The Advertising of Sherlock Holmes

 

Just switched on ITV4 seeing The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes with Jeremy Brett was on but caught the ad break.   It always seems to be the ad break when I switch on ITV4 so I decided it was time for some elementary deduction as to what is causing this phenomenon.  The Sherlock Holmes TV episodes were almost all 50 minutes long with 10 minutes left over for add breaks when they first went out 37 years ago in 1984.  Advert breaks have doubled in the last 20 years so ITV4 now stretches out each 50 minute episode to an hour and 10 minutes stretching the ad break from 10 minutes to 20.  That means whenever you switch over randomly to ITV4 you have a 30 per cent chance of landing in one of the 3 six and a half minute ad breaks per show.  Most people will lose interest after 5 minutes of no real content and leave having only absorbed advertising.  ITV4 is a con.  Don't be tempted.  Don't go there.  Don't switch over.