ME-TV Another Network That Edits The Hell Out Of Their Programs

[The Voice of Reason]

My local cable access channel recently aired a number of shows currently featured on Me-TV and I was flabbergasted at how much editing Me-TV does to a program. The plain simple fact is that Me-TV butchers a show by cutting out numerous scenes to the point that the plot itself is diluted.

I'm quite aware that like all commercial operations Me-TV has to make money to survive. But the Me-TV station where I live spends most of its time promoting its main local affiliate. And that same promotion is repeated several times within a half hour. Does the word Overkill sound familiar?

 

[Bob1370]

What everyone may be seeing is an artifact of how programs were edited to allow for both added barter spots and another local spot availability or two, when the shows were first sold to local stations for syndication after going off-network. Networks back in the day (1950 through about 1990) limited the number of spots to equivalent of about 10 minutes an hour and made up for it by charging higher (for the time) unit rates. Remember there were only three networks during most of that era, and not all three even reached every market until the late 1960s, thus few places for a national advertiser to reach his targets--so rates could be kept high. By the time local stations got their hands on them, they needed some extra availabilities, so syndicators obliged and edited them in (not to mention squeezing in a few national barter spots).

What you're seeing now, is a replay of the shows as they were edited for syndication. Maybe the original network edits with additional footage exist somewhere, in the studio's archives, but for the most part it's more cost-effective to just take what the syndicator (who still owns the rights in most cases) has on the shelf rather than going back and digging out the old network masters.

 

[FreddyE1977]

Me TV disturbs me less with their edits than with their time compression that constantly speeds up and slows
down the background music throughout an entire program. It is literally driving me insane after a little while.
Like that scene in the movie "One, Two, Three" where the East Germans torture that guy by playing "Itsy
Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" with the record's hole drilled off-center.

 

[landtuna]

Me TV disturbs me less with their edits than with their time compression that constantly speeds up and slows
down the background music throughout an entire program. It is literally driving me insane after a little while.
Like that scene in the movie "One, Two, Three" where the East Germans torture that guy by playing "Itsy
Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" with the record's hole drilled off-center.

You DO realize that scene is intentionally that way, right? ;D

 

[nomadcowatbk]

What you're seeing now, is a replay of the shows as they were edited for syndication. Maybe the original network edits with additional footage exist somewhere, in the studio's archives, but for the most part it's more cost-effective to just take what the syndicator (who still owns the rights in most cases) has on the shelf rather than going back and digging out the old network masters.

probably also explains why syndication edits appear on DVD, the original unedited shows may not be in presentable condition if they even still exist

 

[nomadcowatbk]

Are these edited any more than the syndicated edits that were probably available to them?

 

[RBW]

Is the OP on this thread watching an actual MeTV afilliate? As far as I'm concerned (for the most part) I think they do a pretty good job of presenting original content. Take a 30 min sitcom for example. After the opening credits, there's only ONE net promo played. Show starts within 30 seconds. Then if it's a typical sitcom, the next break (at mid-point) is roughly 3-4 minutes (a tad long, yes). Then after the 2nd segment, maybe 2 mins? of spots. Then the "epilogue" (or tag scene) which when shown by MOST independents back during the 80's & 90's would ALWAYS cut -- followed by the FULL closing credits. About the only hour-long show I'll usually catch (in entirety) on MeTV is "Lost in Space" (once a kid-always a kid i guess.) Anyway, I've seen those episodes ump-teen times, and if they ARE editing them...it's not particularly noticeable. I remember back when A&E used to run "The Avengers". They would BUTCHER those and run their breaks BETWEEN the natural segment breaks, [at :07 & :23 past for example] so they could edit at a point when it was less noticeable. At least MeTV doesn't do THAT with their programs!! I HAVE perhaps at times noticed a bit of time compression, but it didn't ruin the show for me.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

I've noticed Me-TV has sped up the credits on a few episodes of The Untouchables.

RTV has sped up the credits on a lot of (one hour) episodes of Naked City.

 

[LKellerIII]

Me TV disturbs me less with their edits than with their time compression that constantly speeds up and slows
down the background music throughout an entire program. It is literally driving me insane after a little while.
Like that scene in the movie "One, Two, Three" where the East Germans torture that guy by playing "Itsy
Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" with the record's hole drilled off-center.

It's driving you literally insane? Please stop watching Me TV immediately! It's not worth your mental health. - not to mention the cost to your family of institutionalizing you. ;D

 

[cspotrun]

i tried watching "The Guns Of Will Sonnett"- the edits look like they were made with a meat cleaver, its the worst example i've seen.
having said that, i Love MeTV... The Honeymooners STILL crack me up no matter how many times i've seen it.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

I haven't seen Will Sonnett--is it from the 35mm originals or 16mm?

I've noticed Branded--which airs between Rebel and Will--is 16mm junk!
Aren't the 35mm prints still around?

The Rebel is pretty good-looking 35mm, but with no Johnny Cash vocal either
at the beginning or end credits. Guess Worldvision couldn't license the song.

 

[Mark Giardina]

i tried watching "The Guns Of Will Sonnett"- the edits look like they were made with a meat cleaver, its the worst example i've seen.

I agree 100 percent. That program is poorly edited; as is Branded with Chuck Connors. One can not follow the story line because key parts are edited out.

 

[nsa1]

I haven't seen Will Sonnett--is it from the 35mm originals or 16mm?

Looks like 16mm, the edits are done by chopping and splicing the film. Must be an old syndicated version from the 80's or eariler. Same deal with "Branded". I think these are/were both syndicated by King World.

I agree most MeTv shows look great. Both Twilight Zone and Hogan's Heroes appear to be uncut (but speeded up). Others, like Star Trek and Perry Mason, are edited. I guess it depends on what they get from the distributors.

 

[therealjm12]

I believe the Star Trek are the episodes syndicated to local broadcast stations a couple years ago. Very subtle digital effects were added and the colors are very bright. They do look great. Otherwise, I have noticed a little speeding up of some series and hard edit to commercials. They run an extra breaks in Gunsmoke & Wild Wild, West among others. Both series have obvious breaks but in the last 15 minutes ME-TV runs an extra break. Sometimes right in the middle of a scene.
Ya gotta remember, these series were made for a lot less limited commercial time. ME-TV needs to add commercial time to be profitable. I can tolerate it as long they don't butcher shows like TV Land does.

 

[Markxxx]

I don't care for the edits but I look at it like this. I bought the "Odd Couple" on DVD. They are edited but even edited the show is still far better than anything currently running on TV.

Felix) I thought you had LaCross Shoulder which you get from playing La Cross or living in Wisconsin.

 

[LKellerIII]

Ah for the good old days, when those new UHF indy stations couldn't sell all their available commercial time.

I remember seeing The Stu Erwin Show reruns on some long bankrupt UHF station in the mid 60s. The station breaks went like this:

ANNOUNCER: "The Irwins will return in a moment. And now back to the Irwins"

 

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