A UK Drama Rant!!!!

Barrychuckle

Administrator
Staff member
I'm away so was initially delighted to see UK Drama are showing a few of the LOTSW Christmas specials back to back this afternoon. However I've had to abandon them due to the sheer number of adverts shown which make it unwatchable. Been the sad person I am I've timed the ads, they run for 6 minutes and they are shown every 9 minutes as regular as clockwork (which also ruins the flow of the show). As they show the episodes in 9 minute chunks between each set of ads, they have to cut out 3 minutes from each episode to fit into their schedule.

So that means that when you watch this channel 40% of the time you're watching ads and they still want to cut your episode by 10% to fit in even more ads!!!! Oh and if that weren't enough, they regularly flash up text showing their new content during the programme. I understand that ads pay for content but to me this is greed which makes our wonderful show unwatchable to any new viewers who may drop in to see it for the first time :mad:
 
If and it's a big IF I watch anything on an advert channel I always record it so I can fast forward. My TV would not be able to withstand the amount of abuse and remote controls being hurled it's way. And as for the cutting out scenes I don't think my blood pressure would withstand that. DVDs all the way for me.
 
As I have mentioned many times I hate the BBC for doing this, as they now own outright the UK brand channels on which they have pumped out LOSW since the start of Satellite TV back in 1990 and endlessly repeated it since then, it seems never repeated on the main BBC channels, it must of earned them a lot of money via adverts, they are also flogging the show on Britbox this time a subscription service earning them more money, as Pearl mention the only route to go is get the DVD set, even these has been clipped a little from the original broadcasts, but nothing like the editing out what they now feel is unsuitable for the viewing public.
This is why I told them to Bog Off with their TV tax and have not watched anything live for about 9 years, and to be honest I have not missed it, I have a very large collection of DVDs, some purchased new and many second hand from the £1300 saved in TV tax
 
It's the truncating of episodes that really gets my goat! You have expertly written & directed, scripts which have been edited for maximum entertainment. Then someone who probably has no understanding of the show is given the job of cutting the episode further to make room for the ads.

Sometimes quiz programmes which are an hour are cut by a quarter and often don't even make sense!!!
 
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Yes, the direction ad supported programming has gone is quite sad. It feels like these companies are trying to push you even more towards the subscription services. Even there, though, ads are beginning to be a bigger part of the picture. Amazon charging me quite a bit per month for free (but no longer two day) delivery and their streaming service, now will be running ads as part of that fee. YouTube is, at times, almost unwatchable due to ads (though I've noticed how many varies greatly by which version of their app you are using). So, its all quite frustrating.
 
Yes, the direction ad supported programming has gone is quite sad. It feels like these companies are trying to push you even more towards the subscription services. Even there, though, ads are beginning to be a bigger part of the picture. Amazon charging me quite a bit per month for free (but no longer two day) delivery and their streaming service, now will be running ads as part of that fee. YouTube is, at times, almost unwatchable due to ads (though I've noticed how many varies greatly by which version of their app you are using). So, its all quite frustrating.
Re YouTube just get an ad blocker as long as you don’t sign into an account it won’t recognise it.
 
There is also an app you can side load onto your Fire TV stick/cube, or any other android box for that matter. If interested I can forward where to get it with install instructions. It's Youtube without the garbage..
 
The only time I ever disabled my ad blocker was when I watched @theatrically_inclined Summer Wine decanted videos so he'd get the financial recognition he deserved. But he informed me that he got nothing from YouTube despite me watching ads they added to his channel :mad:

I'll have to buy him half a blackcurrant cordial when I meet him in Holmfirth instead :p
 
I too am fed up to the back teeth with advertising! I basically no longer watch "free to air" TV (No licence fees Down Under thankfully) because of the damn things. Some adverts are quite good and clever to watch....ONCE! not on endless repeat every couple of minutes.

As programming and Station notifications are NOT classified as adverts ( They bl**##@@@^^^y well ARE) not only do you get every couple of minutes of a show interrupted by the SAME adverts...even in the same order over and over and over and over and over......you also get continuous messaging about what is coming up tonight...tomorrow...next month...next year... endlessly.

