Were The Networks Wrong To "Abandon" Saturday Nights??

[firepoint525]

Networks stopped putting strong programming in Saturday prime because HUT levels were declining, not vice-versa. Even if you packed Saturday night with the biggest shows in TV, at most you'd see a spike in DVR usage. Commute times being what they are in major American cities, Friday's not as good a night for going out as Saturday. Sunday's out for most people with work on Monday morning....Saturday's the only night

With regard to commute times, it seems to me that starting prime-time at 8:00 p.m. EST offsets that somewhat. I have lived in the central time zone my entire life, and to me, the 7:00-8:00 p.m. hour on Eastern time just sort of feels "wasted." It's the Jeopardy/Wheel of Fortune for most stations that carry it, and rerun hour for those that don't.

I remember on a trip to Chattanooga, turning on the TV on my motel room, and noticing that some show was "just now" coming on. But then, I forgot that we were on eastern time there. But then I met a girl from Georgia who moved to Nashville and had the opposite perspective. She would miss shows because she would tune in too late to see them.

Bringing this back on topic (kinda sorta), channel 6 in Paducah, KY, carried Saturday Night Liveone hour delayed at 11:30 p.m. CST for many years. That always seemed very late to me, but east-coasters were seeing it at 11:30 in their time zone anyway.

 

[firepoint525]

I've often wondered if the people who DVR/Tivo/VHS?/rewind TV series throughout the week end up watching them on Saturday nights and just don't admit to it.....

Revisiting this from the opposite angle, it is possible that the invention of the VCR and other "delaying" devices led to Saturday night slowly becoming a TV wasteland. The shows mentioned earlier were "appointment TV" for many of you, but with the invention of the VCR, you could now tape those programs and watch them later at your own convenience, while you still went out for a night on the town. Previously, if you wanted to go out, you just missed whatever program that it was that you might have wanted to see. You might have been able to see it as a rerun a few months later. Otherwise, you would just have to wait 40 years for it to come out on DVD! ;D

 

[KeithE4]

But never say never when it comes to breaking tradition. The Super Bowl used to be in mid-January. Now it has moved to early February.

The Super Bowl is in February because the number of weeks (14 at first, then 16, now 17) and the start date of the NFL season changed over the years. The fact that it's the first weekend of a Sweeps Week has nothing to do with it (yeah, right! : ).

 

[firepoint525]

But never say never when it comes to breaking tradition. The Super Bowl used to be in mid-January. Now it has moved to early February.

The Super Bowl is in February because the number of weeks (14 at first, then 16, now 17) and the start date of the NFL season changed over the years. The fact that it's the first weekend of a Sweeps Week has nothing to do with it (yeah, right! : ).

Add to that the fact that the game starts late enough that it will always go into prime time! Which is at 6:00 p.m. on Sundays. So prime time is already an hour earlier, anyway.

 

[editthis]

Super Bowl moved to the first sunday in February after 9/11, the NFL didn't play for a week and it pushed the entrie season back a week and the Super Bowl landed in the first Sunday in February instead of the last in January and needless to say the networks LOVED IT because it was in sweeps. That change became permanent.

 

[KeithE4]

Super Bowl moved to the first sunday in February after 9/11, the NFL didn't play for a week and it pushed the entrie season back a week and the Super Bowl landed in the first Sunday in February instead of the last in January and needless to say the networks LOVED IT because it was in sweeps. That change became permanent.

It also allows college football to have Labor Day weekend pretty much for itself. Granted, NFL Preseason Week 4 is also that Thursday (sometimes Fridays as well, but not this year), but none of the networks broadcast any of those games. Those are local broadcasts only, and usually only rookies and borderline players fighting for the last roster spots play that week anyway.

If any starters play at all, it'll be in the first series or two, just like Preseason Week 1. Not much of an attraction for the networks with the stars not playing most of the game.

 

[Corky Marlowe]

Seems like sports is about the only thing that really works on Saturday nights now. ABC, of course, has the marquee college football game of the week on Saturday nights, with maybe a NASCAR race thrown in one week. A couple years ago, CBS tried showing an MMA match with Kimbo Slice on a Saturday night, and it totally bombed.

 

[philosofy]

the advertisers think no one under 50 is home during Saturday evening, isn't British TV government run or subsidized?

Only the BBC is subsidized. ITV, which runs Britain's Got Talent, is just as much of a commercial business as the networks here in the US.

 

[nomadcowatbk]

the advertisers think no one under 50 is home during Saturday evening, isn't British TV government run or subsidized?

Only the BBC is subsidized. ITV, which runs Britain's Got Talent, is just as much of a commercial business as the networks here in the US.

are they concerned about demographics?

 

[mgsports]

Smash was on Saturday's. So is MLB on Fox and College Football on FOX and ABC.

 

[arnoldevns]

Indeed, there has been some talk of moving the super bowl to Saturday. That is an event that could work there. The reason for moving it has more to do with people missing work on Mondays though. I don't think it will be moved though.

