Comments on: US Television Fall schedules advertising price list

By: Jason McCullough

Jason McCullough — Wed, 24 Sep 2003 03:00:20 +0000

“I quite liked “Suddenly Susan”, if it was the one with Brooke Shields in it.” This is the first time I’ve felt comfortable declaring an opinion of yours TOTALLY INSANE.

By: Paul Watson

Paul Watson — Sun, 21 Sep 2003 00:40:51 +0000

The comment re the shows on the half-hour needing to be in a lesser league than the 8 and 9 o’clockers rings true. I suspect that another distinction between Friends and W&G could be found in their respective (female-targeted) ad contents. Friends ads (I’m guessing) would target the zippy, achieving modern woman, while W&G ads would spruik chocolate and “now with 71% more shiny effervescence!” shampoo to her rather less secure, pyjama-clad alter-ego. In other words, “pinkness” be damned – W&G is comfort food for everyone’s inner frump.

By: Scott Martens

Scott Martens — Fri, 19 Sep 2003 16:44:45 +0000

Yeah, let me join the chorus too. I saw a few episodes of Scrubs on Dutch TV and I liked it too. My wife is a Brooke Shields fan, so I’ve actually seen just about every excrutiatingly painful episode of “Suddenly Susan.” Lord, it was bad. I’m indifferent to Will & Grace, but my understanding is that it has a good audience with younger viewers. Only old people watch 60 Minutes, so its revenue’s been falling for years, even though its market is pretty large. Getting to that youth market is very important if you sell tampons or Clearasil. Figuring out what age group is a programme’s target demographic is pretty easy: Look at the ads. Tampons: 8-20. Music: 15-35. Small cars: 25-40. SUV’s: 30-45. Lexus: 45+.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Fri, 19 Sep 2003 14:57:49 +0000

To throw my 2 cents in, I don’t know what NBC has managed to do it, but the original British “Coupling”—it’s been running for several seasons on the BBC in the UK —is hilarious. It made its way like wildfire around a local university campus. I highly recommend that you give it a try; the 1st season’s episodes are available now on DVD. The Britishisms can be a little off-putting at first, but once you get used to them, you’ll laugh pretty hard.

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 19 Sep 2003 12:13:55 +0000

Hey, I liked “Suddenly Susan” too, but I don’t get “W&G” at all. I’d love to know what advertising during “Father Ted” costs: I don’t see the US getting it. If it is on the BBC in the States, I can all to easily see idiots like Andrew Sullivan taking it as evidence of systematic anti-Catholic bias.

By: Richard Bayley

Richard Bayley — Fri, 19 Sep 2003 11:04:12 +0000

Is this an appropriate time for a regular UK visitor to “CT” to mention how fun this thread is? Or is this yet another disgraceful example of academia “dumbing down” ? BTW, have US viewers had the chance to watch “Father Ted” (RIP) yet ? I presume that the most likely home would be BBC America.

By: laura

laura — Fri, 19 Sep 2003 05:49:24 +0000

Oh, yes, definitely Scrubs. I thought W & G started off pretty well and has grown increasingly shrill and unfunny, with zero character development. I suspect there are a fair number of people who keep it on out of habit but don’t actually watch it like they used to. (By “I suspect,” I mean, of course “this is what me and my friends do.”) I seem to recall that when Scrubs was moved to thursdays, the network said that they thought it was a show with promise that had been in a bad time slot, so they were trying to protect it and give it the better exposure of the thursday slot. Clearly with an eye toward promoting it to be an anchor show at some point in the future.

By: easytiger

easytiger — Fri, 19 Sep 2003 04:09:00 +0000

Another hand raised for Scrubs. :-)

By: Tim

Tim — Fri, 19 Sep 2003 03:20:19 +0000

I don’t really have a handle on US media, but I can’t believe that a lame one-joke effort like W&G is pulling in the ratings You really don’t have a handle on US media, then. ;-)

By: Tim

Tim — Fri, 19 Sep 2003 03:13:43 +0000

< > You really don’t have a handle on US media, then. ;-)

By: Anthony C

Anthony C — Fri, 19 Sep 2003 00:40:46 +0000

What, have I stumbled upon some sort of humourless alternative universe here? Will and Grace is very, very funny. OK, it’s not Frasier funny. But it IS funny. I know people from all walks of life who enjoy it. What’s NOT to enjoy? jazzhands

By: G. DeeDee

G. DeeDee — Thu, 18 Sep 2003 23:46:03 +0000

I don’t know why I am surprised that television shows with mainly black actors are less than half the price. I shouldn’t be. The eternal optimist in me, I suppose.

By: Russell Arben Fox

Russell Arben Fox — Thu, 18 Sep 2003 21:47:24 +0000

I’m coming late to this, but who can disagree with Jacob T. Levy and Walt Pohl? Scrubs was just about the only funny network show on the tube all last year, as well as the year before. Not getting Scrubs puts one perilously close to being a bonehead, in my book.

By: jianxia

jianxia — Thu, 18 Sep 2003 21:47:22 +0000

I, too, must take exception to your description of “Scrubs” as “pretty bad” and “weaker” than W&G.

By: phil

phil — Thu, 18 Sep 2003 21:17:00 +0000

Scrubs is one of the few sitcoms worth watching.