Interview · moment 4 of 16
The Old TV Network Blood Oath and the Myth of the Hour Special
from Andrew Schulz · #138
Audio-only archive episode — no video to seek.
3 minGuest
Schultz talks about why comics used to chase TV and hour-long specials purely because that filled network time slots, comparing it to arbitrary Game of Thrones episode lengths, and why an hour isn't sacred anymore.
- 20:33Tim dismisses the idea of artistic integrity preventing self-promotion, arguing that if you don't want to share your material, don't go on stage.
- 21:08Every door in the stand-up industry closed for Tim until he figured out how to work every angle.
- 21:43Networks got fat because they were the only game in town, demanding a blood oath from comedians since TV was the only way to reach an audience.
- 22:18Tim criticizes even great comedians like Seinfeld for insisting that an hour special is the only format that's real.
- 22:29The hour-long format has nothing artistic about it—it was chosen purely to fill a time block on television.