 

[Morgan Wick]

Smash was on Saturday's. So is MLB on Fox and College Football on FOX and ABC.

Smash was being burned off after being cancelled.

 

[philosofy]

the advertisers think no one under 50 is home during Saturday evening, isn't British TV government run or subsidized?

Only the BBC is subsidized. ITV, which runs Britain's Got Talent, is just as much of a commercial business as the networks here in the US.

are they concerned about demographics?

Who? I would imagine all networks, domestic or overseas, are concerned about their demos. But I wouldn't have a clue about that. Its not something I even really care about for the US networks.

 

[nomadcowatbk]

Indeed, there has been some talk of moving the super bowl to Saturday. That is an event that could work there. The reason for moving it has more to do with people missing work on Mondays though. I don't think it will be moved though.

there would be more people at bars on Saturdays which Neilsen doesn't measure, networks want people at home

 

[michael hagerty]

Indeed, there has been some talk of moving the super bowl to Saturday. That is an event that could work there. The reason for moving it has more to do with people missing work on Mondays though. I don't think it will be moved though.

there would be more people at bars on Saturdays which Neilsen doesn't measure, networks want people at home

Yeah, this really is a fundamental lifestyle change. If/when it ends, it won't be because of what's on TV that night.

 

[nomadcowatbk]

Among the shows that ran on Saturday nights ....

The Jackie Gleason Show
Perry Mason
The Defenders
Your Show of Shows
Perry Como
Get Smart
All In The Family
MASH
The Jeffersons
Bob Newhart
Mary Tyler Moore
Carol Burnett
Gunsmoke
Hollywood Palace
Saturday Night at the Movies
Saturday Night Live

Give people a reason and they'll stay home, or at least program their DVRs.

most of those shows were on before time shifting was available to the masses

 

[nomadcowatbk]

Super Bowl moved to the first sunday in February after 9/11, the NFL didn't play for a week and it pushed the entrie season back a week and the Super Bowl landed in the first Sunday in February instead of the last in January and needless to say the networks LOVED IT because it was in sweeps. That change became permanent.

when the NFL opened the season on Labor Weekend TV ratings were low because people weren't at home, they're home the next weekend

 

[anotherguyTN]

Another factor to consider even for those who do stay home is that VCRs, DVD players, and services like Netflix have made not only Saturday night, but also Friday and Sunday nights movie nights for many people. It's not an every weekend thing for me, but considering the networks have nothing new on most Saturday nights except live sports, it's nothing unusual for me to watch something from Netflix or a DVD instead.

 

[bpatrick]

Interesting that when television was new, the networks didn't
think they could attract an audience on Saturday night; after
all, in radio days "Your Hit Parade" was about the only big Saturday-
night draw (although "Truth Or Consequences" was among the top-
rated shows, especially during the Mr. Hush, Miss Hush, and the Walking
Man contests in the mid-to-late '40s). The reason was the same as today:
Saturday night is "date night." However, somebody took a chance, and people
began staying home to watch Sid Caesar and Jackie Gleason.

However, there were no alternatives such as DVDs and Netflix in the '50s,
nor do I think there's anyone out there who could take the country by storm
the way Caesar and Gleason (or even Archie Bunker) did and make people (especially
younger ones, and you have to remember that Caesar's and Gleason's shows once
had younger demographics--when the shows were new, as did "All In The Family") want
to stay home. I don't even think any network could ever duplicate the CBS 1973-74
lineup of "All In The Family," "M*A*S*H," Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart, and Carol Burnett
on Saturday.

Then there's Friday, also a night the networks are abandoning; I haven't seen anything
really dominate that night since ABC's "TGIF" lineup (aimed at kids), and I still think CBS
is making a suicidal move, putting "Hawaii Five-O" on Fridays.

Finally, I understand that viewing among 12-34-year-olds is down across the week;
too many high-tech alternatives. And part of that age group (18-34) is one that advertisers
want.

I don't see much hope for a revival of new network shows (other than sports) on Saturdays;
all I see is more of Lawrence Welk (you might be surprised to see how many people as young
as their 40s, and I know a few, watch him because they can't find anything else at 7 PM)
and British sitcoms (at least in my area) on PBS. And Friday is going the same way; I don't
even think one of ABC's former crown jewels, "20/20," is getting huge ratings anymore.

I would like to see either ABC or CBS (preferably CBS) air college basketball on Saturday
nights (I prefer CBS since they have the SEC).

 

[nomadcowatbk]

Another factor to consider even for those who do stay home is that VCRs, DVD players, and services like Netflix have made not only Saturday night, but also Friday and Sunday nights movie nights for many people. It's not an every weekend thing for me, but considering the networks have nothing new on most Saturday nights except live sports, it's nothing unusual for me to watch something from Netflix or a DVD instead.

networks don't even run chopped up movies anymore, they've left that to channels like TBS