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November 1, 2021 3:34 pm  #1


Did Streaming Just Cost Global One Of Its Hit Shows?

On Sunday, Global simulcast the fourth episode of "Seal Team," along with CBS. 

Next week, this show appears to be completely off the Canadian network's schedule. And though it's still in production, it may never be seen over local airwaves here again. That's because "Team" is now stream, having made the sudden switch to the CBS-owned Paramount+. 

That American service is available north of the border and while sometimes the rights that have been sold to Canadian stations means they get to keep showing it, because P+ is distributed here, it looks like Seal Team is off Global's Sunday schedule. 

While it's not a show I ever watched, this kind of thing is getting extremely irritating, hooking people on a storyline only to pull out the rug from under them and have producers come back with their hands out looking for money to watch it. It's admittedly good business. But it's bad faith for loyal viewers.

It's becoming an increasingly frustrating move, sticking the middle finger at fans who originally made the show a hit. To make matters even worse, the show was apparently in part one of a three-part story arc that leaves the fate of a main character up in the air. Want to know what happened to her? Get out your credit card. 

I've checked the line-up out of curiosity and Global's website indicates there are "no future showings" scheduled. Welcome to the new reality, where watching TV can't be done without a handkerchief present. Because it appears if a show catches on over so-called free TV, you may soon be forever paying through the nose. 

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November 1, 2021 5:10 pm  #2


Re: Did Streaming Just Cost Global One Of Its Hit Shows?

Does Global have streaming rights in Canada? 
OR
Will Paramount plus Canada carry Seal Team?  "Season 5 leaves STACKTV in 11 days"    https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0QX1CTJ9J4V9Y49NVYOHSC3JQ3/ref=atv_sr_def_c_unkc__1_1_1?sr=1-1&pageTypeIdSource=ASIN&pageTypeId=B09JP8W1S8&qid=1635801220

Last edited by Radiowiz (November 1, 2021 5:40 pm)


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

November 1, 2021 5:45 pm  #3


Re: Did Streaming Just Cost Global One Of Its Hit Shows?

I'm just talking about broadcast TV. The Global website currently has all the over-the-air episodes available on its site. Click on the "Broadcast Schedule" and it says no future shows available. But it will be available next week on Paramount Plus.

To me, it's not who's streaming it but the fact that this is the latest show that was presented on broadcast TV, acquired a fan base and then removed so they can pull money out of wallets. 

It's certainly not the first show to do this and it won't be the last. My worry - if they keep doing this, it will be the death of over-the-air television. Which, come to think of it, they may not mind at all. 

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November 2, 2021 7:03 am  #4


Re: Did Streaming Just Cost Global One Of Its Hit Shows?

And the answer is yes - Global has lost this show to streaming. It makes me wonder: how many more formerly free-to-air shows are next?

SEAL Team pulls out of Global Sunday

     Thread Starter
 

November 2, 2021 1:14 pm  #5


Re: Did Streaming Just Cost Global One Of Its Hit Shows?

Those that saw my original post...please ignore.    Looks like SWAT was doing better on CBS than originally thought.  I noticed that I had posted last Friday which was a repeat.  If we go to the previous week, the numbers are better for a fresh non repeat.  Mind you better meaning 4.7 million viewers 2+ which is still pretty brutal.  SWAT was #26 in Canada with 1.026 million for Global.  Here are the ratings from Showbuzz for October 22nd. 

 

November 3, 2021 12:22 am  #6


Re: Did Streaming Just Cost Global One Of Its Hit Shows?

The article I saw said the show would likely have been cancelled if it hadn't moved online.  Everyone knew this was happening.  Global shouldn't have run the new episodes only to have the show disappear. 

 

November 3, 2021 8:07 am  #7


Re: Did Streaming Just Cost Global One Of Its Hit Shows?

Tomas Barlow wrote:

The article I saw said the show would likely have been cancelled if it hadn't moved online.  Everyone knew this was happening.  Global shouldn't have run the new episodes only to have the show disappear. 

Why would it get cancelled? It won its time slot in total viewers and was a very competitive 2nd place to ABC's Shark Tank in the 18-49 demo.

 

November 4, 2021 10:03 pm  #8


Re: Did Streaming Just Cost Global One Of Its Hit Shows?

mace wrote:

Tomas Barlow wrote:

The article I saw said the show would likely have been cancelled if it hadn't moved online.  Everyone knew this was happening.  Global shouldn't have run the new episodes only to have the show disappear. 

Why would it get cancelled? It won its time slot in total viewers and was a very competitive 2nd place to ABC's Shark Tank in the 18-49 demo.

Poor ratings it seems.  ere's an article about it.

https://www.distractify.com/p/will-there-be-a-season-5-of-seal-team

Last edited by Tomas Barlow (November 4, 2021 10:05 pm)

 

November 16, 2021 2:03 pm  #9


Re: Did Streaming Just Cost Global One Of Its Hit Shows?

