I think The TV Show should cover Channel 4's outrageous treatment of some of the US shows. I am thinking of Desperate Hosewives, The Simpsons and Ugly Betty in particular, but there are probably others I could add.

For example, the start of series 4 of DH was delayed so they could show the whole run once the writers' strike was resolved... and then they take it off for BB int he middle of the series. They could have shown it earlier, taken a break for the strike, resumed it and be done by now, or thereabouts. OR they could show it at 9pm on a Weds before BB.

Ugly Betty's second series was shown in time with the US to allegedly stop everyone watching it online (something everyone will be doing for Desperate Housewives now), but instead of bringing the series back as soon as they could after the strike ended, they have just left it.

And The Simpsons - we are several years behind Sky now, and C4 FINALLY started showing season 15 the other week, only to stop after a week's worth of episodes to bumg more repeats on.

These are good quality, popular shows, which C4 propmoted to the hilt at their outset, and they are treated terribly!

I didn't mind Channel 4 showing this season of Desperate Housewives later than usual for the very reason that I didn't want to have a gap in the season like Ugly Betty. But to take it off air mid season is an absoloute disgrace. There are only 6 episodes left.
I enjoy Big Brother, but I don't believe that Channel 4 and e4 couldn't find an hour slot to show Deperate Housewives.

Hi,

Thanks for your comments regarding Desperate Housewives... Having read them (and having understood your frustrations), I contacted C4's head of scheduling to get the lowdown on the situation.

Here's the official response below - hope it answers some of your questions:

------------------------------------------------

The reason we're taking a break in the run of series 4 is two-fold. Firstly, as I am sure you are aware, due to the Writers Strike, we had to delay the start of the series. Secondly, we had to plan our forthcoming schedules on the assumption that we would receive fewer (or even no further) episodes past episode 10.

Our schedules are drafted many months in advance and so during the break in production, we had to assume that Desperate Housewives would not be available to screen. It was therefore safer to assume that we would be able to play any remaining episodes which we might receive, in the Autumn.

I am happy to be able to tell you that we are planning to screen the remaining episodes of series 4 and the start of series 5 this year. That means we will be in sync with the US transmissions of the series and that we are able to screen a bumper run of the series in the Autumn, which we thought viewers would appreciate.

Again, we are sorry that events have meant we have had to interrupt the series in this way. We do try very hard to run all our series continuously, but unforeseen events conspired against us on this occasion.

Doncha just HATE it when a "no brain required" show like Big Brother stops everything else in its path?

What`s worse is that such rubbish programming is so over hyped that it deludes people into thinking that it`s "exciting" TV.

Although I am pretty sad that this happend to Desperate Housewives I've fallen back in love with Channel 4 for making sure we are up to date with the US for season 5!!!

I LOVE YOU CHANNEL 4 ^___^

When I first found out about this delay I was rather annoyed, but now that I know why it's happend, and it's not just about Big Brother (all this abiut not knowing of any further episodes during the strike) I think I can forgive Channel 4. Also They HAve answered my dreams!
Every eyar that Desperate Housewives is on in the US (September) I always want to watch it on the Internet, and then when it finally gets to the UK I feel awful and wish I hadn't done it because I've ruined my favourite part of the week. But now, if we have the last episodes of Season 4 and then Season 5 so that we are in sync with the US, I won't feel like I have to watch them and it will be a huge run of Desperate Housewives (29 episodes).
This Makes Me happy!

So in other words there will be another gap in Season 5 too.
Why on earth don't they just start showing them in January like they always have done.
Granted we get it later than in the states, but by the end of the run we are usually only a week or two behind fue to all the breaks the show takes in the states.

quote:

Originally posted by ILoveDesperateHousewives:
When I first found out about this delay I was rather annoyed, but now that I know why it's happend, and it's not just about Big Brother (all this abiut not knowing of any further episodes during the strike) I think I can forgive Channel 4. Also They HAve answered my dreams!
Every eyar that Desperate Housewives is on in the US (September) I always want to watch it on the Internet, and then when it finally gets to the UK I feel awful and wish I hadn't done it because I've ruined my favourite part of the week. But now, if we have the last episodes of Season 4 and then Season 5 so that we are in sync with the US, I won't feel like I have to watch them and it will be a huge run of Desperate Housewives (29 episodes).
This Makes Me happy!

