Back in the day seasons lasted 26 episodes...

[Snowman37]

Does anyone miss the old days networks would commit to 1-3 seasons of a show before cancelling? Back in the day when a season meant 20-26 episodes. I miss those days. This concept of 13-episode seasons is ridiculous. If you watch a lot of TV, then maybe not. I don't watch TV live unless it's the news. For anything else, I go to DVD and Netflix. I'm watching Surface via Netflix. 15 episodes, that's it. Frustrating! Then there's Sanctuary, 13 episodes. When I watch a season, I feel like I'm only watching half a season. I'm the kind of person who will pick one or a few shows and then watch every episode. It goes by too quickly when the season's half as long as it used to be.

[gateraid]

Yes, I miss the 26 ep season, and the longer commitment when a series starts. SGU's (allegedly) story arc was planned for five seasons, yet it got axed when everyone seemed to agree it was just hitting its stride. Stupid studio execs *shakes fist*

[SaberBlade]

I'd rather have a 13 episode season than risk a cancellation because 20+ episodes are filled with pointless filler episodes or pointlessly dragging the story out. Why Lost wasn't cancelled after two seasons will always baffle me.

TV shows are becoming more story driven. It's easy enough for shows like CSI or NCIS, even pre-Enterprise Star Trek and pre-Universe Stargate to have 20 episodes because they are for the most part unrelated, but when the story that drives a season is spread out across 20+ episodes then it's easy to get turned off.

If SGU had gotten to the point rather than talking two seasons to hit it's strike, perhaps things could have been different and the same with Enterprise and it's Xindi arc.

I like what Burn Notice has been doing. It started with 12, did two with 14, then two with 18... or was it 14, 16, 18.... either way, they've started low and slowly increasing the episodes as it allows them to see the if ratings hold. It's too easy to turn a popular 13 episode seasons into a cancelled 20 episode second season.

[Cagranosalis]

I'd rather have 13 quality episodes of anything than 20-26 where at least half of them are either filler or just very meh. I actually quite like the fact I can get to watch and enjoy two or three different series in the same time I would normally take to watch just one.

In the UK it has always been much more normal to have shorter seasons of everything. 6 to 13 weeks for a season is totally normal.

[unknown_k]

For scifi shows a longer season means a lot more money for special effects and sets, it is easier and cheaper to commit to a smaller season.

Burn Notice (since it was mentioned but isn't scifi and is more episodic with a season story arc) season 1 had 12 episodes (currently just finished watching season 2 on netflix which was 16 episodes and poor Michael Shanks is dead again....).

My take on it is that with a fewer episodes you get less time for side stories. I like longer seasons because some of the "filler" episodes tend to be realy different and interesting. I liked VEGAS on SGA but that stand alone episode was nothing like a normal SGA show and while it didn't do much overall for the story it was real cool to see.

I do kind of hate realy small seasons like 7 for breaking Bad S1 and Walking Dead S1 with 6. For me 22 or so episodes is a pretty good number for a season.

[DigiFluid]

I'd rather have a 13 episode season than risk a cancellation because 20+ episodes are filled with pointless filler episodes or pointlessly dragging the story out.

Book it, done.

[SaberBlade]

Breaking Bad started during the Writers Strike so it's limited number of episodes are probably a result of it.

Not every network can afford to make 22+ episodes per season. Networks like USA (Burn Notice, Psych, Monk) have done very well with shows that have about 15 or so episodes, AMC (Breaking Bad and Walking Dead) also have success. It's one of the reasons UK shows tend to be so short, because money is an issue. US networks like Fox and CBS will gladly give a show 22+ episodes, but also cancel it in a heartbeat if it fails to meet expectations.

[lommit]

i would say that if u could get a full season like 22 eps then the creators should make episodes that have something to do with the main plot. i like now and again the filler episodes because u can get more charter building and them grow. but say then if u had 13 episode then some of the filler episode just takes to much room, i would that happens a lot in sanctuary. i love the show but sometimes there maybe 5 episode that have something to do with the main plot , the rest is just random

[maneth]

UK shows also tend to have longer episodes, 100+ minutes per episode isn't unusual.

[SaberBlade]

UK shows also tend to have longer episodes, 100+ minutes per episode isn't unusual.

But those runs tend to be limited. It makes for good drama, but disappointing when it only lasts three episodes a year. Sherlock for example gets three 90 minute episodes, A Touch of Frost has lasted something like 15 years on three 100 minute episodes per season, as did Inspector Morse, Kavanagh QC. I guess the American thing would be to cut each into two parts and spread it out longer, but there something disappointing about watching a great show like Sherlock and it only lasting three weeks, followed by waiting another year.

[Blencathra]

I'm another who would rather have shorter seasons of quality TV rather than longer seasons filled with padding and clip shows. For me around 13 episodes is ideal but even shorter seasons can work very well. For example, some of the best TV I have ever watched was Torchwood Children of Earth, which was five episodes broadcast over five consecutive nights.

[LtColCarter]

Not only were the seasons longer...the episodes were longer too. Now it seems like we have a commercial every other breath we take.

[gateraid]

I'm another who would rather have shorter seasons of quality TV rather than longer seasons filled with padding and clip shows. For me around 13 episodes is ideal but even shorter seasons can work very well. For example, some of the best TV I have ever watched was Torchwood Children of Earth, which was five episodes broadcast over five consecutive nights.

It depends on the show. Some shows (eg ST, SG) lend themselves to a longer season because they're generally episodic by nature and aren't particularly character focused. I've found (some) British shows annoying in that I feel like I'm just getting 'into' it, and the season is over. As has been pointed out, these might contain longer eps, but not always.

For some shows it works - X-Files had a split between episodic (monster of the week) and arc based (conspiracy) eps and pulled it off well. With others, not so much - I think Sanctuary suffered when they increased the number of eps, but I suspect that was a budgetary thing (the same writers etc having to churn out more eps, rather than an increase in the number of writers). I suspect if SG was trimmed down to a 13 ep season they'd still keep the eps I dislike

[DigiFluid]

Not only were the seasons longer...the episodes were longer too. Now it seems like we have a commercial every other breath we take.

If you watch shows on DVDs, you can really notice the difference. Ignoring end credits, an episode of Star Trek TOS (1960s) was about 52 minutes, an episode of Star Trek TNG (1980s-90s) was about 45, while more recent episodes clock in at around 42.

LCC's spot-on here, TV feels more about advertisement than entertainment.

[The Mighty 6 platoon]

Breaking Bad started during the Writers Strike so it's limited number of episodes are probably a result of it.

While the writers strike did cut down the number of episodes, the original plan was for only 9 in the first season. AMC just don't do big seasons.

To be honest I prefer it that way. While the extreme examples of British tv annoys me where you get a show where they do 6 episodes for one season, forget about for 18 months then do 4 epsidoes for the second season, American networks like HBO, AMC and Showtime seem to do alright with smaller 9 to 13 episode long seasons. They are still putting out a season regularly each year. And to be honest it's more reliable that way, they cancel less shows than the main networks and put out a higher quality product that actually in the long run lasts longer than most shows on the major networks.