Absence Makes the Viewers Weary

A couple of weeks ago, just as the new television season was beginning, I made reference to a remark from the star of an NBC series who speculated that despite the long wait between the previous season’s finale and the new season’s first episode, fans were more fired up than ever, because, after all, absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Not true, I said:

“Waiting three months to see the next new episode of a show I like enough to make time to watch during the regular season doesn’t make me want that next episode more.&nbsp  It makes me want to see what other shows are out there that have newer episodes available sooner.”

In April, I will have worked in television for 18 years.&nbsp  And I haven’t spent all that time in this career without learning something!

Now, apparently, the networks are learning it the hard way, according to TV Squad:

“Across the board, those sophomore series that went on hiatus for more than six months are way down in the ratings. Apparently, absence doesn’t make the heart grow fonder when it comes to the television landscape. It makes the instant gratification generation forget you existed. And stop caring.”

If I’m going to make a point of scheduling time out of my week to watch a specific program, even if I’m going to watch it after it has aired via Tivo, one of the world’s greatest inventions, I expect that program to do its part and be there.&nbsp  An occasional rerun is something I can live with.&nbsp  A couple of months of reruns during summertime is something I will begrugingly tolerate because that’s the way it is.

But waiting six months or so is, to me, the same as seeing the show canceled.&nbsp  By the time it’s back on again, I will have had to rewatch the previous season to remind myself of where we are in the various storylines.

And I haven’t seen a show, yet, that I’m willing to make that kind of investment in just because the networks can’t get scheduling straight.

How about you?&nbsp  Are there any shows you’ve given up on because of long delays in new episodes?