Broadcast magazine reports that the UK mystery series NEW TRICKS, about a bunch of retired cops solving crimes, has been picked up for two more seasons, guaranteeing the show at least an eight season run. That said, their idea of a "season" is eight 60-minute episodes. So, after eight years, they will have made as many episodes as a typical American network series does in three.
I love this show! Wit, humor, compelling characters, and interesting plots. Too bad only Season 1 is out here in the states, and I’ve already seen most of those episodes.
Ok, you seem to be a bit confused about the way money and television work in the UK, the thing is that before the advent of digital the only free (terrestrial) channels available were bbc 1 and 2, ITV, channel four (launched in the eighties) and channel 5 (which launch in the late nighties). If you wanted more then you had to pay someone like Sky to get them.
Digital has meant that there are more free channels to chose from but a lot of them are either off shoots of the main 5 (eg BBC 3 and 4, ITV 2, 3 and 4, E4 More4, Film4, Fiver and Five US) or buy programs made by them or American companies.
We pay a license fee to the BBC for the priviledge of watching any of the channels because they have the royal charter and this money is what they use to make or buy in their programs. They have no money from advertising because the charter forbids it (yes, no adverts at all only short trailers for their own stuff after a program ends, bliss). Short runs are the result, they simply can’t afford to churn out 25 episodes for every series. The other channels do use advertising to get money but generally make shorter runs too, I’m guessing the average American channel can rake in much more ad revenue because you have higher viewing figures due to the huge difference in population size between us.
I’d guess that most UK programs have an average of about 10 or 12 shows per season. Popular shows can sometimes get into the late teens but it’s not usual. Some dramas, usually detective shows only have two or three episodes each season, Lewis, Marple, Midsommer Murders and Poirot made by ITV are recent examples, these are usually between one and a half to two and a half hours long and shown on a Sunday night more often than not.
My point is with so little money to go around I think I’d rather have quality over quantity anyday.
eNew Tricks is now old and boring tricks – writers not the same, characterisation now rubbish – James Bolam was right to leave.
New Tricks is now rubbish,having lost all but one of the original cast. Unfortunatrly the replacements- an ex soap opera “actress” tangerine overwieight and the ex Only Fools and Horses actor- nicholas lyndhurst are rubbish and the programme is now past it’s sell=by date.