Interesting update on this story from Bill Brioux. Apparently not only did Global lose the rights to show Seal Team when it moved to Paramount+, so did all Canadians. Like Netflix USA and Netflix Canada, there are differences in the rights to some shows, and apparently those in the Great White North can no longer see it here - even if they subscribe to the CBS streaming service. 

Don’t shoot! We have some intel on SEAL Team in Canada

Another issue that's bugging some viewers Stateside who chose to spring for the subscription to continue watching the show - since it switched to non-broadcast mode, the F-bomb factor has been ratcheted up 1,000%, to the point where a lot of the dialogue is swearing.

It may be more realistic, but some viewers are complaining that wasn't the show they were used to and they don't think it should change just because it's no longer obligated to conform to broadcast standards. 

I've never seen an episode, it's not my kind of show, and swearing doesn't offend me but I can see why those who may have watched it with their kids wouldn't be happy about the sudden - and very unannounced - language change. Just because you can now use foul language, doesn't mean you have to. 

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November 17, 2021 12:10 am  #10


Re: Did Streaming Just Cost Global One Of Its Hit Shows?

RadioActive wrote:

Another issue that's bugging some viewers Stateside who chose to spring for the subscription to continue watching the show - since it switched to non-broadcast mode, the F-bomb factor has been ratcheted up 1,000%, to the point where a lot of the dialogue is swearing.

It may be more realistic, but some viewers are complaining that wasn't the show they were used to and they don't think it should change just because it's no longer obligated to conform to broadcast standards. 

I've never seen an episode, it's not my kind of show, and swearing doesn't offend me but I can see why those who may have watched it with their kids wouldn't be happy about the sudden - and very unannounced - language change. Just because you can now use foul language, doesn't mean you have to. 

Sometimes a show can benefit from a move to a streaming service where the standards aren't quite as strict. I think a perfect example of this is Lucifer, which ran for three seasons on FOX before getting cancelled, and then got picked up by Netflix after a fervent online campaign from viewers worldwide protesting its cancellation. 

Tom Ellis, who played the titular Prince of Darkness, talked about how the change would impact the show in an interview with TheWrap.com: https://www.thewrap.com/lucifer-season-4-netflix-different-fox-tom-ellis-video/

“Well, we had to be a bit careful, ’cause even though we’ve got new boundaries that we can work in, we didn’t want to change the show so much. Because I think one of the reasons the show really worked and had such a broad appeal to people was that it didn’t get vulgar, it didn’t push it too far in certain departments. That being said, we do sort of push it a little bit more than we were allowed to on Fox. ​So that was nice. But the show ultimately is a pretty similar show to what we had on Fox. I mean, that’s what Netflix wanted and it seems to be what everyone fell in love with in the first place.”

Another restriction the show didn't have to contend with was trying to squeeze a story into 42 minutes. Some episodes ran 50 minutes or more. Another thing I found interesting is that, keeping true to the format of the original show, the Netflix episodes would continue to have "breaks" where commercials would ordinarily go if it was still being broadcast on regular television. 

In this case, I think this is a perfect example of how a great show can be made even better when it's freed from certain restrictions. But I do agree with your original point, RA. Just because you're allowed to do something, doesn't mean you should.


PJ


ClassicHitsOnline.com...If you enjoy hearing the same 200 songs over and over again...listen to the other guys!
 

November 17, 2021 8:33 am  #11


Re: Did Streaming Just Cost Global One Of Its Hit Shows?

I suspect most of the language complaints came from the bible belt and/or Middle America aka flyover country. I remember when CTV bought the broadcast rights to  The Sopranos, they were offered the HBO and an edited language/violence version. CTV chose the HBO version. Most episodes ran 65-75 minutes so the National News would begin around 11:15PM. Most viewers, myself included. assumed incorrectly the show was 60 minutes in length and set the PVR accordingly missing the last 10 minutes or so. That was the major complaint CTV received about the show. Viewers made adjustments for episode two.

 

November 17, 2021 10:03 am  #12


Re: Did Streaming Just Cost Global One Of Its Hit Shows?

Americans tend to be more sensitive to language than Canadians. Same with depictions of sex. In Britain, it tends to be the total opposite. They've had strong language and sexual content on the telly over there for decades, with nary a ripple. But they tend to more outraged by depictions of graphic violence, which is perfectly acceptable on American screens. It's an interesting difference. 

Remember the outrage when NYPD Blue debuted on ABC in 1993? Some stations refused to run it, but the network stuck to its guns and it became a huge hit. And in the end, the controversy faded away.

There was something similar on CBS, when it tried to make a TV version of the movie "Uncle Buck" in 1990. There were articles, complaints to the FCC and strong editorials as soon as the show debuted. Why? They had one of the kids say something like, "That sucks." Such was the puritan state of the nation at that time that many considered it a serious offense. 

