So you're watching Family Guy on TBS.

In the middle of the show Bill engvall walks in with a remote control and "pauses" the show to tell you about his TV show that NO ONE watches.

This has happened a "number" of times already.

This goes WAAAAAAAAAAY beyond the annoying things they put on the screen.

As Stewey would say "damn you to hell TBS!!!"

TBS is now also spamming the screen like NBC does.

"This is cool, I can pause and play TV anytime I want" - Bill Endvall

Yeah. It's cool.

So cool, I'm going to watch something else soon.

yea that's bull----. this has happened three times already and every time it does, i change the channel. TBS should stop this bull----. it's f---ing annoying and as much as i love family guy, if this is the type of s--- they're going to pull off to advertise a show no one watched, then f--- TBS, i'll watch something else.

"This is cool, I can pause and play TV anytime I want" - Bill Endvall

Yeah. It's cool.

So cool, I'm going to watch something else soon.

Little Detective Stabler from USA Network ads needs to hop over to TBS with his little gun and little handcuffs and take care of little Endvall. :D

I'm done with TBS Family Guy. I already almost never watched it since it it stretchovision(refuse to watch ANYTHING stretched).

Adult Swim is much better. They have episodes w/o parts cut out and no HD = no stretch.

As Stewey would say "damn you to hell TBS!!!"

That would be good TV. After the country fried moron pauses Family Guy, Stewie walks on screen with one of his weapons he always seems to have. Let there be a Engvall/Griffin battle.

Vile Network.

I'm surprised Bicker hasn't added his adversarial rhetoric to this thread yet :)

Remember venting here is totally pointless if you don't vent to the source as well.

Whereas venting to the source is only slightly pointless.

But if you don't then you can't say you didn't try and stop the plague before it destroyed what little sparks of quality there is left.

ya, that was annoying. Just when I thought TBS had a clue

I'm surprised Bicker hasn't added his adversarial rhetoric to this thread yet :)

I swear he works in advertising or for a network. Only a person in bed with this crap would work so hard to defend it. No TV viewer will defend snipes and ad bugs.

How did that horrible show - Engval - get a second season. It is absolutely the worst piece of crap I've seen in a long, long time. TBS is desperate.

How did that horrible show - Engval - get a second season. It is absolutely the worst piece of crap I've seen in a long, long time. TBS is desperate.

Haven't you been watching House of Payne?

How did that horrible show - Engval - get a second season. It is absolutely the worst piece of crap I've seen in a long, long time. TBS is desperate.

Absolute Crap!! BOTH Engvall and House of Payne. Just shows what garbage TBS has become.

In the middle of the show Bill Engvall walks in with a remote control and "pauses" the show to tell you about his TV show that NO ONE watches.

Actually, that's not true.

The show is about to start its second season, having premiered last year with 3.852 million viewers and averaging 2.7 million viewers throughout its seven episode run last season.

Oh, and House of Payne? Premiered with 3.32 million with a second episode viewership of 3.5 million.

^^^ They could have Superbowl ratings for all I care, pausing an ongoing TV show during its alloted segment (separate from commercials and pop-up ads while the show plays) to plug another TV show is simply the ultimate insult to the intelligence of the audience. My cable provider offers few HD channels and TBS-HD is one of them, yet I don't even flip through TBS-HD when checking my limited HD options. This channel has been dead to me since I found out they stretch everything but their baseball games (which I don't watch anyway). Knowing what they did to promote Bill Engvall makes me even more certain I'll never watch TBS-HD for as long as I live. :rolleyes:

I don't watch TBS. And you can catch reruns of Family Guy completely commercial and Bill Engvall free on DVD.

Too bad TBS and TNT cares about ( ) this much about what their viewers think. I've already chosen to not watch TNT and TBS because of their stretching practices. This crap they are pulling now just reaffirms my stance.

TBS - VERY PATHET

(paused)

Planet Green debuts today! Please watch!

(unpause)
IC

What's also appropriate that if you go here
http://support.tbs.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=5475
There are monkeys awaiting to help you out!

The easiest way is to send us an email by clicking the "Request Support" tab above.


If you prefer regular mail, please send comments and questions to:

TBS
1010 Techwood Dr. NW
Atlanta GA 30318

Viewer Comment and Question Line is 404-885-0758.

I was watching the Family Guy in question from the OP, and have to say this was way over the top. I was already a pretty dissatisfied customer over the stretch-HD and 1/4 screen commercials during the shows I'm watching, but this pause the show for a commercial crap was the end all for me. I will no longer watch TBS. I don't mind spending $100 to snag all the Family Guy episodes on DVD.

