BBC One ECP's

Because TV companies employ huge Marketing and PR departments these days who believe that the vast majority of viewers reach for the remote the second credits appear. And they're probably right. The fact is that for those who actually watch the credits, or want to listen to the music, it's bloody annoying.

Marketing types tell the TV companies that any "messages" they want to give the viewer must be done within the first few seconds of the programme proper ending. While this began several years ago with carefully selected and timed voiceovers at certain key junctions, this has now mushroomed into End Credit Promos, voiceovers, menus etc... on virtually every programme.

I've said all this before...

Figures show that 3 times more people change channel during end credits than the trails which follow. The idea of end-credit trails is to keep people's interest for longer.

Personally I don't think you can argue much of a case for credits at all. When you buy something in a shop do you get a list of all the people responsible for making the product? No. Why should actors/producers/third-assistant floor managers be any different?

Don't know whether it's an urban myth or truth, but when (I think) Five started, there was a debate about whether they could edit out all the end credits and show them in one long chunk at the end of their peak programming!

I almost agree with marksi that the case for credits is weakening - I suppose it stems from the theatre where crediting the cast and crew in the programme ispart and parcel of the performance. Credit sequences on television are significantly shorter these days than a few years ago. Early "EastEnders Omnibus" programmes used to have 1'51" of end credits!!! These days there are limits to the duration of the end credit sequences set by the broadcasters. It varies from channel to channel. Here's what the end credit guidelines are for BBC channels taken from the www.bbc.co.uk


End Credit Durations
End credit sequence durations must not exceed the following durations, which should be taken into account when commissioning any music or graphic intended to accompany them:

BBC ONE, BBC TWO and BBC FOUR
Prog less than 30 minutes------25 seconds
31 to 60 minutes ------------------40 seconds
More than 61 minutes------------50 seconds

BBC THREE
All Prog Durations-----------------15 seconds

CBeebies, CBBC Channel
All Prog Durations-----------------20 seconds

End Credit durations for programmes such as daily quizzes and continuing sports coverage should not exceed 10 seconds. They may be longer for first and last editions provided they do not exceed the timings listed.

...and 25 seconds is also too long.

All you need is a copyright and date as far as I'm concerned. Put the rest on a website (if you're going to bother at all).

Well its not the credits who cares what written in them its the theme tunes we want to hear not a boring announcer.

Clearly we should be doing a few lessons in punctuation over end credits when you're watching...

The fact is people change channels when the credits appear. Therefore it seems they do not want to see the credits, nor do they want to hear the music.

And clearly mate u should be a teacher if u aint already

No, I don't have the patience to be a teacher, and anyway I'd rather annoy you by talking all over end credits.

Whereas should be sterilised.

Thank god for RTE then, at least I can watch BBC progammes there with out voice overs.

Seems odd to me. A 10 second voice over on the end credits annoys you, but 3 minutes of adverts in the middle doesn't. Strange.

Maybe one of the reasons that people switch over when the credits appear is because they know that an over-loud voiceover is on the way, followed by over-loud trailers!