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May 24, 2012

Things I Hate About TV: The 'what's next' bug thing

by Anna Johns, posted Apr 4th 2006 9:20AM

The moving graphic in the lower left corner of my television screen has officially gotten out of hand (I think Adam would agree). Rather than just letters rolling in and out to tell me what's up next, it has become quite distracting. I realize that's the point: to get me to notice the crap in the corner, but I'd rather watch the show. Most recently, I was watching something on VH1, when a purple 'Z' actually whooshed up and covered the entire screen and then faded away to tease whatever the hell it was teasing. I don't even know what it was for, I just know it was too much! Also, on USA Network lately, Wynonna and Cowboy Troy keep dancing around in the lower lefthand corner of my screen to tell me about the upcoming season of Nashville Star. Conveniently, they kept popping up when subtitles were on the screen. Arrrgh! And, guess what? The network played promos for Nashville Star in every break. So, give me a break.

I guess this is the networks' way of getting around that pesky TiVo fast-forward that we're all so fond of.

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Sidney Rosenblum

9 I watched the show Nashville Star and now I can't
Find out why Cowboy Troy and Wynonna are dancing on
the left side of my screen. All I want to Know is when they are having Try outs for the next show my friend
Has a CD that really shows off her great singing Voice
She would like get a chance for them to hear how good she is. How can we find out with all the Dancing
around.

May 18 2006 at 7:29 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Sidney Rosenblum

I am not sure that what I am writing is keeping with
the topic watched The show Nashville Star and I enjoyed it very much. I just want to know when there
will be try outs for the Nashville STAR. I have a friend that has alot of talent with sing all kinds
of Music I have a CD of hers that made me believe
she could try out, if any one can answer me.That
would be great. thank you Sidney ROSENBLUM

May 18 2006 at 12:36 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Shirley

Yep,the graphic thing is overdone and irritating! What's their point in advertising the show you're already watching? Grrrrr.... Anyone out there tried counting how fast the scene changes from one angle to another? Every 3-4 seconds a new view is flashed; in fact, actually holding the camera on the scene taking place is rarely more than 5-6 seconds. No kidding, try counting the time between camera-angle changes. News anchors and talking heads are kept right up there, but any - and I mean -ANY 'entertainment' show can get a person dizzy. And yes, Cherry, the "..coming up on.." thing is annoying. Okay now, anybody out there, let's see how long a scene will hold before the camera ...swooooshe's..and purple zzzzz's..to a different view. AARRRRGGGHHHHHHH

April 10 2006 at 3:09 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
CherrySlurpees

I'm with you in finding the whole moving graphic thing annoying. But what I find even more annoying is right before the commercial break we get the "Coming up on..." and then they reveal major plot points of the show you're ALREADY watching. It's like they think the show is bad enough that you're going to leave and go watch something else so they spoil the rest of the episode. Guh!

April 09 2006 at 9:20 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
ryanknapper

I don't think these advertising ideas would be implemented as easily if we all knew who thought it up and could pelt them with fruit.

April 06 2006 at 11:00 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Cathy M

This is especially annoying if you use the closed captions feature. MANY times the little ads kill the captions or cover them up and I have NO idea what is being said by the actors. I'm deaf and can't understand the dialogue without closed-captions. Did the networks even take that into consideration when they started these annoying little teasers?

April 05 2006 at 8:51 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Lampbane

G4 is pretty bad with the Star Trek: TNG promos - they make the tricorder sound. Which is annoying enough when watching some other program, but when you're actually watching the show they're advertising *and* the same sound is featured in the program? Yeah, you get the idea.

April 04 2006 at 3:23 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
K

during the last jin/sun episode of LOST there was a banner thst ran across the screen blocking the subtitles. i was so mad. it took me outta the whole suspensful LOST feeling and just made me mad.

April 04 2006 at 12:02 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Katie

For me the worst offender of this kind of intrusion was when FX was promoting Nip/Tuck. They had this awful knife slicing sharpening noise that scared me half to death all the time.

April 04 2006 at 11:37 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Carissa

Oh a great one is when you're watching something on FX and they zoom in a freakin firetruck, siren's and flames blazing, to promote Rescue Me - it always interferes with dialog. It happened all summer during It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and I didn't want to miss one bit of that show!

April 04 2006 at 10:24 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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