TBS - VERY PATHET

(paused)

Planet Green debuts today! Please watch!

(unpause)
IC

UGH those Planet Green ads are EVERYWHERE, seemed like 4/5 dif channels. I'm house sitting for someone with Comcast HD, and while its nice that they've FINALLY added a decent # of channels, the amount of bugs and countdowns and adverts during shows is mind-numbing. No way I'm paying over $100/month for the "right" to watch this crap. Blu-ray + OTA for me.

haha! "Blu-ray + OTA" that rhymes... could have a chant for a protest or something...

if u get mud on your tires whenever u visit your friends....u might be a redneck.

if youve ever brought a beer to a job interview....u might be a redneck.

....oh wait wrong guy.

Does it make the show run long? If not then they have allotted time for this interruption and may have thought it to be a way of avoiding DVR fast forwarding. Creating unnatural breaks could become a very bad trend to say the least. Every day seems to be a race to the bottom.

I have seen a lot of times they cut a few seconds out of the show here and there. I am an admitted completely Star Trek TNG nerd and have seen pretty decent chunks cut from the episodes (which are 45 mins long on DVD) when they're shown on various networks. I've noticed definitely a few times where about a 10 second chunk of Family Guy was cut on TBS.

What's also appropriate that if you go here
http://support.tbs.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=5475
There are monkeys awaiting to help you out!


Now it all makes sense. That's why TBS has been going "bananas" lately! :D
All these ridiculous bugs, ads, pausing and stretchovision.

I have seen a lot of times they cut a few seconds out of the show here and there. I am an admitted completely Star Trek TNG nerd and have seen pretty decent chunks cut from the episodes (which are 45 mins long on DVD) when they're shown on various networks. I've noticed definitely a few times where about a 10 second chunk of Family Guy was cut on TBS.

Family Guy is edited for content. More on TBS than Adult Swim. Plus, they really trash the ending. The other day it looked like they took the studio credits from the end and superimposed them in one corner of the screen over part of the show. This wasn't how the show does an extra segment at the end. The credits looked distorted and mangled.

I have to say, if I had a show(producer, writer, director, actor) there's no way in hell I would want it on TBS. I can't believe these people let a network like TBS destroy their show.

Why does the screen look “stretched” when I watch TBS in HD?

In an effort to present a consistent broadcast, we have decided to maintain the same aspect ratio for all HD programming. An unfortunate consequence of this is that the standard TV ratio of 4:3 is presented as 16:9. This is what “stretches” the image. We apologize for any dissatisfaction this caused.

So much is WRONG with that statement. First of all, stretchovsion is NOT a "consistent broadcast". NONE of the OTA networks provide a "consistent broadcst" like that. A true CONSISTENT BROADCAST on HDTV is showing content that is 16:9 digital/HD in OAR. This means My Name is Earl, Raymond, King of Queens as well as movies. This also means showing 4:3 SD or HD content in OAR with black sidebars. This means Family Guy,, Home Improvement and any other non-widescreen content, including commercials.

Second, this is not an "unfortunate consequence". This is a simple setting on the broadcasting equipment. It literaly is "flip a switch" and this goes away. We had a local station that stretched and it went away over night. TBS and TNT could do the same. It would require a little more effort to keep the bugs/snipes inside the 4:3 safe area on 4:3 programming(to avoid crap over the sidebars) but is it reall that much effort?

Third, instead of apologizing for this, FIX THE DAMN PROBLEM!!! It is not that hard!!


When does the second season of Bill Engvall begin?

The second season of The Bill Engvall Show begins on June 12th.


How frakin stupid are people? They have a separate topic informing when Bill Engvall starts!! What, the viewer (singular) of that show didn't see all the snipes, the constant text in the left corner as well as Bill himself pausing Family Guy? UN F*****G BELIEVEABLE!!!!

The other day it looked like they took the studio credits from the end and superimposed them in one corner of the screen over part of the show. This wasn't how the show does an extra segment at the end. The credits looked distorted and mangled.
Yeah you're right I think they did. It looked terrible and obvious.

UGH those Planet Green ads are EVERYWHERE, seemed like 4/5 dif channels.
Is it considered ironic if you view them on a plasma TV with the AC cranked up after a long commute home in a Hummer? ;)

For what it's worth, I haven't watch TNT or TBS in months. The last time was to check out the channels after updating my D* service to MPEG4. I haven't been back to them since.

