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Howie Horwitz on the 26-week season
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Howie Horwitz on the 26-week season
Apologies in advance if this item has already been discussed here...I recently found this January '68 news item about the network's shortening of the 1967 broadcast season to just 26 weeks, with some interesting comments from BATMAN producer Howie Horwitz:
Re: Howie Horwitz on the 26-week season
It's a wonderful find, but to be honest, it's a bit hard to read without a magnifying glass.
'I thought Siren was perfect for Joan.'--Stanley Ralph Ross, writer of 'The Wail of the Siren'
My hobbies include gazing at the Siren and doing her bidding, evil or otherwise.
'She had a devastating, hypnotic effect on all the men.'--A schoolmate describing Joan Collins at age 17
My hobbies include gazing at the Siren and doing her bidding, evil or otherwise.
'She had a devastating, hypnotic effect on all the men.'--A schoolmate describing Joan Collins at age 17
Re: Howie Horwitz on the 26-week season
I tried re-posting it in a larger size.
Re: Howie Horwitz on the 26-week season
Thanks! Most appreciated!
It's fascinating in that, of course, shorter seasons became the norm very quickly at that point in time, and they are even shorter today. It's mind-boggling that in season 2, there were 60 half-hour Batman episodes, in essence, 30 episodes of a one-hour show. As much as I criticize the decline of quality in season 2 from season 1, it's not hard to see why it happened. That's a tough pace for any show to sustain.
'I thought Siren was perfect for Joan.'--Stanley Ralph Ross, writer of 'The Wail of the Siren'
My hobbies include gazing at the Siren and doing her bidding, evil or otherwise.
'She had a devastating, hypnotic effect on all the men.'--A schoolmate describing Joan Collins at age 17
My hobbies include gazing at the Siren and doing her bidding, evil or otherwise.
'She had a devastating, hypnotic effect on all the men.'--A schoolmate describing Joan Collins at age 17
Re: Howie Horwitz on the 26-week season
Up through the late 1950s, the benchmark for a season was still 39 episodes or 39 weeks, which was a holdover from the days of radio when a radio show would run 39 weeks and then take the summer off (the concept of the "summer replacement show" also lingered into the early 60s in the days before summer reruns became the norm).
It's interesting how the article notes that one of the exceptions to the 26 rule at this point, "Bonanza" was a show still being driven by the demands of a single sponsor, which itself by this point was an anachronism going back to the 50s and earlier when a show's fate was as much in the hands of the sponsor as it was the network!
Once the changes started there could never be any turning back.
It's interesting how the article notes that one of the exceptions to the 26 rule at this point, "Bonanza" was a show still being driven by the demands of a single sponsor, which itself by this point was an anachronism going back to the 50s and earlier when a show's fate was as much in the hands of the sponsor as it was the network!
Once the changes started there could never be any turning back.
Re: Howie Horwitz on the 26-week season
Interesting the note about fewer film series and moving programmes to tape, as today it is only because series were made on film that we can have the quality of high definition we all enjoy.
Imagine if the third series of Batman had been shot on tape!
Imagine if the third series of Batman had been shot on tape!