the UK standard one ad break every 15 minutes format, although it annoys me more if I'm watching a film.

Does US TV really just jump suddenly to random single commercials every so often rather than having proper commercial breaks? If so, that would annoy me hugely.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 11:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Do they still have the 'wave bye bye' bit between the last ad break and the end of the program, on US quiz shows?

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 11:56 (twenty-two years ago)

I must research that thing about the National Grid & Eastenders (i.e. ask HSA) because that's fascinating if it's true. What a terrible time for a terrorist strike that would be!

― The River Kate (kate), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 11:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Spending a month in the States over the winterlude I noticed that I now find American tv impossible to watch. I don't know whether I've become more intolerant of ads or whether the quantity has really gone up, but it made it impossible for me to watch for any length of time (no doubt a good thing). If I lived there I would have to invest in a TIVO.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 11:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Mark: Yup.

Kate, I think this could apply to Corrie as well.

― suzy (suzy), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 11:58 (twenty-two years ago)

In a slightly mental state last week I theorised that American football is so break ridden because the US national grid couldn't cope with all the fridge doors opening simultaneously at half time.

― Ricardo (RickyT), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 11:59 (twenty-two years ago)

RickyT - BWAH HAH HAH, SO TRUUUUUUUUE!!!

― The River Kate (kate), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 12:01 (twenty-two years ago)

when i was back for xmas, i spent a week with tivo, which is clearly the way forward.

most ads don't bother me over here, although i tend to tape shows and watch them in one big bunch without ads.

although i agree with matt, i've noticed that the last few films i've seen on tv have had SO MANY ad breaks. i think for films it should be every half hour, rather than 15 mins.

― colette (a2lette), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 12:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Sky have the right attitude - no ad breaks during the film at all, then overload the bit in between each film.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 12:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Channel Four used to keep ad breaks down to two or three per film, which was usually tolerable. Channel 5 OTOH...

― Ricardo (RickyT), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 12:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Here is why I can't watch ad in the USs:

1. Ads for meds, lawyers and debt consolidation. I really object to meds ads for some reason.
2. That Seinfeld slap-bass thing they've got going on most adverts, especially the ones that are supposed to be for 'happy' companies.
3. Eight minutes of ads per 30 minutes of broadcast time.

Here is why what's on between the ads is vile:

Half of programmes have awful 'fuzak' soundtrack.
The way they all look and speak. Botox ahoy!

― suzy (suzy), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 12:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Five and Channel 4's cutting of films for ad breaks is quite well done - ITV's is absolutely atrocious i have noticed

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 13:34 (twenty-two years ago)

I really do hate the unnannounced (OK, you don't have to announce it, though it's nice when Matthew Collings does, but at least break in a natural place and with a good couple of seconds of title card) breaks on US TV. But I guess I'd get used to it.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 13:38 (twenty-two years ago)

On British TV I think ITV and C4 have acceptable ad breaks. But Sky, which effectively runs its broadcasts to American timings, has far too many ads for my liking. So despite being the one making the "1972" comment I do agree that a show like 24 merits being on a channel with fewer breaks.

I wonder if Sky were to show it ad-less it would give them great publicity, or whether it would just set a precedent that other producers would start demanding?

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 13:44 (twenty-two years ago)

The ad breaks in There's Something About Mary last night were random as hell. There was one halfway through a scene.

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 14:24 (twenty-two years ago)

b-b-but 24's made to have ad breaks in it...also what would Sky gain but not getting any advertising revenue? The admiration of a couple of viewers who can't be arsed with adverts isn't going to make them money now, is it?

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 14:27 (twenty-two years ago)

But what irritates me most of all is programmes, like, for instance, Buffy, where the writers PROGRAMME IN cliffhangers for the ad breaks, and UK TV just splices them in different places! Grrrrr!

I've been going through 'The Sopranos' on DVD (for about a year) and I swear to God that the first series had no specifically designed 'ad-hangers' but that the third series much more obviously does. Marone! Apparently writers are told to get in a climax after 18min, 36min, etc, on UKTV.

― ENRQ (Enrique), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 14:30 (twenty-two years ago)

A joke about Granada Men & Motors.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 14:59 (twenty-two years ago)

ad bereaks on sky aren't a problem, they're there so you can flick over to Skysports news and keep abreast of football news

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 15:03 (twenty-two years ago)

This is the thread where Tivo owners reprazent!

― teeny (teeny), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 15:06 (twenty-two years ago)

2. That Seinfeld slap-bass thing they've got going on most adverts, especially the ones that are supposed to be for 'happy' companies.

OTM Suzy, this annoys the sh*t out of me for some reason. Here in the states, different networks (or even shows) seem to have more ads than others, but I don't watch much tv so I could be mistaken. Also, I usually watch shows on HBO which are ad free.

― webcrack (music=crack), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 17:05 (twenty-two years ago)

I've been going through 'The Sopranos' on DVD (for about a year) and I swear to God that the first series had no specifically designed 'ad-hangers' but that the third series much more obviously does.

that's because they had no idea how the first series would go over, and since it was made for HBO (which has no ads), they didn't worry about it. By the time of the third series, when they knew it would wind up in syndication and on foreign networks with ads, they started putting them in. it's made the show much more TV-like than it was originally which kind of sucks.

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 17:46 (twenty-two years ago)

HM! I didn't know that about HBO. S&TC has always seemed quite 'addy' -- more of a safe bet?

― NRQ (Enrique), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 17:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Intra-programme ads are ridiculous. So, so obvious and clumsy. I never watch channels that have them, and if I do I change during breaks or tape it and ffwd.

― mei (mei), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 20:41 (twenty-two years ago)

TiVo = none!

― Orbit (Orbit), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 20:43 (twenty-two years ago)

It's so ingrained in my TV watching experience that it's simply become the time where I channel surf to whatever other interesting show is on at the same time. Unfortunately, I've been noticing that shows are going to break simultaneously now, e.g. when 24 goes to break, America's Next Top Model is also on break. But re: channel surfing, is that a cause or an effect of the "short-attention span" of your avg. American?

I most frequently get angered at commercials when the show I'm watching isn't the typical scripted drama, like Survivor's reunion shows, which have not only more commercial breaks, but they last in excess of 4 minutes as opposed to 2.5 to 3 minutes.

But in any event, my typical break is necessary. I remember the first episode of this season's 24 where I was squirming for 45 minutes because of my overactive bladder.

― Leee Majors (Leee), Thursday, 12 February 2004 00:35 (twenty-two years ago)

I rarely watch anything that isn't TiVo time-shifted. Ads don't exist for me.

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Thursday, 12 February 2004 01:32 (twenty-two years ago)

that's livin' alright

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 12 February 2004 10:41 (twenty-two years ago)

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