So much is WRONG with that statement. First of all, stretchovsion is NOT a "consistent broadcast". NONE of the OTA networks provide a "consistent broadcst" like that. A true CONSISTENT BROADCAST on HDTV is showing content that is 16:9 digital/HD in OAR. This means My Name is Earl, Raymond, King of Queens as well as movies. This also means showing 4:3 SD or HD content in OAR with black sidebars. This means Family Guy,, Home Improvement and any other non-widescreen content, including commercials.

Second, this is not an "unfortunate consequence". This is a simple setting on the broadcasting equipment. It literaly is "flip a switch" and this goes away. We had a local station that stretched and it went away over night. TBS and TNT could do the same. It would require a little more effort to keep the bugs/snipes inside the 4:3 safe area on 4:3 programming(to avoid crap over the sidebars) but is it reall that much effort?

Third, instead of apologizing for this, FIX THE DAMN PROBLEM!!! It is not that hard!!
I posted this poll over at DBS to see what they would say over there. Please vote if you haven't yet.

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=128757

any video grabs of this, i don't watch tbs at all, but would be in for a good laugh

http://www.kottke.org/08/06/tbs-and-their-annoying-interstitial-commericials

I'd say we all boycott this:

http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-News-Blog/Todays-News/Engvall-Cbs-Drive/800040961

TBS' Bill Engvall Gets Eyed by CBS

Bill Engvall and Graham Patrick Martin in The Bill Engvall Show by Danny Feld/TBS

And you thought that Bill's "remote control" interstitial was in your face. The Bill Engvall Show is getting a plum showcase on CBS this Monday night, offering up a Season 1 repeat that will hopefully lead folks to give the family-friendly comedy a try when it unveils its sophomore run Wednesday, June 12, on TBS.

How this all works: In exchange for giving Bill the airtime, CBS will get to plug-plug-plug its fall line-up on TBS, in earnest, later in the summer.

Speaking of Engvall, he and TV bud Tim Meadows dropped by the other day to give me a video Q&A. Funny fellas! Watch for that next week. — MWM

Great, now we'll get CBS interruptions/popups on TBS along with the already overwhelming number of TBS distractions.

...removing TBS from all my STBs today.

Sometimes I think these companies are trying to destroy the broadcasting/cablecasting model and cash in on VOD and DVDs.

Sometimes I think these companies are trying to destroy the broadcasting/cablecasting model and cash in on VOD and DVDs.

Well its working at my house. Last summer we Netflix'd The Sopranos and Deadwood and watched no Network or Cable TV. This summer we've got Rome, Six Feet Under, and Carnivale on tap. Can't say I miss 'em (but I would miss Lost :) )

I just programmed all Turner stations out of my channel guide and sent them a nice e-mail. I'll probably type up a letter as well and mail it to them the old fashioned way. I urge everyone else sick of this crap to do the same.

I can't believe no one has posted this... but this whole thread is really ranting about nothing. TBS did not pause an actual Family Guy show. There was a commercial that was made to look like it was returning to Family Guy with Engvall pausing it... but the scene being paused wasn't even in the Family Guy episode I was watching at the time.

Basically this is a commercial that wanted to look like it was the TV show being paused... but it was nothing more than a commercial the whole time. It looks like a lot of people were fooled though.

I can't believe no one has posted this... but this whole thread is really ranting about nothing. TBS did not pause an actual Family Guy show. There was a commercial that was made to look like it was returning to Family Guy with Engvall pausing it... but the scene being paused wasn't even in the Family Guy episode I was watching at the time.

Basically this is a commercial that wanted to look like it was the TV show being paused... but it was nothing more than a commercial the whole time. It looks like a lot of people were fooled though.

Maybe in your case.

But otherwise, you're dead wrong.

They pause the show about 10 seconds before it goes to commerical.

I can't believe no one has posted this... but this whole thread is really ranting about nothing. TBS did not pause an actual Family Guy show.

Er, yes they did. I saw it myself last night. Paused for 20 seconds mid-show. Engvall snipe walked on, read his spiel, clicked his fake remote, Family Guy started to play and he walked off.

One thing that should be obvious posting on an AV forum is that the majority of users are not blind.

You might want to check the TBS community as well. Same reactions there.

I just programmed all Turner stations out of my channel guide and sent them a nice e-mail. I'll probably type up a letter as well and mail it to them the old fashioned way. I urge everyone else sick of this crap to do the same.

take off, nuke the entire station from orbit.