On Free to Air tv, basically what you get is advertising, interrupted occasionally by a show and THEY are basically Krapp these days anyway.
We even have a show over here with a panel of advertising Gurus talking about how spendiforous and world changing advertising is!
(pardon me while I barf! :15: )

I watch a lot of things online these days, but even there the damn adverts are getting in. YouTube (as previously mentioned above) is almost unwatchable due to them now. I even PAY for their "premium" service (Don't mind paying for things I (Note: what "I" !!) want to see ) but because everyone wants to "Monetise" (I HATE that word) themselves you get the people on channels doing their own advertising in the middle of their shows! and you cannot block that!

Also, just as an aside, when did "Like, Subscribe, Comment and "hit that" Notification Bell" become a greeting???


Ok,,,,be honest here...am I becoming a grumpy old man???!!! *>:*>:
 
I too am fed up to the back teeth with advertising! I basically no longer watch "free to air" TV (No licence fees Down Under thankfully) because of the damn things. Some adverts are quite good and clever to watch....ONCE! not on endless repeat every couple of minutes.

As programming and Station notifications are NOT classified as adverts ( They bl**##@@@^^^y well ARE) not only do you get every couple of minutes of a show interrupted by the SAME adverts...even in the same order over and over and over and over and over......you also get continuous messaging about what is coming up tonight...tomorrow...next month...next year... endlessly.

On Free to Air tv, basically what you get is advertising, interrupted occasionally by a show and THEY are basically Krapp these days anyway.
We even have a show over here with a panel of advertising Gurus talking about how spendiforous and world changing advertising is!
(pardon me while I barf! :15: )

I watch a lot of things online these days, but even there the damn adverts are getting in. YouTube (as previously mentioned above) is almost unwatchable due to them now. I even PAY for their "premium" service (Don't mind paying for things I (Note: what "I" !!) want to see ) but because everyone wants to "Monetise" (I HATE that word) themselves you get the people on channels doing their own advertising in the middle of their shows! and you cannot block that!

Also, just as an aside, when did "Like, Subscribe, Comment and "hit that" Notification Bell" become a greeting???


Ok,,,,be honest here...am I becoming a grumpy old man???!!! *>:*>:
I noticed that facebook are sticking adverts within peoples video streams
 
Also, just as an aside, when did "Like, Subscribe, Comment and "hit that" Notification Bell" become a greeting???
I've avoided doing the "Like, Subscribe, Comment" mantra ... I have a very "BBC" minded view of video production - whatever you say, the BBC - historically - do have a very good overall style of production. I am mindful that, until YouTube ceases to exist, or I delete a video, that same recording will be seen years in to the future. So hopefully my videos are "future-proof" by not referencing anything that exists outside the video. One day YouTube might change "Like" and "Subscribe" to something different, and the remarks in the video would not make sense. As BJ mentioned, YouTubers even include in-video promotions for their stuff or sponsors. If I'm watching a video that's a year old, the call to action to shop with their sponsor or buy their stuff is often no longer valid. Also, something broadcast TV has got to grips with over time is not referencing the specifics of the time of "this" recording or the next broadcast: "Good evening!" makes no sense on the 35th repeat on Dave at 3pm on a Tuesday; and closing with "See you next week" makes no sense on Gold when the next episode is in 5 minutes.
So - hopefully - there's none of that nonsense in my videos.
I have to rely on people reading the description to remind them to thank me in various ways, but that's even something if forget to do when watching other YouTubers videos!
 
YouTubers even include in-video promotions for their stuff or sponsors. If I'm watching a video that's a year old, the call to action to shop with their sponsor or buy their stuff is often no longer valid.
You've touched on another thing that really annoys me, sponsorship on videos. The amount of YouTubers who've sold out to this nonsense is crazy. I have to switch them off when I see this, and they lose all integrity in my eyes - they usually go along the lines of;

This <insert free item> I've been sent is truly amazing and has changed my life, and I wouldn't say that if I didn't believe it etc etc :mad: :mad: :mad:
 
You've touched on another thing that really annoys me, sponsorship on videos. The amount of YouTubers who've sold out to this nonsense is crazy. I have to switch them off when I see this, and they lose all integrity in my eyes - they usually go along the lines of;

This <insert free item> I've been sent is truly amazing and has changed my life, and I wouldn't say that if I didn't believe it etc etc :mad: :mad: :mad:
Ooops, bang goes my sponsorship!
 
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