The world's most comprehensive site about Australian television, containing series and cast information, photos, episode guides, articles, dvd information. When a man slaps another couple’s misbehaving child at a backyard family barbecue, an unflinching drama unfolds on The Slap. The Slap is an eight-part drama series that will premiere on ABC 1 in late 2011. It traces the shattering repercussions of a single event upon a group of family and. Even though your article is slanted to plug the little

British Brevity - TV Tropes. With few exceptions, Brits do not like Filler. In the United States, prime time shows generally run 2. British shows, on the other hand, tend to produce only up to about thirteen episodes a year if they're dramatic, or about six if they're comedies. This also applies to most European countries and Latin America, although these mostly follow daily schedules (especially in recent years, as it has expanded to primetime) rather than weekly instalments.

Most Commonwealth nations also follow this model, with relatively short series being the norm on their equivalents of the BBC. It's not uncommon for one person to single- handedly write every episode of a show, as Steven Moffat did with Coupling, or David Renwick with Jonathan Creek (compare American sitcoms, which are almost always . The shorter working schedule means that a British show can often focus more on a tighter cast of regular characters, whereas American shows frequently have to create more of an ensemble, to allow their actors to have sufficient breaks during the long, gruelling shooting schedule. British TV can also spend a year producing as much screen time as an American show produces in less than two months, resulting in a more concentrated . The unpredictable weather and long winters in the UK may be a contributory factor, as it may be difficult for production teams to commit to long filming schedules. Ruin two episodes and that's a third of a season down the tubes.

Some American shows that start off weak can grow their beard when the show would have long been over in the UK. British shows tend to have the entire series filmed before broadcast, so shows are rarely cancelled mid- season, or affected by events like a writers' strike. Additionally, short shows are less vulnerable to dragging out way past their creative prime and Jumping the Shark. The downfall of smaller satellite channels can be that they need long series to fill airtime, and struggle to produce or syndicate enough content without repeating it too often. Soap Operas, talk shows, kids' programs and other daytime TV can run for far more than 2. UK as elsewhere. Britain's Long- Runners include Coronation Street and Eastenders; Coronation Street alone shows 2. This trope, like the 2.

US standard it contrasts with, applies mainly to scripted series in prime time and nighttime slots. The Goon Show clocked up about 2. Others such as Hancock's Half Hour and Round the Horne ran to about 1. Contrast Franchise Zombie – in the UK it's getting renewed that's difficult, rather than calling a halt. The first season of Three's Company followed the trope, with just six episodes. It's only five episodes long. The Office, Extras and Derek all have followed this format.

On the other hand, the American version of The Office lasted for nine years and 2. Gervais felt there was only so much that viewers could accept before the . Bean posed an enigma to its viewers: when does a TV series stop being a TV series and start being a succession of made- for- television comedy specials? Its original run had just 2. It has since been revived twice in both new series and specials, for a total of 3. This makes for an uncommonly mighty total of 7.

Series 4, Miracle Day, was another single serial but this time ten episodes long. Miracle Day was, however, initially conceived as a 5/6- part series by the British lead writer; it was only after it became a co- production with an American cable network that the series order was increased to 1.

Its follow- on series Ashes to Ashes mustered three seasons, or twenty- four episodes total: about the same as one US season. The whole lot together made forty episodes in five years. Only twelve episodes (two seasons) were ever made. The majority of the actors and writers went on to create Filthy Rich & Catflap, which lasted only six episodes. Bottom, also with Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson, did rather better, three seasons and a total of 1. Word Of God says The Young Ones was only ever meant to have 1.

Fawlty Towers. Blackadder is actually four different six- episode series (set at different periods of history but including Identical Grandson characters), each one launched with no expectations of making another. In fact, each series was picked up a year after its predecessor had ended. There are 3. 0 episodes (four series of seven episodes apiece, one Christmas special, and the Royal Command Performance). And a feature film. And a feature film. American) markets.

Star Patrick Mc. Goohan just couldn't see it stretching to a full 2. Many fans clamored for some sort of concluding special, with the expectation of seeing the two main characters finally hook up, but never received it. The writers did send a little kiss to the fans in the form of the last minute of the Skip To The End Documentary . It got a surprisingly larger 1.

Series 4 and 5 had seven and six episodes respectively, for a total of 3. And proved ruinously expensive, at that, mostly due to the length of the episodes and the fact that almost all of them were set in stately homes. Mr Benn, Bagpuss, Camberwick Green, Trumpton and Chigley all had just 1. There were thirteen episodes, all broadcast in 1.

Postgate made other series like Ivor The Engine and The Clangers, of which about thirty episodes each were made. The creator explicitly stated it was exactly as long as he wanted it to be, so as to avoid screwing up the intelligent plots and premise. They planned to sell the series for syndication in America. Each episode was only 2. Series 6 returned to the regularly scheduled British Brevity. Various series range from six episodes to eleven.

However, two series are produced a year: a summer and a winter one. Some of these were later edited down to a single episode of around two hours (without adverts). This results in three remarkably short, but incredibly consistent and humorous series.

Chris Morris seems never to have made anything with the intention of there being more than one series, though. The exception was Nathan Barley where the writers (Morris and Charlie Brooker) seemed to desperately want a second series but weren't given one because the ratings for the first were pretty dismal. The UK producers were also frustrated by the length they had to work with: a grueling 1. This went even further— when it came time for the episodes to air, knowing that British viewers wouldn't be keen on a long season either, they were split into series that were either 6 or 7 episodes long, for a total of 5. Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss comment on this trope on the Series 2 DVD commentary, stating that they would love to do more a season, but the time and logistical constraints involved in filming a series of feature- length productions in a relatively short span prevent this. Made worse by the fact that the show catapulted Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman to the A- List; in fact Peter Jackson had to rearrange the filming of The Hobbit so Freeman could fly back to film Sherlock.

Similarly, Moffatt has to juggle Sherlock around his commitments to Doctor Who, for which he is also serving as Head Writer and Showrunner. Its spinoff show Lewis followed the same pattern, with six series of four 1.

ITV have not ruled out the possibility of a final series or one- off episode for 2. Poirot and Marple, both shows on ITV loosely based on Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, have a special kind of British Brevity, with the former consisting of 7. Series 6, which has only three) over the course of nine years. The only difference is that ITV was unable to produce a seventh series of Marple due to BBC's acquiring the rights for the production of Agatha Christie adaptations.

Poirot, on the other hand, fared better, having been completed with all of the Hercule Poirot novels and short stories, ending with the final episode, . House Of Anubis Season 3 Episode 21. Peep Show has made it to 4. Channel 4 history. There are also two specials, one of which lasted an hour, and a film Spin- Off, In the Loop.