Oz TV Reviews
Australian television programme reviews
TV Gripes
Do you get what you want on Oz TV?
It is always my intention to keep this Blog as positive as possible, if I think I won’t like a program I don’t watch it and therefore don’t write about it. Which is why I don’t watch anything featuring Vyle Sandilands, please note Channel 7. But there are several things that really bug me, some for a long time and some are more recent. So I thought I would get them off my chest. Do these things get to you?
Adverts louder than the TV shows. This started some years ago and has been tamed to some extent after a big public outcry and some weak excuse from the TV stations. But I still notice it occasionally, when I don’t hit the mute button. Yes, it may sound a bit OCD but more often than not I hit the mute button on every ad break. It’s their fault; they started it by pumping up the ad volume.
Incessant trailers for forthcoming shows. This is a nightmare and I believe that Channel 10 are the worst for this. They plug their new shows over and over again in every ad break and almost always with the same clip, so that you are completely sick of it. The most recent and annoying one was for the new show Offspring. There was a segment when an expectant Dad wanted everyone to be nude for the birth, including the Doctor. Now everyone knew there would be no nudity in the actual programme, but this did not prevent Channel 10 from promoting this clip where the father asks about it, at every conceivable opportunity. I even heard the same promotion on the radio last week. A bit of nudity on the radio is of no interest to anyone.
This brings me on to another favourite of Channel 10. Trailers that lie. They often show trailers that ask something about a show that really has nothing to do with what really happens in the programme. “Will this be the end for Olivia?” No, it won’t and it will not even be close.
Comedies are often ruined by this incessant plugging. They usually repeat the same piece of dialogue in every trailer. How many times can you hear a gag before it stops being funny? I start to think if that is the best gag they’ve got it is not worth watching.
What about trailers for programmes that are just about to start. Jeezus! Who needs a clip and a promo just as the real thing is about to begin?
I have singled out Channel 10 here but, all the Channels do it even the ABC and they don’t carry adverts. I just think Channel 10 stick out as the worst.
Programmes starting late, this is a real pain, especially of you are recording the show. You can often end up with 10 minutes or more of something you had no interest in and then miss the end of the show you did want to see. I believe this is more than just bad time management by the broadcasters. I think this really took off in the high days of reality TV Big Brother and Australian Idol. These shows would almost always run 10-15 minutes over, as I believe the programmers thought that this would stop you switching over to some high ranking show on another channel that began when these shows were meant to end. They must have had some evidence of success with this because shows frequently end 8-10 mins after their scheduled time, whether they are live, reality or pre-recorded. The ABC and SBS seem to be able to run most of their programmes on time, so why can’t the major commercial stations?
Maybe if they did not show so many trailers the programmes would run on time.
I could go on, I’ve got more, but I probably shouldn’t. That’s enough whining for one post. But let me know your opinion and if you have any pet hates. I may come back to this subject in another post soon.
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