"OFF Fan" <homer@simpson.dna> wrote
>>Gunsmoke also did not have cast members getting $400,000 for just
>>sitting on their asses. The Gunsmoke actors actually worked!
> And many of their seasons had 36+ episodes, then around season 7, the
> episodes were expanded to an hour long.
And since we're talking non-comedies, don't forget 'The Bill', a British
police drama / soap opera which has been running since 1984, beginning with
one hour a week and quickly escalating to 3 half-hours a week, and now
produces 2 one hour episodes a week, a tremendous schedule to keep up with
given that much of it is shot on the streets of London with all the
congestion problems and anti-terrorist precautions they must face.
Several players have been with the programme from the very first episode.
May be seen on either BBC America or UKTV Gold, apparently. A big ratings
scorer here in Australia too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bill
Move along there now...
Paul