Hiatus, when Will Our TV Shows Come Back?

Every year it is the same thing. We wait for our favorite shows to air new episodes. For three to four months we are happy. Then December comes and the networks start airing reruns or Christmas movies or brand new shows we haven't heard of and some of which we will never hear of come May. January comes and with it the awards shows begin. Then February; the most loved month for avid TV watchers, until April that is! February delivers a few new episodes and keeps the interest alive. Then the dreaded month of March comes where we are lucky if there are even new episodes of anything on. Like most of you know March is full of basketball games. For those of you unaware of this, It is called March Madness. It too, comes every year and basketball fans await it as much as we await our shows to air those new episodes they have been promising all month.

Finally April has arrived, but we are still waiting for our shows to air those promised episodes. At least for the shows that started in the fall. Our only relief comes when a network braves airing a show, like 24, during the winter/spring season. Also, if you are a lucky Lost fan you know that they took a long hiatus so we could have sixteen weeks of uninterrupted new episodes. Is this what we have been asking for? A full season of uninterrupted episodes?
Could you imagine for a moment the following scenario? September comes and the networks have announced they will have what they call mini seasons. Meaning season; which ever we are on; of, which ever show, will air in two parts. The first eleven episodes will be aired September through December. The last eleven episodes will air May through August. With the next new mini season starting in January and going through April. This would be the perfect way to air shows. Plus, it would give more opportunities for some of the shows like those that have been axed without a fair chance. We could watch more TV this way. Scheduling this would be rough at first, but in the end I think everyone would win!

Now, back to the real world where the only network, a cable network at that, has chosen to do something similar to the above scenario. Most of you know this network. It has gotten me through some of the worst hiatus' known to the TV world and also the summer breaks. You know it as the USA network. It houses some of the best summer, and winter, shows on television. Monk, The Dead Zone, The 4400, and newcomer Psych and a few others I can't remember off the top of my head and which I don't really watch. It is these shows that have gotten millions through those lonely summers and some winters without such shows as CSI (any of them), Gilmore Girls, Grey's Anatomy, ER, House, M.D., and more.

So, why do we put up with all the drama of television? Why not just wait for it to come out on DVD? I'll tell you why, because we love our shows and if we stopped watching them, it would make the ratings go down and that precious show of ours will be gone forever. We watch for entertainment reasons or to get away from our reality. The reasons are endless, but the amount of episodes for one show is not. Although, ER producers might think otherwise!