What is your preffered season/series length?

[Gamma_Winstead]

How many episodes would you like a season/how many season would you like total?

For me, if it's a show I really love, I normally like more episodes a season. I'd LOVE 25 episode Supernatural seasons.

However, a small 10-16 episode season allows for much more in depth story telling with less filler.

I like 10 season shows. It gives enough meat and should give proper time to wrap up every storyline in a show. However, I'm fine with any length as long as we get 4 or more seasons.

[SleeperAgent]

4-6 seasons. 4 is my preferred length. 20-22 episodes a season.

Only go past 4 seasons if you have it all written PRIOR to going past season 4. I hate when stuff just drags on because you have to watch to see how storylines end. Prime example is Oz from HBO. Middle of season 4 would have been the perfect ending to it.

[Show spoiler]When Kareem Said stabbed Adebisi

The Sopranos was also excellently paced at 13 episodes a season since they had no need for filler episodes like Supernatural or Smallville.

[WyldeMan45]

Well that's a tricky question, because as we know network sitcoms and regular shows tend to have around 23 or 25 episode seasons, and reach 100 episodes within 4 seasons. Cable shows with 12-13 episode seasons can be on for 8 seasons and not reach 100 episodes.

I don't think I can name too many if any 10 season shows I've actually ever watched 10 full seasons of. I tend to prefer more substance and less filler. If a show can tell it's story in 5 seasons and have a great ending, something like The Wire than I'm more than happy, but The Shield was on for 7 seasons and I felt like it ended perfectly. I prefer a show end while it's on top than to continue on longer than it should have and go from brilliant to mediocre in it's final seasons, which for me would be The Sopranos, which really went downhill after season 4.

[HDMe]

I like shows that are good.

That's my only criteria.

Sometimes I think shorter seasons might make for better storytelling... but again, it only works if the show is good.

Some shows manage great shows in longer seasons over many seasons... some run out of steam after a couple of seasons.

It's not an exact science really.

[iam1bearcat]

definitely a question that has no right or wrong answer. and definitely an answer that could vary from show to show.

HBO / Showtime shows are all around 12-13 episodes a season. i didn't know that when i watched True Blood and Rome because i was so used to most shows being around 18-25.

but a big difference - actual show time. shows on standard networks (for hour long shows) have around 40-43 minutes of show time with 20-17 minutes of commercials. most shows on HBO / Showtime that are also an hour in time slot are around 45-50 minutes in length. may not seem like much, but it adds up quick.

just like the first season of Fringe of Fox. first season, each episode was around 48 minutes. season 2 was back to standard 40-42 minutes and i could feel / see the difference as the season progressed.

i feel that for shows on HBO / Showtime, they have less hours to work with (overall) per season, but this allows them to fully (well, when done right) develop their stories and nothing really feels "tacked on" or useless - again, when done right.

but if you're making a show based off of 25 episodes per season, you typically have to drag out a story line longer than necessary or add more complexities and "WTF?" moments to keep the audience engaged. i think True Blood and Dexter work perfectly with 12 episode seasons. if they were 22-25 episodes in length i don't know if those shows would still be on or highly regarded because that's almost an extra season shoved in one they have to deal with.

perfect example for witnessing a show do both long seasons and shorter seasons is LOST. a lot of people felt the show was just kind of drifting and not going anywhere in season 2 and 3 at times. so season 4-6 are not the 24 episode seasons, they are down to 15-17 hours (16 or so episodes) so the stories are more compact and there's less chances for "filler".

and comedies i'm not even getting into because that's a different beast from dramas entirely.

my choice would be each show runs 4-7 seasons (7 at most i'd say) and has, let's say, 18 episodes a season (at 42 minutes an episode) at most.

[Gamma_Winstead]

For me, most of the time, the shows I watch are character driven sci-fi shows. These scenarios grant you so many things you can do. You can spend entire seasons just doing MoW style episodes that drive a CHARACTER plot forward. (Such as X-files season 1 developing Mulder and Scully)

Same with comedies.

However, something like, say, The shield. Well, 7 seasons is what they needed to tell an incredible story! Same with Battlestar Galactica. 4 seasons was all they needed.

[ts0323]

As far as seasons, I'd say around 6-7 is great, as long as the writing can still be fresh by the end.
As far as episodes per seasons, I prefer around 18-22. I feel like that gives the appropriate amount of character development while not dragging on. If I have any gripes with shows like Dexter, it would be that the seasons are too short.

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by gamma626

However, something like, say, The shield. Well, 7 seasons is what they needed to tell an incredible story! Same with Battlestar Galactica. 4 seasons was all they needed.

Couldn't agree more, The Shield did in 88 episodes, and BSG did in 63 + 2 movies, what some shows spend 150 episodes or more trying to do. Tell a captivating and engaging story that never seemed to drag, everything had an impact and they lasted the perfect amount of time. It's better to burn out than to fade away, but some shows just don't get that and fade until they are barely even a shadow of their glory days.

[Gamma_Winstead]

73.

yeah. Just look at the Office. That show is like The Office's dead body being used a a puppet by Jeff Dunham or something.

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by gamma626

73.

yeah. Just look at the Office. That show is like The Office's dead body being used a a puppet by Jeff Dunham or something.

Oh yeah, didn't realize I said 63, thanks.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by gamma626

73.

yeah. Just look at the Office. That show is like The Office's dead body being used a a puppet by Jeff Dunham or something.

yeah, for awhile it looked like The Office could no wrong. now, it can't do anything right

seasons 2 & 3 were spectacular. hell, season 4 even was great at most times. but seasons 5 & 6 are abysmal. and i hear season 7 isn't any better which really sucks, especially since it's Carell's last season (figured they would maybe have one more solid season with Carell but i guess not ) and talk has been that they will continue on next year...

ugh.

that's why i love what LOST did. left on their own terms and not abc's (and you know abc would have kept LOST on for the next 25 years if they had the ability to) and that's what more shows should do, but money speaks.