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

[vchimpanzee]

Back on topic -- one show I believe is doing great on Saturday nights is "Sabado Gigante" on Univision, which I believe is still one of the network's most-popular shows.

I tried that once when I was in a motel where cable came with the room. The host is great.

My favorite part of the show, for obvious reasons, was "Fun with English".

 

[nomadcowatbk]

Sorry if this has been asked on this thread, but since CBS is *no longer* sister to Paramount, the Eye has nothing to lose by "reclaiming" Saturday night. Why doesn't it?

ixnay

even people over 50 go out on Saturday evenings

 

[ixnay]

Sorry if this has been asked on this thread, but since CBS is *no longer* sister to Paramount, the Eye has nothing to lose by "reclaiming" Saturday night. Why doesn't it?

ixnay

If you'll read some of the previous postings, your answer to that will be provided. In a changed world in which people in the desirable demographic have a lot of free time and disposable income for outside (the home) entertainment, and not enough time to watch all the shows they DVR on the other 6 days, it makes no economic sense for any of the networks to produce shows for Saturday night. Whether any network does or does not own a movie studio has nothing to do with it

Well, I was in the middle of getting dress and going off to work, so I didn't have time to peruse 12 pages thoroughly. I trust you understand, Lkeller.

ixnay

 

[anotherguyTN]

Another factor to consider is shopping. A lot of people do their shopping for the week on Saturdays, and that extends into the evening, especially in the Summer. Sometimes it may be just to get the shopping done, and in other cases it might be considered part of the date night. But in any case those people won't be watching TV.

 

[BMR]

BTW the UK's saturday night was a bit of a wasteland until fairly recently. it's only when X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing and Britain's got talent launched that ratings began to improve

Keep in mind those are reality shows, which are cheap to produce. If they weren't such ratings hits here, they'd be prime candidates for Saturday nights here too. But they make more money airing during the week. As others in this thread have said, no one will put a hit show in Saturday because it'll make more money on another night.

I'm not sure Xfactor etc would pull in family audiences in the UK on the same way on a week night. Families are happy to let the kids stay up for the X factor/ Strictly results show. They wouldn't do that on a 'school night'

Another factor to consider is shopping. A lot of people do their shopping for the week on Saturdays, and that extends into the evening, especially in the Summer.

Now you might be on to something there. In the UK, shops tend to close around 6pm on a Saturday, whereas during the week they stay open later.

 

[LKellerIII]

I realize that this thread addresses primarily the "Big 4" networks, but I noticed this on AMC. The new season of their dramatic series "Hell on Wheels" is scheduled to premiere Saturday August 10th. ??? Of course, they'll repeat it a number of times during the following weeks and make it available On Demand, so the actual premiere probably doesn't have too much of an impact.

 

[vchimpanzee]

"The First Family" airs on Saturday nights where I live. They're finished with original episodes for the season, but the point is they were original. They did not air during prime time.

It's on Sundays on another channel I can receive with an antenna with some difficulty.

 

[cool_guy82]

SHOW I USE TO WATCH ON SATURDAY NIGHTS :

DR. QUINN MEDICINE WOMAN (CBS)
WALKER TEXAS RANGER (CBS)
RAVEN (CBS)
TWIN PEAKS (ABC)
TOTALLY HIDDEN VIDEO (FOX)
THE GOLDEN GIRLS (NBC)
EMPTY NEST (NBC)
HANGIN' WITH MR. COOPER (ABC)
WHO'S THE BOSS? (ABC)
GROWING PAINS (ABC)
CAPITOL CRITTERS (ABC)
MARRIED WITH CHILDREN (FOX - BREIF TIME)
PARADISE (CBS)
THE YOUNG RIDERS (ABC)
TALES FROM THE CRYPT (FOX, RE-RUNS FROM HBO)

 

[TVCOOL]

Just give saturday nights back to the stations. and just program 6 nights a week.

 

[TheBigA]

Just give saturday nights back to the stations. and just program 6 nights a week.

Giving back network time is like giving away money. It's worse...it guarantees a loss. You can't do that.

The other side is the stations can't fill the time either, for the same reason. They'd just run off-net re-runs or syndication. How's that better?

If the stations HAD something better, they'd run it. They don't.

 

[anotherguyTN]

Even worse, a lot of stations would run infomercials and not make any effort to do anything better. THe networks don't need to give any time back to local stations.

 

[Lord Zedd 93]

I usually (when I'm not watching the Orlando Predators lose) watch ME TV or RETRO TV. Saturday night. I read this same discussion in Variety in the 90's. Dr Quinn Medicine Woman was an unexpected hit on Saturday. That slowed the bleeding down for CBS, but they have not duplicated that.

 

[nomadcowatbk]

I usually (when I'm not watching the Orlando Predators lose) watch ME TV or RETRO TV. Saturday night. I read this same discussion in Variety in the 90's. Dr Quinn Medicine Woman was an unexpected hit on Saturday. That slowed the bleeding down for CBS, but they have not duplicated that.

the people at home on Saturday evenings have many options, including reading this message board