Why DON'T they show more shows on TV?
Why DON'T they show more shows on TV?
Why DON'T they show more shows on TV?#1
Posted: 8/27/10 at 11:22pm
Does anyone know what the ratings for South Pacific were? Why don't they put more shows on TV as they close out their runs? It doesn't hurt the show at that point (if anything might give an end of run boost) and can give the production more money in inevitable DVD/boost in cast album sales.
There HAS to be a big enough audience for these airings. I would think they're amongst PBS's biggest audiences, no?
Why DON'T they show more shows on TV?#2
Posted: 8/28/10 at 12:51am
I don't know the exact numbers, but even if they are the highest rated things on PBS they are still going to be far, far below everything else.
I'm curious as to why people think a DVD release is going to be a money maker for a production. As I recall once hearing very few cast albums turn a profit, and those that do often take many, many years to do so. Assuming that the audience for cast albums and DVDs of the shows are the same it is safe to assume that the financial numbers for a DVD would be the same or worse considering how much more filming costs over recording the cast album.
Why DON'T they show more shows on TV?#2
Posted: 8/28/10 at 1:05am
Actually, I wouldn't be so sure that Broadway productions would be among PBS' highest rated shows. If so, they would be repeat much more often - and during pledge time.
A friend who worked at our local affiliate once told me you can tell the highest rated programs by those shown during pledge weeks. If I recall, they're usually things like Celtic Thunder, Celtic Women, that self-help lady whose name I don't known, and other novelty-type groups.
I only wish the audience was bigger. But then, I also wish more people went to live theater....
Why DON'T they show more shows on TV?#3
Posted: 8/28/10 at 1:30amThe Celtic shows/concerts were big here last year. They were on constantly. This year it seems to be the John Denver special, the Carol King & James Taylor concert and Rick Steves marathons.
Why DON'T they show more shows on TV?#4
Posted: 8/28/10 at 3:47am
Nice article about why only selected shows get filmed...
http://www.livebway.com/?page_id=538
Why DON'T they show more shows on TV?#5
Posted: 8/28/10 at 10:34am
I know when it aired that Les Mis concert was on every other day. I just don't know how South Pacific did. Didn't Legally Blonde do very well for MTV?
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
Why DON'T they show more shows on TV?#6
Posted: 8/28/10 at 10:44am
Well, it didn't do all that much for the box office -- which is wbat they were hoping.
There was just a clip on The View of the behind the scenes of an episode. It happened to be about the show when MDQ appeared. They only appear to raise interest and sell tickets. The set design the View people came up with would have cost 10k. THEY didn't want to pay it so they asked the producers of MDQ to do so. They did, hoping that it would sell tix.
The shows that are closing really have NO reason to spend the money to have a show televised. It's expensive work. They are unlikely to make any kind of profit from it.
Theater is a business.
Why DON'T they show more shows on TV?#7
Posted: 8/28/10 at 11:54am
Also, the difference between the broadcast of 'South Pacific' and, say, the recent revival of 'Company' is that 'Company' is on dvd. According to Lincoln Center, none of the shows that have been broadcast ('South Pacific', 'Contact') will ever be available on dvd, nor will they be re-broadcast. (I was told this by someone at Lincoln Center when I was trying to find a dvd for 'Contact'.)
I think there's a benefit to recording stage productions, not only for posterity, but to take the experience and quality of a professional production, and also a theatrical lingo, to those who can't afford to go to NY. It encourages people's imaginations and support for the theatre everywhere.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
Why DON'T they show more shows on TV?#8
Posted: 8/28/10 at 12:35pmBut so much is loss on film of a live production. You do not (under most circumstances) get the same energy when filming a stage production.
Why DON'T they show more shows on TV?#9
Posted: 8/28/10 at 8:32pmI still think they should offer "Light In The Piazza" on DVD.
Why DON'T they show more shows on TV?#10
Posted: 8/28/10 at 11:50pm
dramamama - I 100% agree that watching on tv is not a substitute for being in the theater live. I doubt anyone here would. But there are MANY people who love theater who simply live too far away or cannot afford to go, and the TV productions at least provide some of that. I would even tolerate taped shows with planned commercials between scenes if necessary to get to see them.
Fact is, even with discounts, the absolute minimum cost for my wife and I to both go to a show is 120 dollars because of transportation costs - and that's if we HAPPEN to win a lottery. That's a pretty steep cost for 2 hours of entertainment when we have unlimited access to movies for 15 bucks a month on Netflix. It's become nearly impossible for us to justify that money any more. That is why we actually subsribe to one local theater and go to three others a few times a year depending on their shows. The cost of a subscription (which is seven shows per season) for the two of us is less than the above mentioned cost for us to see two shows on Broadway.
Even if they didn't broadcast the shows on TV and JUST released the DVD, I would gladly spend that 20 bucks to buy it for the chance to get to see SOMETHING of these shows.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
Why DON'T they show more shows on TV?#11
Posted: 8/29/10 at 5:43am
I doubt it will happen. The Tony Awards are proof enough that there isn't anything in it for a tv station. If we aren't watching the "ultimate" for stage shows -- The Award Show -- then we're not going to tune in for viewings, either. (and by 'we', I mean those of us that don't already.)
Yes, Bway is expensive, but oh-so-worth it. But if anything, I think it would take dollars away from Bway. Too many more people thinking, 'oh, I'll just wait for the tv airing' or, worse yet, missing the magic during the tv broadcast and being turned off by the POSSIBILITY of actually going.
I'd rather be able to financially see only two shows a year then 10 shows on a tv broadcast. TRULY.
I've said this before: I don't vacation, I don't have fancy or expensive clothes or cars. I spend my $ on seeing Bway Shows. It works for me and, luckily, my kids love it, too.
Why DON'T they show more shows on TV?#12
Posted: 8/29/10 at 9:55am
When I was a kid we used to do that. Up to the last few years we used to do that. I've seen over a hundred shows on Broadway - but the last couple of years the incredible price and, in all honesty, mostly a lack of shows that's really pulling us in, have prevented us from seeing much of anything.
I'm not saying that I think it's actually going to change. I just figure that they show ENOUGH shows that there must be SOME financial reward for them doing it (or NOTHING would ever be shown), so given that, I'm trying to understand why it's so selective. The legal issues aside, because obviously if they want to they can work through that, is there another reason we only get such select shows?
And really, dramamama, you don't even watch the Tonys?
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