TV programme spoiled by 'Coming Up' clips
18-March-2010
*
* Your Gripe Gripe List Quick Gripe Comments Gripe Poll Resources Contact Us Advertise Home *
* prev
next *
 

TV programme spoiled by 'Coming Up' clips

Leave a comment Leave a comment 
Related Gripes Related Gripes 
Random Gripe Random Gripe 
Feedburner Gripes by email 
 
 

More and more television programmes are doing it and I am getting more and more frustrated.  'Coming Up' - It's a phrase that most television presenters have to use at the start of their program or just before the commercial break.  Just hearing those words now sets my nerves on edge.  It's a signal that the program you have sat down to watch is about to be ruined because they are going to show clips of what will be in the program.

Can anyone please tell me why they do it?  Whenever I mention this to someone, they also invariably agree that it is really annoying.  I guess somebody out there must like programmes to be presented in this way... why else would they do it?

The programme 'I'm a Celebrity get me out of here' is a prime example of this kind of thing.  They'll show you the best bits at the start and then they will screen one of the challenges, but will immediately spoil and kill any tension by showing clips of what's going to happen and then go into a commercial break.  After the break they start the screening of the challenge from the very beginning.  I cannot relax at all while watching this programme as I have to keep leaving the room so I don't hear them spoiling it for me.  More often than not it's too late and they've already spoiled it though.

TV screen close up

I think I may have to give up watching these types of programs and ITV will lose me as a viewer.  That means all the advertisers who pay huge sums of money to place adverts during the break will lose out as well because I've already left the room and won't see any of them.  I'm sure I'm not the only one!

What makes me mad is that the TV producers, Editors, or whoever show absolutely no respect for the loyal viewer, i.e. me!  'I'm a Celebrity...' has been on for years and everyone must know by now what it is about.  Are they using this spoiling tactic to keep me from changing channels?  Do they think my attention span lasts no longer than 5 minutes or are they hoping that a 'channel hop has just tuned in and this mini montage of what's 'Coming Up' is going to make them stay?  I really hope they are not pandering to the channel hopper, because there must be more loyal viewers than hoppers.

Now, some programs are presented fantastically and are a joy to watch.  Grand Designs being one of them. Kevin McCloud just does a monologue to the camera saying what we can expect, but no clips are shown.  I can safely sit down for an hour (including adverts!), relax and watch it all.  I am treated like a loyal adult.

Now, that brings me to the BBC...  Why on earth do they also employ the 'Coming Up' tactic when there are no adverts getting in the way? Half way through Dragons Den, we get the 'Coming Up' thing and of course the clips.  Even the latest series of Bargain Hunt, which has been going a zillion years and must have a huge daily loyal band of viewers, have changed the format and show clips of what going to happen at the start.

I could go on and on mentioning loads of programs, but what I really want is to see lots of comments from people saying what they think.  It may just be a trivial thing to most, but to me its really affecting my nerves.  But most of all I would like to here the actual reason why they do it!

By: DooRon


Other Related Gripes

Introduce a friend to Sky TV offer
Watching TV on the Internet
TV presenters who mumble
Sky HD+ was a waste of money
What's coming up next on TV?
Sky Freesat wasn't exactly free
TV on-screen logos are annoying
TV complaints, if you don't like it turn it off
Need a TV licence to watch BBC1 online
Why is digital television slower than analogue?
TV Licensing send threatening letters
No television in this house
Fed up with celebrity TV shows
Breaking news from the BBC
TV commercials that denigrate men
Adverts on television and radio
IPTV and the threat of a PC tax
Reality TV shows aren't real life
Fed up with football on TV all the time
BBC not worth the cost of a TV Licence





Visitor Comments

Please read this before you post

Enter your comments in the space below

Name or nickname


Remember my name



 
We have a situation where customers are bullied by the law into accepting whatever they are given in return for they"r hard earned tv liscence money .The public will have to stand up and be counted on this one if any justice is to be gained.It"s time to divert the liscence fee from upholding rediculous wages to giving the customer their just and rightfull due.The new so called high defenition has long been payed for and it should be the standard of picture quality for every programme,instead of the pressent {few and far between}.
*Bill  03-Mar-2010 21:57

 
Not only that, but with a two part serial like Silent Witness, they will tell you what is in tomorrow's episode and the end of the first episode, and tell what happened in yesterday's episode at the start of the second!
*gav  08-Feb-2010 00:18

 
It's another 'Americanization' of TV. As other posters have noted:
Shrinking of credits
Popups at the end of programs with 'what's coming next'.
*Biker Hater  05-Dec-2009 23:41

 
Was thinking the same DooRon especially with I'm a celebrity - let us just watch it ITV !!!!!
*caz  01-Dec-2009 13:06

 
I didn't realise that my Gripe had been posted, thanks for the comments.

