I'm watching the Rifleman on AMC. They are putting commercials where they don't belong. Practically in mid sentence. They just put commercials right before where a break was supposed to be. Then they came back and in less than 20 seconds it faded into where the break was intended to be. And they are cutting off the credits. Isn't there any pride in presentation anymore? Do they even understand how a program was intended to run?
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AMC butchering The Rifleman
- Thread starter therealjm12
- Start date
The Rifleman isn't the only show being butchered on cable television with an influx of commercials.
For me is has got to the point that I don't bother to watch these programs anymore because of what therealjm12 mentioned in his post.
AMC is another network that enjoys running the same several movies repeatedly with a format of running the movie ten minutes, then seven minutes of (sometimes the same) commercials each break.
Eventually cable and satellite customers are going to get fed up with increasing rates plus having to endure more commercials.
I am so close to cancelling my cable TV subscription and going to Netflix instead. It's cheaper and no commercials, plus I can choose from a variety of movies and TV shows.
For me is has got to the point that I don't bother to watch these programs anymore because of what therealjm12 mentioned in his post.
AMC is another network that enjoys running the same several movies repeatedly with a format of running the movie ten minutes, then seven minutes of (sometimes the same) commercials each break.
Eventually cable and satellite customers are going to get fed up with increasing rates plus having to endure more commercials.
I am so close to cancelling my cable TV subscription and going to Netflix instead. It's cheaper and no commercials, plus I can choose from a variety of movies and TV shows.
That's as much of a good reason for The Rifleman to come out on DVD in season sets with re-mastered film, sound and of course unedited. I know that there are at least 3 episodes in the public domain of the show because I bought these episodes at a dollar store but although these episodes are unedited they aren't remastered and come from the old 16mm film that they first showed in syndication starting back in 1963.
At least that they could do a better job on DVD's of The Rifleman than they did with Chuck Connors' other series "Branded" where those are the syndicated versions and not remastered at all with a bunch of cracks and pops in the film.
At least that they could do a better job on DVD's of The Rifleman than they did with Chuck Connors' other series "Branded" where those are the syndicated versions and not remastered at all with a bunch of cracks and pops in the film.
therealjm12 said:
And this is why TCM is still the best Classic Movie Channel out there to date. It hasn't changed since it's inception! (IMO)
AMC has been a pile of garbage since the 21st century began. DVDs are by far the best way to look at anything.
S
searadiofreak
Guest
At the risk of sounding like one of those old geezers shouting, "tv just isn't what it used to be", I can honestly say AMC isn't what it used to be, and I'm really not that old of a geezer.
Let's start with infomercials. I can understand local stations that need new sources of revenue to run them. But a major cable network? Doesn't meet my viewer expectations for sure.
Now let's move to commercial-block length. I have not sat down and timed them out, but I would predict that AMC's are among the longest on cable, perhaps only outdone by the splashy "E".
As for quality of movies, oh my. There was a time when AMC seemed to care. Now, they just slap anything on that did well on first run. Unfortunately, that includes a lot of very uninteresting, unentertaining movies.
TMC is right next to AMC on my cable system. Guess where I spend most of my time.
Let's start with infomercials. I can understand local stations that need new sources of revenue to run them. But a major cable network? Doesn't meet my viewer expectations for sure.
Now let's move to commercial-block length. I have not sat down and timed them out, but I would predict that AMC's are among the longest on cable, perhaps only outdone by the splashy "E".
As for quality of movies, oh my. There was a time when AMC seemed to care. Now, they just slap anything on that did well on first run. Unfortunately, that includes a lot of very uninteresting, unentertaining movies.
TMC is right next to AMC on my cable system. Guess where I spend most of my time.
When AMC was launched In the Canton, Ohio area by Warner Cable in about 1992 or so, there was a promo introducing the Network (Channel 27 on the lineup) with a nice looking older couple reminiscing about dating each other back in the day..And the movies with the actors and actresses of that time..Probably 1930's and 40's..Really classy..That's what AMC wanted to be then..It is so far from that now, it's sad..
(The only reason I remember that is that it was at the beginning of some old Nashville Network Shows I was taping then, and I still have that tape now on DVD)
(The only reason I remember that is that it was at the beginning of some old Nashville Network Shows I was taping then, and I still have that tape now on DVD)
When AMC started running commercials, I started watching it less. When they edited a musical number from "Holiday Inn" and gave a poor excuse for doing so, I stopped watching it altogether. With all of the cable channels available (some unfortunately with what seems like unlimited commercial & promotional interuptions), numerous DVD's around, and AMC's editing attitude, there seems no reason to watch it any longer.
AMC edited the "Abraham" (Lincoln) number out of "Holiday Inn"
because Bing Crosby and Marjorie Reynolds do that song in blackface,
which is usually considered politically incorrect. TCM's attitude about
such potential African-American stereotyping is that that was common
in the movies of the '30s and '40s, so let's not try to pretend it didn't
happen.
But to get back to the subject of AMC's commercial interruptions: it
turned me against the channel (plus, where are all these "classics"?).
