What happened to the days when you could start a new show in August and guarantee that you would see new episodes every week until spring? Well, those days are long gone.

Now, we have something called a “mid-season break” that most television shows have adopted. Just as a person gets into the show, the network jerks it out from under you, and says returning in January.

It almost feels like two separate seasons, because both the middle and the end have episodes that leave you hanging. Why do they do this?

There are probably several reasons.

The first reason may be that networks believe that people do not watch as much television during the holiday season. So, instead of the regular shows, they fill it with holiday programs and specials. That is kind of wrong, because especially for young people, winter break is a time, when you are home to watch more television.

Also, having a mid-season break is a way for networks to stretch out their episodes and get people to watch longer. In some cases, it may backfire.

For example, if the show is not good enough and does not hook the viewer, they might give up and not watch after the break.

Whatever, the reason, for the viewer, it’s frustrating! They know that they have people where they want them, because if a show is really good, then you will tune in again after being forced to take a break.