UK Channels suck

[Timewarp]

You know what I hate about being in the UK? How much UK Channels suck at securing rights to US TV Shows or the way they treat them. I mean we either have the shows edited to the point where there's barely any of the show left or the channel that hosts the show just decides to cancel even though the actual creators are still running the show and based on how things are done with Netflix even though the show is still running Netflix UK can't bring us the TV Show till it's shown ON BRITISH TV.

So basically you want to know why so many US Shows get watched illegally online? Ok then imaginary person in my mind here's some examples.

Archer
Animate comedy on FX and shown on 5USA in the UK (Ignoring the fact that FOX recently took over FXUK and could easily show it there). In the US it's on season 5 at the moment but in the UK it's on Season 4 despite the fact that 5USA have already run every episode already and really should be getting season 5 right now (Oh and since these guys who couldn't think of a channel beyond the number 5 have no concept of communication we UK Archer fans are left guessing as to when the idiots are going to run season 5).

Agents of Shield
Based off the Marvel Universe agency Shield, it's on ABC in the US and Channel 4 in the UK (HINT - US SHOW CREATORS, STOP GIVING CHANNEL 4 YOUR TV SHOWS). This is even more annoying, part 2 of the first season has already started but since Channel 4 has already decided that they want to air all the episodes at once we UK viewers get to wait till march.

White Collar
I left the best till last. White Collar is so screwed up in the UK that I honestly wouldn't blame anyone for not having a clue how to watch this show and now at this point YOU CAN'T. Season 1 and 2 were on Sky and season 3 was on Alibi who have dropped the show meaning season 4 and 5 have no UK Broadcasting thus meaning the show has been pretty much cancelled in the UK.

and all this wouldn't be such a problem if the UK Shows didn't have such a great track record in the US. Sometimes the US get our shows before we get them. This isn't an attack on the US users since it's not your fault but I hate having to rely on such shoddy channels for my US Show fix, why does Netflix UK have to wait for White Collar to get a UK broadcaster? Why does Scrubs have to be censored so much to the point where their censoring words that aren't even swear words. (NOTE: THERE'S IS NO SUCH THING AS THE A-WORD CHANNEL 4 BECAUSE THE WORD YOUR CENSORING ISN'T A SWEAR WORD). I hate this since it means I have no way to both enjoy a show and allow the cast, crew and creator to benefit from me enjoying the show.

[CS Revolked]

I have no idea. But what I do hate is for example, when things need to be translated into English and they never do, so you miss out on, like, a whole season (mostly the last) and I dunno it annoys me.

I know this isn't the best example. But Love/Hate is an Irish drama. And I believe the UK got it so far after and I was so pissed, because I love that show (slowly turning into a hibernophile. Don't mind me.)So whilst we were in S1, I think S3 had aired in Ireland. At least the Irish don't scream about it all over the internet like what Americans can do sometimes. I guess.

[Timewarp]

Yeah I got onto US Sites a lot and it's annoying since I don't mind the recap articles having spoilers but there's this guy called Kofi Outlaw who is a complete dick, he acts like he shouldn't have to warn anyone about spoilers in his article despite the fact that he knows the site has writers from the UK and that the site draws in guys like me from the UK.

The delays are mostly about broadcasting rights and you'd think with the digital era this would be easier but I think it has something to do with a lot of guys in TV still using what is essentially now an outdated system. Basically it's almost as if their going "You can't watch it on your DVDs since we're all using VHS still!"

[CS Revolked]

I guess, I mean, I don't mind waiting, but I hate it when you're so far behind that there is literally no point watching at all.

[FlameMaster5]

Wow, I had no idea there was these kinds of issues with television for UK! D:
I don't know what I would do without my TV shows. XD

[Timewarp]

Yeah and the worst part is that since the US advertise heavily online it's like being mocked by the creators of the show "Next time on that awesome US Show that you guys in the UK can't watch till the idiots in charge of your channels come to some sort of deal with NBC" most of the time it's not that we don't get them but that their so inconsistent.

Fringe would come back on and I'd have to search the planner of my TV to make sure Sky hadn't just put season 4 on without telling anyone, although I've heard that HBO are really obnoxious and have an online version of Netflix called HBO GO that requires a cable subscription. BTW how much does cable in the US cost? It's just that in the UK we have just one which is Sky and if you pay enough you get every channel where as I've always heard that certain guys like HBO or NBC require separate subscriptions.

[CS Revolked]

Yeah, you guys call it 'cable', right? Was is cable? How does it work? How many channels do you get?

[Timewarp]

But what is cable? Where does it come from and how does it work and where does it come from? It's pretty much the same as what we have CS where a guy comes round and hooks your TV up to a service similar to Sky such as HBO.

[CS Revolked]

Oh I see. Cable just sounds lacking compared to what we call it.

It sounds like something everyone has and it's only like three channels (like how it used to be BBC 1, BBC 2, ITV, Channel 4 and maybe Channel 5 for us).

It just sounded really small. But I can imagine now there's quite a few channels. We have 999 channels and yet half of them are completely useless. Past 641-ish it really is the dark side of Sky TV.

[Timewarp]

Well it's more a collection of channels so HBO has a collection of channels you can only have if you buy HBO, while Sky is expensive though what you're saying still applies here. It's easier to have just one guy selling us everything then having to buy from three or four different people, especially since this only applies to TV. Although Sky could do with having a service where we choice what channels we actually want so we're not stuck paying for other 999 channels when most of us as you put it don't even bother going beyond 640, the service could even allow customers to add and remove channels on the fly so you only pay for what you want.

Basically what I'm saying is that Sky and HBO Go are showing the world why Netflix is the best option. One day I can watch Star Trek or Chuck or QI or all four seasons of Arrested Development, at the moment there's not much choice but that's down to networks getting in the way of Netflix and legal work that demands Netflix has rights to show certain programs based on what country it's being shown in. Netflix can't show White Collar season 4 as it doesn't have a UK channel showing it which is just stupid, if there's nobody to lay claim to the show for the UK then Netflix should be allowed to just put the entire season up. Simply put everything would be better if everyone would just shut up and let Netflix do what they've been trying to do for years now.

[FlameMaster5]

Feb 9, 2014 10:45:05 GMT -5 CS Revolked said:

Yeah, you guys call it 'cable', right? Was is cable? How does it work? How many channels do you get?

Yup. Here in the US it is called cable, and/or satellite TV, but you get the point.
Cable here costs like anywhere between $30-$150 depending on what state you live in for your connection because there are several different kinds of cable companies - like DirecTV, DiSH, etc. All those services have different plans, which include different channels.

I think right now we have DiSH to the house, but my mom needs to cancel it because she never watches TV unless it's a drama series that me and Shelley watch and we just use our Netflix/Hulu Plus/Amazon to get shows.
Sucks that we don't have the HBO streaming, but we'll just wait for the Seasons to release. ^^'

But yeah, there's like 999 channels or whatever here in US, or more, or something on those plans for some services. I'm like you, CS, I don't really care about ANY of that. :3

[CS Revolked]

So... it's like what we have then.

Haha! I wonder why I thought US TV was insubstantial. Maybe I'm just uncultured.
So you get any UK TV channels?
Because we can get Sky Atlantic, Fox News, CNN and other American channels, I believe.