Thursday, January 15, 2004
Programmed to Oblivion
Originally published in The Age Green Guide, 15 January 2004.
I am glad I’m not a science fiction fan. It is not the shows; I’ve enjoyed odd episodes of Star Trek, Babylon 5 and Dr Who. And it’s nothing to do with the fans; I have found them to be among the most intelligent and discerning television viewers around, a long way from the stereotype of friendless nerds. No, I could never be a sci-fi fan because of the horrendous treatment commercial networks dish out to science fiction programs. And the thing that worries me the most? This behaviour is spreading.
Consider Farscape, an Australian-American sci-fi collaboration between Channel Nine and the Jim Henson Company.
It is quite a sophisticated program, yet for its first season, Channel Nine missed the adult innuendo, made the link between puppets and kids, and screened it in the nothing timeslot of 5.30 Saturday. A misjudgment, perhaps, but it was the first season, and we will let it go.
In season two, the show moved into darker territory and Nine shifted it around constantly, searching for an ‘ideal’ timeslot. Complaints followed, but to no avail; fans were forced to search it out each week.
In season three, however, Farscape became much more perverse, pushing boundaries of the show and genre in the tradition of the best science fiction. The powers-that-be at Channel Nine decided that it was too dark even for its late timeslots, so they edited it. And we are not talking about a line here, a line there. They cut with so little regard for the show’s narrative that entire episodes became incomprehensible; and with such vigour that two episodes fit into the timeslot of one.
Now, Channel Nine seems to use Farscape as a sort of all-purpose programming filler, screening new episodes sporadically and without notice to plug gaps in the schedule. Farscape followers – loyal to the death, like many sci-fi fans – have given up and turned to DVD. And who could blame them?
If this sounds familiar to you, it is because it’s not just Farscape copping this sort of treatment. Fans of The Sopranos, The West Wing, or Six Feet Under know the frustration of Channel Nine’s approach to programming. How many times have viewers of these ‘cult’ shows (despite their astronomical ratings in America and their strong followings here) had to wait for Eddie to wrap up his smarmy schtick on Millionaire before being granted their TV show, often half an hour late.
Anyone out there set the video to record and been left without the last ten minutes of their favourite show? Thought so.
And it gets worse. I understood the homicidal rage of the mistreated Farscape fan the night that Channel Nine decided to pull the fourth season of The Sopranos with no notice whatsoever. And though I’m not as insurrectionary as my brother (who has the Channel 10 complaints number on the speed dial) I called and I vented but no explanation was forthcoming. Ever.
This is not an isolated incident. Nor is it confined to Channel Nine. Remember Ten’s ‘Super Crime Saturday’? How long did that last before the excellent Monk and serviceable Dragnet were pulled? Not long at all. (Though Monk has been reinstated, and repeated, on Monday nights). Remember CrashBurn; moved from 8.30 to 9.30 and finally to the graveyard slot of 10.30. Remember The Shield, one of the very best of the US imports for 2003. It failed to find an audience after a few weeks (a few weeks!) in prime time so, you guessed it, it was pulled, only to reappear in the non-ratings season. And who out there thought that The OC was compelling, if trashy, viewing? Obviously someone at Channel Nine did; it will most likely resurface in ratings time to better relieve advertisers of their money.
But it gets even worse. Remember the Channel Seven watermark fiasco? I long for the days when that translucent logo was the only interruption to my show. Now, networks think nothing of advertising during programs. Channel Ten’s ‘It Begins’ campaign for Australian Idol, floating ads for Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and, although I quite enjoy Prime Suspect, no one needs to see Helen Mirren’s face pop up four times during their program to grimly remind them that PS6 is coming up. Please.
What is puzzling about all this is how unnecessary it is. TV viewers are not difficult to keep happy. All we want is for the shows we like to be shown at a regular time. Good shows will find an audience almost regardless of their timeslot. Buffy fans were happy to sit up until 10.30 (though again, this timeslot was fairly fluid) and lovers of Gilmore Girls gleefully arrange their Saturday nights around Lorelai and Rory.
But the commercial networks do not seem to care. They change schedules, pull shows, bombard us with advertising, edit programs, go to commercial before punchlines (The Simpsons, anyone?), and subject us to ridiculous animations before ad breaks (Channel 7, stand up).
Is there a market for an HBO-style pay-TV network in Australia? A channel that develops and shows it’s own programs; the imperative of advertising revenue offset by subscriptions? Unlikely. But it’s time that we stood up for our rights as viewers and started to tell the networks what we think. So next time your favourite show is shunted around, or cut short, or starts late, call the station. Email. Write a letter. Complain. And spare a thought for Farscape fans.