Dec 16 2008
Are commercial breaks evil? The delicate balance of programming and funding
Is TV making a monkey out of us all?
Image from ITV News
I’ve never met anyone who actually liked commercial breaks in TV shows. On the odd occasion that you do actually want to go to the toilet or make a cup of tea, they are actually useful.
However, unless you have a bladder weakness or are addicted to Earl Grey or something, you’re gonna have to sit through another pile of dirge whilst you’re waiting for Coronation Street to come back on.
A whole new pseudo-science!
The worst thing about it, though, is the psychological effect called “anticipationism”, a term made up by me just now to describe that feeling of preparing yourself for the next commercial break. Okay, say you’re sitting down to watch a film on Channel Five. The first break occurs twenty five minutes into the movie, so your eye naturally turns to the clock and you estimate, in your head, what time the next break will be so you can get a Coke from fridge or a piece of cake or whatever.
It ain’t like that though: in actual fact the next break occurs 45 minutes later and it’s totally unexpected, messing up your brain and leaving you to go starving for an extra twenty minutes.
“I can live with that, though”
Okay, maybe a film wasn’t a good example. Let’s take The Simpsons, a seminal favourite that regularly pops up on the “Top television shows ever” list. Did you know that Simpsons episodes are only actually 20-22 minutes long? Well, if you used to watch the show on the BBC you probably will - it came on at six o clock, just after the Weakest Link and ran straight through, no breaks to around twenty past. Brill.
However, Channel 4 currently own the rights to The Simpsons and is intent on stringing the thing out to a whole half hour. That’s 8-10 minutes worth of adverts for Domino’s Pizza and other crud you don’t want to buy! Sometimes it really is a test of patience.
Chicken and egg scenario
Okay, I will concede that I know adverts are necessary to fund the channel. After all, The Simpsons wouldn’t be shown on C4 if it didn’t have the money to buy it. There has to be a balance somewhere though - why do some breaks last thirty seconds whilst others last five minutes?
As a final point, back to the idea of ‘anticipationism’. Ads make you conscious of the fact there’s going to be a break coming up, so instead of enjoying Emmerdale Farm or House you end up clock watching, waiting for that commercial. Well, there is a solution to all this. Sky Plus! The day you can fast forward live television will be a triumph for mankind.
You have a point but my commercials appear every 5 minutes it seems. i actually enjoy some of them at least the truly funny ones. My dad and I make a game out of commenting something stupid on each commercial. I have even taken to trying to equate to each commercial which of the 7 deadly sins it is trying to get you to break. that one is fun to figure out.
Good job on your blog.
Yes, yes, please someone invent fast forward TV. I know what you mean about Sky Plus. I record and then fast forward through the ads.
Forgot to say that monkeys are the only good thing about TV ads! Have you seen the Dairy Milk Gorilla?
YouTube is good for you!
I wouldn’t watch telly at all except to amuse my daughter. “In The Night Garden” drinking game: when Derek Jacobi says “What a pip!”, blow your brains out to get that BLOODY tune out of your head.