My question concerns the number of repeats the newer 80's cartoons (Garfield, Voltron, etc) had opposed to the older ones (Bugs Bunny, Tom & Jerry, etc.) that were leased in larger packages. I remember looking at the NAPTE specials in Variety in the library back in the 1980's to see what was coming out for the next season and that sparked my interest. Say He-Man had 65 new episodes for a new year with 5 repeats during its run. Then if the station wanted to renew it for another year, it could or another station in the market could secure the right for it. But say you got the Bugs Bunny package (327 cartoons) or the Terrytoons (689 cartoons). Could the station say lease them for one year for say 2 repeats or was it like 6 runs over 5 or 6 years. I am not sure how that kind of deal works. I would love to know that. Thanks.
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1980's question. Number of repeats for new cartoon opposed to older ones.
- Thread starter mississippi fan
- Start date
K
K.M. Richards
Guest
Because (studies have proven it) kids will watch a repeat of a cartoon multiple times. They are not like we adults who shun reruns.
Adults will watch repeats of Warner Brothers cartoons. At least, this (alleged) adult will.
But if adults shunned reruns, all those ".2 and .3 channels" would have gone under already.
K
K.M. Richards
Guest
I think the appeal of reruns on the diginets has more to do with most of the shows not having been seen in a long time. I know I've been checking the schedules periodically to see what "new reruns" are being added to schedules. When one comes on that appeals to me, I tend to watch all (or nearly all) the episodes of shows I want to see again, and then only occasionally watch individual episodes again.
I'm not sure about the claim "adults shun reruns" since at any time the Top Cable Programs are almost always filled with Big Bang and Family Guy reruns, which average about 2 million in the 18-49 demo. (For example: http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2016/03/24/wednesday-cable-ratings-march-23-2016/)
K
K.M. Richards
Guest
Okay, okay, I should have qualified my statement.
TVCOOL thought a package of 65 animated series episodes was too few because that means repeating after 13 weeks (around three months, not 2½, BTW) on a five-day strip schedule, and he thought there should be enough made to last at least twice that long, the implication being that kids would tire of seeing them over and over so often.
To amplify my original response and make it clearer what I meant, three months between plays of a specific animated series such as the example given by the thread starter, He-Man, is meaningless to the average pre-teen television viewer. If, instead of that, it was a typical non-animated rerun, it wouldn't even be released for syndication with fewer than 100 episodes, because a 20- to 26-week repeat cycle seems pretty much optimal for most series. This covers such shows as Big Bang Theory (183 episodes produced as of the beginning of the current season, at least 159 of which are in syndication) and Family Guy (249 episodes produced as of the start of the 2015-16 season, at least 231 in syndication).
In fact, given the sheer number of available episodes, those really weren't good choices to prove the point of rerun tolerance, because just in the case of the first example a station could go close to eight months without a repeat. By that time, if you're a fan of the show you're about ready to see your favorite episodes for the fourth or fifth time.
But kids will watch a repeat of an animated cartoon much sooner than adults will watch a repeat of a rerun.
TVCOOL thought a package of 65 animated series episodes was too few because that means repeating after 13 weeks (around three months, not 2½, BTW) on a five-day strip schedule, and he thought there should be enough made to last at least twice that long, the implication being that kids would tire of seeing them over and over so often.
To amplify my original response and make it clearer what I meant, three months between plays of a specific animated series such as the example given by the thread starter, He-Man, is meaningless to the average pre-teen television viewer. If, instead of that, it was a typical non-animated rerun, it wouldn't even be released for syndication with fewer than 100 episodes, because a 20- to 26-week repeat cycle seems pretty much optimal for most series. This covers such shows as Big Bang Theory (183 episodes produced as of the beginning of the current season, at least 159 of which are in syndication) and Family Guy (249 episodes produced as of the start of the 2015-16 season, at least 231 in syndication).
In fact, given the sheer number of available episodes, those really weren't good choices to prove the point of rerun tolerance, because just in the case of the first example a station could go close to eight months without a repeat. By that time, if you're a fan of the show you're about ready to see your favorite episodes for the fourth or fifth time.
But kids will watch a repeat of an animated cartoon much sooner than adults will watch a repeat of a rerun.
Ok, you're all missing huge points here. The Original Looney Toons (Bugs Bunny; etc) Terrytoons, all those series - those were short 6-7 minute cartoons made over a period of 40 years! Shows like He-Man, She-Ra, Tiny Toons, Duck Tales....I could go on and on, you're talking 65 seperate 22 minute animated shows, 65 scripts, paying actors for 65 22 minute voice sessions. All done in a single year! This is the magic number where rubber met road, and studios found the budget for such projects were maxing out. It's even done today at Nickeloden and Cartoon Network. A new series will get a first season order of 65 episodes, and a less number of shows of subsequent seasons. Shows like The Simpsons and Family Guy; etc. are prime-time shows, and they typically do only 22 episodes a year.
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