UK vs US TV habits

[borneoman]

One thing that I've always found weird is how different are the tv schedules in the UK vs US... in the sense that in the UK all this big TV shpws like XFactor, BGT or now The Voice are always on Saturdays... while in the US there's never ever anything on TV on Saturday.

In the US, all shows are on from Sun to Thu, with some leftovers played on Fri (things that no one watch like Fringe), but nothing on Saturday, nothing, nada. Actually the most desired spot in Thu at 9pm, e.g. Grey's Anatomy, CSI in the past... Music talent shows like American Idol or XFactor have traditionally been played on Weds/Thus, and for instance Th Voice is now on Mon, with results on Tue...

so it's kinda surprising that in the UK, Sat seems to be the best day audience-wise, when in the US, it's unthinkable to put any tv show on Sat...

what do you reckon? do you think there's a reason? do people in the US go out more on Sat and UK people stay at home??

[meister]

I've noticed the UK does have a very 'stay at home' culture. Maybe it's the weather.

[Drunkster]

Or the heavy tax on fuel (taxi fares) and alcohol - people just can't afford to go out every weekend

[wonderwall]

Tv on Saturdays is as bad as its ever been crap like take me out and family fortunes really are rubbish.

[LittleChristmasTurkey]

Take Me Out is zomg! amazing!!!1111

[greendemon]

what time to shops, cafés (i.e. anywhere that isn't a pub, bar or club) close in the US? my guess is it's a lot later than in the UK, where even the restaurants tend to be closing by 10 and you're out of luck if you want a coffee after 7pm... probably UK culture lends itself more easily to going home earlier in the evenings at weekends unless you're out drinking or clubbing.

[Paddy]

I would say people in the US see family on a sat night more.

[Razzle Dazzle]

people in america are to busy eating to watch tv and saturday is their chance to binge eat all day and night. i guess for a lot of people in the uk a saturday is their day off, after working all week i guess its nice and cheap to just watch tv on a saturday night.

[Hupin]

I always remember spending saturday nights in front of the tele as a kid. Stuff like gladiators, you bet, stars in their eyes etc.

[Razzle Dazzle]

can't remember what days they used to be on but i remember watching generation game, krypton factor, big break, family fortunes, crystal maze and bulls eye aswel

[Mart!n]

Apr 26, 2012 21:44:04 GMT 1 Razzle Dazzle said:

can't remember what days they used to be on but i remember watching generation game, krypton factor, big break, family fortunes, crystal maze and bulls eye aswel

Generation Game - Saturdays
Krypton Factor - Mondays
Big Break - Tuesdays
Family Fortunes - Fridays
Crystal Maze ??
Bullseye - Sundays

HA... I was a Quiz geek back in the days.

[Razzle Dazzle]

i remember bullseye was on sundays because it was my bathtime so...used to watch it when i got out lol

[ligerdog7]

ace post what seen not seen us tv in us think us tv metter mo hard though uk tv
kool post
wuffyyyyyyyyyyyyyy eoreeeeeee
upppppppppp
moooooooooooooooooooo

[meister]

I fondly remember Saturday nights early-90s... Baywatch, Gladiators, Blind Date, Family Fortunes, Stars In Their Eyes... all with a Chinese takeaway! Mmmmmm!

[Shireblogger]

I'd say its mostly about family and sports. Kids in America play a lot more weekend sport than in the UK. And there are bigger distances between families in the US, so you're more likely to go visiting for a whole weekend than just a few hours.

Americans eat earlier than we do, and its nearly impossible to find somewhere that still serves food after 9pm outside the major cities. Americans don't have much of a pub culture either, as they drive everywhere. So eating & drinking don't explain the difference between US and UK tv habits.

[Tom]

Apr 26, 2012 21:54:48 GMT 1 Mart!n said:

Apr 26, 2012 21:44:04 GMT 1 Razzle Dazzle said:

can't remember what days they used to be on but i remember watching generation game, krypton factor, big break, family fortunes, crystal maze and bulls eye aswel

Generation Game - Saturdays
Krypton Factor - Mondays
Big Break - Tuesdays
Family Fortunes - Fridays
Crystal Maze ??
Bullseye - Sundays

HA... I was a Quiz geek back in the days.

Wasn't Big Break on a Saturday? That was the show that me got me into snooker, or pool in terms of playing. And to think the main reason I started watching, out of curiosity more than anything else, was because a friend's dad was the producer!

[Tom]

Got kicked out for 10 mins so having to do a new post for this..

Used to watch The Generation Game too until i got bored of it, Sat nights for me were always about Gladiators and Noel's House Party, happy days!

[Razzle Dazzle]

Ha how could i forget noels house party

[rewardman]

I have noticed that programmers tend to avoid Saturday night over here compared to the UK. It probably is down to the fact that people do more on Saturday nights than UK counterparts. If advertisers can't get a good return for their money then big shows simply won't run on a Saturday night.

Probably the biggest show on a Sunday night in recent years has been Desperate Housewives. Of course football is massive on Sunday nights too when in season.

[Roo.]

I've always found it more strange that there tends to be no shows on between May and September... what do Americans watch on TV for those three months? Is it all repeats?

All the May sweeps are starting to happen and after that there is nothing (except True Blood) for me to bother with until autumn. I always thought it was a sport thing but since the TV schedule got so messed up by that over winter, it can't be.

I find it fascinating how we have programmes starting all year round, whereas they have specific times of year for everything.