Channel 5 Transmission Discussion/Updates

[Slade]

3 hours ago, Dan F said:

Good news for UK fans regarding Home and Away over the summer:

http://www.backtothebay.net/news/2016/05/05/no-summer-break-ha-channel-5/

Many thanks.  I would actually prefer if it was like Neighbours and the episodes came out on the same day as in Aus as that would mean those following at UK pace wouldn't have to worry about spoilers from the people following at Aus pace who can't be bothered to check where the UK is up to (Yes I said it again and I sound like a cracked record.).  Also it would mean we could venture into the character discussion threads without the fear of encountering spoilers.  

[atrus]

Presumably same-day broadcasts will be a long-term goal for C5, since there's absolutely no benefit to them to be seven weeks behind. Guessing that contractual reasons are holding that back at present, but it will come - and possibly this is the first sign of it. I'd say it's quite feasible that by 2018 the two nations will be broadcasting H&A in tandem.

[Red Ranger 1]

I'll believe it when I see it.Given that they actually showed fewer episodes than the Australian broadcasters last year, they don't seem to be making any moves that way at present.

ETA: Also, I'm not sure if it would be practical, given Channel 7's propensity for erratic scheduling, with them sometimes showing only three or four episodes a week and then making up for it with triple- and quadruple-bills.At one point this year, Channel 5 had dropped to 32 episodes behind, so if we'd started the year in synch we'd have been 3 episodes ahead...or, more likely, Channel 5 would have had to keep taking the show off to avoid breaching their contract.

Edited May 9, 2016 by Red Ranger 1

[James Martin]

The change may be a result of the change of ownership if C5.  Same day broadcasts are a difficult one but if Seven could run Monday to Thursday with the hour episode on Thursdays then that would, in theory, work.  The time difference still means the show would premiere in Australia.

Neighbours is a different beast - that's been pretty much made for the UK market first and foremost for a while.

[Dan F]

Channel 5 confirms H&A Christmas Break

[Red Ranger 1]

Thanks for the info, Dan! Not a huge surprise, although they could have gone on for a couple of weeks more. Given Channel 7's recent pattern of finishing late and coming back late...Complete guess but we could finish the year 7 weeks behind, then come back 3 weeks before Australia, meaning we'd catch up by a week. Time will tell!

[Dan F]

I've been doing some sums...

There's some fairly reliable production info that shows H&A could be sticking with 230 episodes this season, despite the Olympic break. If that's correct, it could mean a hell of a lot of double episodes coming up in Oz - potentially squeezing a whopping 40 eps into 4 weeks, putting the UK back several weeks more before the break even starts.

If so it might explain Channel 5 not taking the August break - they could have known all along that Seven would be taking care of extending the gap for them.

Will keep you posted as the Aus schedules for November become available, but I'm keeping fingers crossed that there won't be 230 eps this season....

[Red Ranger 1]

Okay, I make it the UK will have 235 episodes this year which...sounds like a good thing?A bit?We're coming back on the same week as we did last year, so if Seven does the same that'd mean we'd catch up by a week over the course of the year...but have a gap of a week longer than we have had post-Olympics (ie 6 weeks, after being 7 weeks at the start of the season and 5 weeks now).

[Dan F]

My head hurts, but yes that's a distinct possibility.

It would just mean they're once again working to re-extend the gap to anywhere between 6-8 weeks rather than making any attempt to reduce it.

[beau_t]

^But why? Why do/would they want this?