It's the only way to be sure.

If you don't have a nuke then I suppose writing will have to do. :D

I really don't care what it was. Doing crap like that to shows people actually watch on your network is the number one way to put your network in the expresslane to extinction. Face it, most of this "original programming" is garbage and defeats the whole reason the channel was created. It's like TV Land running this reality TV garbage instead of classic sitcoms(the reason for the network). TNT and TBS both haven't had any good original programming. Engvall is dreadful, My Boys is stupid and Tyler Perry isn't that great. TNT has only had one good original show: Saved(paramedic show), but they cancelled it. And they keep kicking that dreadful "The Closer" around with the "fingernails on chalkoard" Kyra Sedgwick. :eek: I wish they would "Close" production on that crap fest.

The Engvall crap does not belong - exclamation point. Screw TBS.

My Boys is a good show

I like The Closer. Good show, great writing, acting.:)

:D

Er, yes they did. I saw it myself last night. Paused for 20 seconds mid-show. Engvall snipe walked on, read his spiel, clicked his fake remote, Family Guy started to play and he walked off.

One thing that should be obvious posting on an AV forum is that the majority of users are not blind.

You might want to check the TBS community as well. Same reactions there.

Every time I see them do this it is the exact same scene... Nude Peter & Nude Lois licking Chris on the couch from the episode where they are high on ecstacy and Chris is scared. It paused, Engvall talks, then they unpause... but the scene was not part of the episode being aired.

Are other folks seeing other scenes? Maybe they made different versions or something... but every time I see it, it is the same scene which isn't part of the episode I was watching at the time.

I like The Closer. Good show, great writing, acting.:)

:D

Can't get past the annoying fake accent.

Every time I see them do this it is the exact same scene... Nude Peter & Nude Lois licking Chris on the couch from the episode where they are high on ecstacy and Chris is scared. It paused, Engvall talks, then they unpause... but the scene was not part of the episode being aired.

Are other folks seeing other scenes? Maybe they made different versions or something... but every time I see it, it is the same scene which isn't part of the episode I was watching at the time.

It occurred during an actual episode for me and I'm sure a few others as well. Most obnoxious thing I have ever seen a network do.

It occurred during an actual episode for me and I'm sure a few others as well. Most obnoxious thing I have ever seen a network do.

I've saw it a few times before cancelling my season pass (and they were all during the episode...about 5 to 10 seconds before the actual commercial break). Someone posted a video of one of them:
http://www.kottke.org/08/06/tbs-and-their-annoying-interstitial-commericials

Well, I got a response to my e-mail:

Thank you for your comments. I have passed your remarks along to the appropriate person for their consideration. TBS appreciates the feedback we get from our viewers. Thanks again for sharing your opinions and ideas with us.

Best,
TBS Web Staff

Uh huh. Thanks for the form letter response. :mad:

Well, I got a response to my e-mail:

Thank you for your comments. I have passed your remarks along to the appropriate person for their consideration. TBS appreciates the feedback we get from our viewers. Thanks again for sharing your opinions and ideas with us.
Best,
TBS Web Staff

Uh huh. Thanks for the form letter response. :mad:

Wow, they said a lot of nothing in that response. They probably "sent" the response to the "appropriate person"(the trash can, since TBS doesn't care).

I can see it coming....

Some live event (probably a football game in October...on NBC most likely), one of those snipes comes up and the person with the "remote" will cause the game to get paused (with a lot of people going into a WTF? moment) and he/she will say "just pausing the game to remind you do do your civic duty on November 4th and vote. Now back to Sunday Night Football on NBC", push the play button on said "remote" and the game restarts.

Most of us don't like it, but I guarantee you that some programming executive at one or more of the other networks just watched it and shouted "Eureka! Brilliant!".

^^^ If NBC ever tried something that, it would make the "Heidi" incident look like a walk in the park.

They wouldn't pause for a Election Day PSA. It'd be for the premiere of some crappy reality show.

These programmers know we've stopped watching the commercials in blocks, and they have decided that to get our eyes on their ads, they're willing to puke on their own programs in progress. I hope it costs them enough ratings that they decide it was a bad idea.

I happened to turn it on TBS the other day for the heck of it after seeing the new screen enahncements, and what I find funny is the left side of the screen now says "More Movie (or something like that) Less Commercials"

Do they count the numerous crap promotions on the screen?