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M*A*S*H GOING TO PRIMETIME ON TV LAND, HOW DOES THIS SHOW GET ON SO MANY NETWORK

gregg75

gregg75

TV Land is bringing MASH back to primetime starting Aug. 15th (8-9PM)
http://blog.sitcomsonline.com/ (Wed. 20th). How does this program get onto so many
networks? It's on ION, TV Land, ME-TV and possibly more. Are they just buying certain
seasons or programs for their networks?

MASH was ok, but do we need to see 30+ episodes a week?
 
gregg75 said:
TV Land is bringing MASH back to primetime starting Aug. 15th (8-9PM)
http://blog.sitcomsonline.com/ (Wed. 20th). How does this program get onto so many
networks? It's on ION, TV Land, ME-TV and possibly more. Are they just buying certain
seasons or programs for their networks?

MASH was ok, but do we need to see 30+ episodes a week?
Click to expand...

1. There are too many program providers and not enough content to go around.

2. M*A*S*H is a show which has passed the test of time... excellent ensemble cast... excellent writing. If people were not watching it, program providers would not buy it.
 
Now, thanks for the comments but none have answered the question. How does it get on so
many networks? Why doesn't Me-TV (or ION) have exclusive rights (as they have on many other
shows)? Are they buying certain seasons or episodes? Or does it cost extra for them to get the
show all to themselves?
 
mysticnitekatt said:
Because it's a good series!
Click to expand...

Yeaaaaah, sort of. When it was funny, it was awesome! Especially the earlier seasons. But when it started getting serious and preachy, it could be a real drag. Frankly, many of the later episodes don't seem to stand the test of time as well as the earlier ones did. I've watched them all, multiple times. And I rarely watch them now. Why? Because I had my fill.

But this brings up an excellent point. There are certain series that are on multiple channels in multiple timeslots. So overplayed that it's nauseating. Some of these shows weren't so "classic" to begin with. So, I'd pose the "why?" question as well for the likes of:

Rosanne (totally overplayed)
Married With Children
The Nanny (seriously!)
Everybody Loves Raymond
The Cosby Show
Anything with Tyler Perry (who is NOT funny but who IS egotistical)
 
Re: M*A*S*H GOING TO PRIMETIME ON TV LAND, HOW DOES THIS SHOW GET ON SO MANY NET

Well there is a lot of TV content now. It's not like in the 50s when TV was running travelogs or whatever they could find to get any content on their TV station

It would probably cost ME-TV or other networks more money to tie the show to an exclusive contract. M*A*S*H and other shows listed in this thread are proven to make money. Why mess with something that is working?

I don't know why sitcoms or dramas are often taken out of the library. I am a great fan of Jack Benny and one of the Jack Benny clubs offered to raise money to restore the old shows so they could be put out on DVD and it was rejected out right by the owner of the shows. They claimed it wouldn't make them any money.
 
BRNout said:
mysticnitekatt said:
Because it's a good series!
Click to expand...

Yeaaaaah, sort of. When it was funny, it was awesome! Especially the earlier seasons. But when it started getting serious and preachy, it could be a real drag. Frankly, many of the later episodes don't seem to stand the test of time as well as the earlier ones did. I've watched them all, multiple times. And I rarely watch them now. Why? Because I had my fill.

But this brings up an excellent point. There are certain series that are on multiple channels in multiple timeslots. So overplayed that it's nauseating. Some of these shows weren't so "classic" to begin with. So, I'd pose the "why?" question as well for the likes of:

Rosanne (totally overplayed)
Married With Children
The Nanny (seriously!)
Everybody Loves Raymond
The Cosby Show
Anything with Tyler Perry (who is NOT funny but who IS egotistical)
Click to expand...
You can't forget "That 70's Show", they may not be on that many channels then they where, but its still overkill
 
Yes a lot of those shows are played to death. I'd rather see something that isn't. Pull
something out like Mary Tyler Moore on Me-TV.....which hasn't been seen in awhile.

I thought the early years of MASH were better also. When the British guy came on
board, it seemed the show tanked IMO. I can watch MASH, but 95% of the time there
is something better on another network.
 
From what I've seen in my area, MASH is only on ION on weelends for filler now, ME-TV isn't available in Memphis or Jackson, TN yet, it has only been on TV Land on late nights and occasional weekend marathons in the last few years, and no local station in Memphis or Jackson, TN carries it any more. So there is no overkill of MASH in my area, and I'll be glad to see it on TV Land in prime time. Also, with the way TV Land does things it won't be too long until MASH is pushed back to late night and replaced with something else.

gregg75 said:
I thought the early years of MASH were better also. When the British guy came on
board, it seemed the show tanked IMO. I can watch MASH, but 95% of the time there
is something better on another network.
Click to expand...

Are you referring to Major Winchester? He was from Boston, not England. I'll admit that the early years were the best, but I'd rather see one of the worst episodes of MASH than a lot of newer shows.
 
gregg75 said:
Now, thanks for the comments but none have answered the question. How does it get on so
many networks? Why doesn't Me-TV (or ION) have exclusive rights (as they have on many other
shows)? Are they buying certain seasons or episodes? Or does it cost extra for them to get the
show all to themselves?
Click to expand...
The reason why M*A*S*H is on so many networks and in broadcast syndication is: none of the networks have exclusive rights. 20th Television is selling the rights to air M*A*S*H to whoever wants to air it without exclusivity. By doing that, they can make has much money as can be made from it.
 
I loved the early seasons of M A S H. Larry Linville as Frank Burns was hilarious to say the least. One would be surprised at how many in the medical field are just like Frank Burns.
 
powergate92 said:
The reason why M*A*S*H is on so many networks and in broadcast syndication is: none of the networks have exclusive rights. 20th Television is selling the rights to air M*A*S*H to whoever wants to air it without exclusivity. By doing that, they can make has much money as can be made from it.
Click to expand...

To expand on that answer, it's business. If the syndicator feels they can make more money keeping the show's broadcast rights non-exclusive, they do that, and if they don't feel they can make more money, vice-versa. It's their call to figure out which path, for the given show, will make them the most money.

Always follow the money...
 
I prefer the first five seasons (pre-Winchester), although the later years held up better than I expected on repeat viewings. But it was funnier as a military satire that only got 'touchy-feely/preachy' once in a while, rather than that 'homey, close-knit family' atmosphere, the overwrought "BJ misses Peg" stuff, the 'Klinger tries really, really hard to be taken seriouly in a Toledo Mudhens cap, instead of women's clothes', and the 'whose turn is it this week to fall in love, then never see him/her again?' romantic subplots.
 
I watched the show every day after supper in college. There were comfortable seats in the student lounge at one school and in the dormitory TV rooms at another (I was in an apartment building, actually, but that's what everyone was watching). To watch my TV meant sitting in a wooden chair.
 
It gets on so many networks for the same reasons COPS does (It's on FOX, TruTV & G4 as well as many local OTA stations). It's a proven ratings grabber & is CHEAP

Cheers :D
 
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