The truth is that broadcast TV, while still under the thumb of Standards & Practices, has been forced to allow more liberal language policies to compete with cable and now streaming. Although I don't think the F-bomb will ever be acceptable on over-the-air networks, no matter how much the rules are loosened. 

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November 17, 2021 10:47 am  #13


Re: Did Streaming Just Cost Global One Of Its Hit Shows?

RadioActive wrote:

Americans tend to be more sensitive to language than Canadians. Same with depictions of sex. In Britain, it tends to be the total opposite. They've had strong language and sexual content on the telly over there for decades, with nary a ripple. But they tend to more outraged by depictions of graphic violence, which is perfectly acceptable on American screens. It's an interesting difference. 
 

It may be about choice of words in Britain.
Is Britain still not tolerating the word "Shag"? 
Way back in 1999 movie theatres there had to change the name of the Spy who Shagged me to Austin Powers 2.
In Britain, where the term originated, The Sun tabloid reported Thursday that theater owners plan to remove the subtitle from marquees when the movie opens here in July and plan to just call it ``Austin Powers II.″  
Source: 
https://apnews.com/article/9c45c37c3d43afe400b40e6248761533


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

November 17, 2021 11:03 am  #14


Re: Did Streaming Just Cost Global One Of Its Hit Shows?

I tend to agree with some of the viewers.  Just because the show is no longer on network TV doesn't mean that Seal should radically change suddenly and become filled with profanity.  If overdone, the show and it's characters could be changing too much in the eyes of the viewer.  If the script calls for the f-bomb fine, but the writers or producers shouldn't put in the swearing just because they can now.

Canada is a little more like the UK in this area.  While Canadian networks don't usually go out of their way to schedule many shows or movies that have a lot of swearing, all of them will allow it. I have seen many movies on Canadian network TV over the years that were virtually unedited for language or nudity. And domestic Canadian programming will sometimes have swearing, especially on CBC when they think they are being "edgy."  But still language and some situations you would never see or hear on the commercial US OTA networks,  US OTA networks had to show the "Schitt's Creek" logo every time it was mentioned on a talk show or even during the Emmy Awards, because of standards and practices and FCC regulations. https://www.thewrap.com/abc-emmys-schitts-creek-logo-on-screen/  
 
Like the UK, I could see some Canadians getting more upset about overly violent programming, however as mace pointed out CTV did run the Sopranos unedited and it had lots of violence as well as the salty language.  I remember about five years ago CTV ran four back to back episodes of Letterkenny after the Super Bowl.  Letterkenny is quite funny but filled with swearing and occasional nudity, CTV didn't edit out anything. 

I thought there might have been some backlash from viewers since it was right after the highest rated event on television or some questions from journalists on the wisdom of CTV showing this program, but never heard anything.

 

November 17, 2021 11:10 am  #15


Re: Did Streaming Just Cost Global One Of Its Hit Shows?

Networks can get by a lot of complaints by noting what time the offending language airs - it's usually a lot more lenient after 10 PM.

Also, they air the ratings bug at the top of each show out of each break, ("L" is for language, "V" for violence etc.) I'm guessing most parents have no idea that they can actually program their TV sets to exclude any of these categories so their kids can't see them if they're not around, but it does offer the stations some cover. There are often verbal warnings about "viewer discretion advised" that precedes each segment. "Hey, we warned you about this at the beginning of every part of the show. Not our fault if you didn't heed them."

They've been around for years. But I've never met or heard of anyone who's ever used those ratings as a reason to turn off a show. 

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November 17, 2021 11:17 am  #16


Re: Did Streaming Just Cost Global One Of Its Hit Shows?

paterson1 wrote:

I tend to agree with some of the viewers.  Just because the show is no longer on network TV doesn't mean that Seal should radically change suddenly and become filled with profanity.  If overdone, the show and it's characters could be changing too much in the eyes of the viewer.  If the script calls for the f-bomb fine, but the writers or producers shouldn't put in the swearing just because they can now.

When new episodes of the animated "American Dad" wound up transferred to TBS in the U.S., after being on Fox for several years, the Seth MacFarlane-produced and voiced show went a bit overboard. I've seen episodes of the cable-only version that now has swearing and strong verbal sexual content in it, something you never would have seen when it aired on Fox. 

I can tell you that not only does it not add anything to the show, it actually detracts from it. Maybe it makes it a little more edgy. But it actually made me feel uncomfortable for some reason, even though I have no problem with curse words. It just seemed gratuitous and completely out of place for the kind of show that it is, like 'we did it because we now can.' Didn't make the show any funnier or better.  

It's almost like they became aware they went too far and in the past season, they've pulled back on it a bit.

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