There will be gaps like there are in the states. They are not gonna be showing eps here before they air in america.

oh for g0d sake enough with BB! its a whole load of poo-hucky and its ALWAYS the same!! a bunch of people looking to get famous sitting in a house yelling at each other and then making out! if i want to watch that i'll visit my friend at uni! wants to point of it all?! for people like me, who hate BB and love programmes like Desparate Housewives, its a complete frustration when you stop half way through a series to put on a show like BB! C4 you've slipped in my books!!

quote:

Originally posted by blobs:
oh for g0d sake enough with BB! its a whole load of poo-hucky and its ALWAYS the same!! a bunch of people looking to get famous sitting in a house yelling at each other and then making out! if i want to watch that i'll visit my friend at uni! wants to point of it all?! for people like me, who hate BB and love programmes like Desparate Housewives, its a complete frustration when you stop half way through a series to put on a show like BB! C4 you've slipped in my books!!

hahahh! i love your attitude to big brother
nice one

quote:

Originally posted by willowthewisp:
So in other words there will be another gap in Season 5 too.
Why on earth don't they just start showing them in January like they always have done.
Granted we get it later than in the states, but by the end of the run we are usually only a week or two behind fue to all the breaks the show takes in the states.

How will there be a gap in season 5?

quote:

Originally posted by .desperate fan:

quote:

Originally posted by willowthewisp:
So in other words there will be another gap in Season 5 too.
Why on earth don't they just start showing them in January like they always have done.
Granted we get it later than in the states, but by the end of the run we are usually only a week or two behind fue to all the breaks the show takes in the states.

How will there be a gap in season 5?

In the states they run 23 episodes of Desperate Hosuewives over a 38 season week.
Therefore they have episodes on for a few weeks, then no new episodes for weeks on end.
They are obviously not going to be airing them here before they do in the US, so therefore there will have to be breaks, as usually DH airs here in January and we only end up being 1 or 2 episodes behind the US as they start airing DH in September.
Therefore we will have to have a break in Season 5 to allow us to catch up.

Oh my god really? I never knew that! Why would they do that the idiots lol.

4's treatment of US TV shows is an absolute disgrace. The Strike was resolved in February so why can't they bring the postponed US TV shows back? Big Brother. Ridiculous. The whole point of showing Betty in October was to keep up with the US and stop people going online. The show last aired December: 6 months ago. An utter disgrace. DH started late which was appalling, it could've been shown earlier then taken a break, but no. I find it hard to believe that there was no slot on E4 or 4 for DH and Betty. Maybe, they could cut down on BB time which hogs 4's schedule. I am appalled with 4 and will be going online.

To be honest, its not all C4's fault. It is mostly to do with the strike and C4 having to schedule months in advance. I am missing Ugly Betty though.

All the US shows were a bit mucked up this year, but thats the US's fault, not the UK's.

That doesn't explain why they have been mucking about with The Simpsons when we are five years behind on that!

As for Betty, they said it would return in spring and it hasn't; and they could easily show DH before or after BB or instead of another 'new' series of Location x3 which will inevitable contan more revisits than new episodes.

quote:

Originally posted by rad6380:
That doesn't explain why they have been mucking about with The Simpsons when we are five years behind on that!

As for Betty, they said it would return in spring and it hasn't; and they could easily show DH before or after BB or instead of another 'new' series of Location x3 which will inevitable contan more revisits than new episodes.

XD You're so right on this, and what I loved the most about the post is, how you didn't say "Location, Location, Location" - You just said x3 gold. That show is a load of bollucks tho. Isn't there a Relocation x3 or something as well? And wasn't there a "Vacation, Vacation, Vacation." Or was I having nightmares about those?

AH! Been on holiday, and flicking through my digibox, discovered no more DJ - I thought I was going mad!