I, too, prefer TCM as the "real" classic-movie channel.
because Bing Crosby and Marjorie Reynolds do that song in blackface,
which is usually considered politically incorrect. TCM's attitude about
such potential African-American stereotyping is that that was common
in the movies of the '30s and '40s, so let's not try to pretend it didn't
happen.
But to get back to the subject of AMC's commercial interruptions: it
turned me against the channel (plus, where are all these "classics"?).
I, too, prefer TCM as the "real" classic-movie channel.
AMC has to run commercials to make $$, unfortunately that's what it's all about. That don't have to butcher films and programs to do it. First of all, charge a little more per spot so there are fewer spots - yes they do have to turn time over to cable/satellite operators but it still can be done tastefully. Maybe sell segments to a single sponsor? Hire individuals that know how to edit. I'd be happy if they ran spots in between programing and maybe once a half hour.
therealjm12 said:
You just answered your own question. AMC runs more commercials to make more money, and in order to run more commercials the network has to edit programs. However I agree with your point that editing could be a lot better. To watch someone cut off in mid sentence, or go from one scene to another without explanation is third rate editing.
But in all fairness most, not all, of the cable stations do the same thing. Spike is another example of butchering a movie to run the same damn commercials within a ten minute period. As an example Magic Phone was on twice during several commercial blocks.
I think the reason they don't raise their rates and show fewer commercials has something to do with the way agencies buy time/spots now. I think it's something called "price per point." Also to answer another poster, yes, RTV is showing "The Rifleman" as well. I don't have AMC so I can't compare the two but it sounds like RTV is doing a better job than AMC with the show.
Mark_Giardina said:Spike is another example of butchering a movie to run the same damn commercials within a ten minute period. As an example Magic Phone was on twice during several commercial blocks.
I think I recall Spike a few months ago running four "Magic Jack" ads in a row -- practically all the same ad, but featuring a different retail chain in their colors (one each for Walgreens, Best Buy, Radio Shack and CVS, I think). And they're all annoying as heck.
therealjm12 said:
AMC, for a long time, did not show commercials depending instead on the subscription fees for income. Then they got greedy and began showing the same, repetitive junkmercials that every other basic cable service shows.
In addition to showing commercials AMC then began showing programs that were hardly "classics" (that is, if you measure "classics" by something other than age). Rifleman fits into that category. Throughout its run it featured only one or two story lines and was unrealistic in most other aspects except the effort to show a widowed father/son relationship, rare on TV in that period.
I'm not sure Rifleman was in the public domain when AMC began showing it but it couldn't have cost them much to air it even if not. Further greed.
AMC was perhaps the first major cable service I quit watching when they went commercial and it was the single most outstanding example of why I no longer have cable/sat. I discovered long ago you can purchase entire series on DVD for the price of cable for only one or two months. Rifleman, however, would not have been one of those purchases for me.
Cable continues cutting their own throat......and I no longer care.
I'm not defending what AMC did to The Rifleman, but I'll defend the network in general.
First, the majority of the audience out there - especially the audience advertisers want - do not want to watch classic films from the 40s and 50s. Even 60s films must seem ancient and dated by 30 year old viewers who weren't born yet. I used to run video rental stores, and I can tell you that even back in the 80s - the Classics sections of our stores went mostly untouched. Only a handful of old films (Casablanca, Public Enemy, Gone With the Wind) ever rented. The rest just sat on the shelves and gathered dust.
Second, most of these cable networks have gone generic, loaded up with true crime stories, off network reruns, and reality shows. At least AMC has bankrolled some excellent original series - like Mad Men, Rubicon, Breaking Bad, and now The Killing. To me, AMC is light years ahead of other disappointing cable channels that have abandoned their original purpose - like Bravo, and A&E.
First, the majority of the audience out there - especially the audience advertisers want - do not want to watch classic films from the 40s and 50s. Even 60s films must seem ancient and dated by 30 year old viewers who weren't born yet. I used to run video rental stores, and I can tell you that even back in the 80s - the Classics sections of our stores went mostly untouched. Only a handful of old films (Casablanca, Public Enemy, Gone With the Wind) ever rented. The rest just sat on the shelves and gathered dust.
Second, most of these cable networks have gone generic, loaded up with true crime stories, off network reruns, and reality shows. At least AMC has bankrolled some excellent original series - like Mad Men, Rubicon, Breaking Bad, and now The Killing. To me, AMC is light years ahead of other disappointing cable channels that have abandoned their original purpose - like Bravo, and A&E.
Oldies stations are now playing 90s music
Lkeller said:
Why do you, and the majority of posters, call a one-station cable service a "network"? By any definition it isn't.
Lkeller said:
You just hit the jackpot. The two original "classic movie" services, AMC and TCM, did not accept advertising so it mattered little what the demo's were.
I am 66 years old and most of the movies I watched on TCM were made well before my time too. But that is the point. There was nowhere else to watch those old classics. AMC went back to the 60's mostly but every once in awhile would show something from the 50's. I don't remember them showing anything older than that save some old chestnut like GWTW.
Then AMC goes commercial and it isn't worth watching any longer. Might as well dump cable and join Netflix.
I just wish TCM would be available on an individual basis. That continues to be the best classic movie service out there and there isn't any second place.
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