I think Mr Rupert is probably right, about Channel hopping, although I would be surprised if a programme that gets around 5 million viewers has more channel hoppers in that figure than loyal viewers. But, I have never worked out how they come up with these viewing figures anyway - that's another gripe for another day.

I guess at some point they won't trust us to watch a movie without the broadcaster showing whats 'coming up' half way through. Or commedians will tell us the first line of the joke, then tease us with the punchline, and then do the middle bit.
*DooRon  25-Nov-2009 17:51

 
Mr Rupert, n-ooooooooooooooo! Let's not ditch everything. Let's embrace a new world, where sport has it's own range of dedicated channels and football fans can debate the offside rule whilst leaving the rest of us to enjoy life. Bring back the Duchess of Duke Street, Secret Army, Marine Boy, Singing Ringing Tree et al and don't ditch the TV!
*Cauliflower  24-Nov-2009 18:00

 
It's called 'dumbing down' because most viewers are perceived to have limited attention span and this is supposed to keep their dull brains eager to stay with the channel. Channel hopping is every TV company's worst fear, so they aim to tell you 'exciting' bits that are coming up in the programme you're watching.

But if you must watch soaps, celebrity rubbish, reality shows and are addicted to self-congratulatory, egotistical shows like Strictly Come Prancing then you deserve all you get.

Get a life instead. Ditch the TV.
*Mr Rupert  23-Nov-2009 23:18

 
Why do they suddenly "shrink" the credits when I'm trying to read who was in a film or soap etc. to advertise what's on next?!! There's no way anyone can read it even if you record and pause it. The screen shrinks to half the width and then on the right hand side of the screen they are telling what is on next! HELLO!!! I happen to be watching something and do not want this, it is infuriating!! Also things pop up at the bottom of the screen when you are watching the last few minutes of a programme on Channel 5, and probably other channels, and it is distracting when you are engrossed in an exciting bit. It spoils it. When watching Home and Away Ian Wright pops up at the bottom of the screen winding a handle which brings up a sign for his rubbish programme "Live from Studio Five". It drives me insane. He is a terrible presenter anyway.
*Fuming Suzie  22-Nov-2009 12:45

 
Hi Cauliflower (thanks for the compliment by the way); I must have a strong stomach. I usually watch something I've recorded while eating my brekkie, Law & Order SVU, CSI (the original only!) or The Closer! Never puts me off my food.

I record everything, that way I can avoid all the adverts; so it's just the programme content for those with poor attention spans and the intrusive next programme trailers that annoy me.
*grumpyoldwoman  20-Nov-2009 09:25

 
Why do they run the 'PedEgg' ads at breakfast? The last thing I want in my mind when surveying my bacon sandwich are detailed descriptions of foot skin being trimmed. Likewise the 'Dulco-ease' ads - why do these appear when I'm midway through my porridge???
*Cauliflower  19-Nov-2009 18:58

 
Couldn't agree more with this (hello Gainsborough lad and Kit, I couldn't leave it). What really rags me is channel 5's 'celebrity' news. This is after you've gone through the adverts and the 'coming up' stuff.
I know that I'm out of touch because I almost never know who any of these people are. I'm not interested in their plastic surgery/relationships/handbags made from endangered species/spell in the priory/rubbish new film or album.
It takes AGES. Can we please just watch the film or programme..
*Bukowski  19-Nov-2009 17:41

 
Worse than whats coming up is the boy who tells us he needs A POO at tea time ,i can;t switch that advert off quick enough I never get to find out just what it is they are advertising. that poor child wll go through hell when he is older and his mates rib him ,whatever are the parents thinking £££££
*G  19-Nov-2009 13:21


View more comments on this gripe


 
*   *
* © 2000-2009 The Weekly Gripe. All rights reserved. Please see our privacy policy and disclaimer.   Site Map *