Why only 8 episodes?

[JHyde]

I'm going by the fact that they had very exposition heavy episodes this season. Presumably they just would have tried to tell us more big stories, not spent more time with the people we love.

If that had been the case, hell yes, I'd say two more eps, but based on what we saw, I'm not so sure that would have been wise. They probably wouldn't have given them more production time, and it was a sprint as it was.

I honestly think they need to reappraise that. This season really suffered from a ridiculously fast shoot, actors who were all over the shop filming episodes and then reshooting, and one director doing half the episodes is mad. Especially with such a short shoot.

[Beatriz]

I agree with you completely. You're right more episodes would have meant two more episodes about the same...

Hope they change they mind towards series 9, perhaps they don't read forums but there are some articles which are far more critical than us.

[ausfan]

Dont a few brit shows only go for 8 episodes. Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes. I think Black books was only 6.

[YourFutureMuse]

I guess they do ... But I think 10 was a good number! I mean most american shows the series have loads of episodes, why do we only get short series

[lwhite53]

Yes, in the US we have a different concept of what a series (or season) is -- generally 26 eps, 13 in the fall and 13 in the spring.

I think Hustle, too, has only 6 eps per series.

[bertowud]

Yeah, it's somewhere between 22 and 26 typically episodes per year. That's one of the things I love about UK TV is they're not scared to do the multi mini series model.

And then we have Lost which is running 16 episodes for their last 3 seasons.

[lwhite53]

I'm not sure how British actors would feel about the 22-26 eps model -- that would pretty much be one's whole work year and wouldn't really allow for much other work. Some American tv actors do get a movie in every couple of years but it is tough. And, they're not allowed to act in other tv series in the same year unless it's for the same network, like a crossover ep.

[JHyde]

It's all sorts of things. Money being the main one, both for the cast and crew and also for the networks.

In Australia, it's a mix. Drama and comedy tend to be anywhere from 6 to 13 episodes as a rule (there are a few exceptions, including a long running medical drama Genevieve O'Reilly worked on for a few years) whereas other things can run once a week, 40 weeks a year.

[Beatriz]

Spanish tv... I don't usually watch it because it's really bad, series are awful, and they tend to do more and more seasons for a series if it is successful, and one series you liked you end up hating it! They don't know when to stop!!

(30-12-2009 03:16 AM)bertowud Wrote:  Yeah, it's somewhere between 22 and 26 typically episodes per year. That's one of the things I love about UK TV is they're not scared to do the multi mini series model.

And then we have Lost which is running 16 episodes for their last 3 seasons.

I love UK shows for that too.

And that's why I love Damages and Dexter, 12 or 13 episodes each season.

[almh]

I think in the UK they pretty much have as long a series that the BBC will commission - Beeb tend to do a lot of five part dramas which are then shown during a week, each weekday, such as Moving On (which was a series containing five mini dramas each day, one of which included RA...) and they did the Anne Frank Diaries as well. They also do a load of one-offs, and quite a lot of series with about 6 episodes+, and the longest running series which doesn't go on for a year, as far as I know, is Doctor Who with 13 episodes per series. Then there are also the ones that seem to never end (and in fact don't...) which are soaps... I have got a rant about soaps, but it was getting very off topic so I shall now leave and post it elsewhere...

So, a basic summary, I think that Beeb only commissioned 8 episodes because it wanted to, but the writers decided to continue with their plan for 10 episodes, and squish it all in...