A question about American TV scheduling

[andrew markworthy]

A quick question from a dumb Brit. I notice that a week or so ago, neither CSI or the Mentalist was on for a week and now House appears to be off air for two weeks. Just wondered why and whether this is the norm in the USA for a series not to air for a week or so. In the UK we're used to TV programmes (sorry, I mean programs) running every week at the same time (the only reason for a postponement would be a really big national holiday or a massive news event on the scale of 9/11).

[Dr_Teeth]

Alot of new shows are postponed in the US in October because the networks do not want to go up against the World Series. If it is a Fox show, like House it is definitely not on the air due to the World Series. Also they like to save new episodes for November which is sweeps month. They get higher advertising rates in November so they like to show all the big guns then.

[andrew markworthy]

Many thanks - I'd forgotten about the World Series (we get the Superbowl and highlights of the 'routine' football matches over here, but baseball gets less coverage).

[DaveS1138]

I always found it really weird too when I moved over here. Like you said in the UK I was used to a series starting......running a new show every week.......ending.....

Over here you never know from one week to the next if your getting a new show or a repeat.

(although I am very glad to see that for shows like 'Lost' they now run them in order.)