“Still to come” and other little white lies
"Still to come," current affairs hosts tell us every night, for a story that never, ever comes. What are the most over-used lines in television?
- Published by David Knox
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“Still to come,” current affairs hosts tell us every night….
And yet the story never comes. It’s just a big tease for the promo on a story the following night.
“Coming up next,” they say. But when?
The lines are some of the most over-used phrases in television. And there are plenty of them.
Nearly a year ago A Current Affair‘s Tracy Grimshaw shared her thoughts on the matter in a very candid interview with TV Tonight:
“You know what, if I was sitting home I’d throw something at the telly!” she laughs. “I don’t get everything I want on the show!
“We’re not fooling anybody that we’ve got another story coming up. In truth we should re-word that. But it’s been done that way for a while. I just have to trust that our viewers are smart enough to know what we mean when I say ‘coming up’, I mean ‘not really coming up, tune in tomorrow!’”
Alas, nothing has changed (hint hint public affairs producers?).
But it’s not the only overused phrase in the biz.
What about any sentence with the phrase “comfort zone?” As in “They’re out of their comfort zone; I’m out of my comfort zone?”
Australian Idol uses the word “Journey” like it has patented the darned thing.
Another over-used phrase has emerged on The 7PM Project . Everytime Charlie Pickering says the phrase “Thankyou very much so and so” you just know he’s been given a directive down the earpiece to jump to the next item. Even if it means cutting off a guest before they have barely started. Just ask Hayley Lewis, who last night had 55 seconds to answer her solitary question on being the new Biggest Loser host. Barely worth the cab fare.
Then there’s all those makeover shows always telling us “This is our biggest makeover EVER.”
And what about network promos? When Nine’s homeMADE began spinning the adjectives, it really went overboard: “Such an emotional rollercoaster / Never before have you seen a show like this / It’s life changing / It’s transforming / It’s the biggest renovation competition EVER.”
We can add to the list of promo little white lies such as “You won’t believe your eyes!” “This year’s biggest shock!” “You’ll never see this one coming!” Maybe they just keep reusing old promo scripts from the past three years?
Even off-screen there are over-used phrases too.
In media reporting, how often do we hear the phrase, “A source told so and so” (guilty on that one, here!).
And then there is ACMA’s favourite: “ACMA does not, at this stage, propose to take any further action in relation to this matter.”
Of course no-one is begrudging anyone a catchphrase. George Calombaris yelling “Chop! Chop!” or Henry Roth wanting to see the “Passion in your Fashion” are signature brandings. Television loves those, and it helps crystallise a personality. Just ask Jeff “immunity is back up for grabs” Probst.
But let’s not kid anyone there are a few lines we could live without.
So let’s hear them. What are television’s most overused phrases and worst little white lies?
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- Tagged with A Current Affair, Australian Idol, Biggest Loser, The 7pm Project
67 Responses
“movie length episode”, when it just two eps back to back. and is it just me but does the female voiceover on channel ten ads sound a bit provocative?
nothing annoys me more than coming up next when they know bloody well that it isnt next it is tomorrow night they should be forced to tell the truth that it is tomorrow night and not coming up next
Encore Presentation?? What did everyone jump out of their chairs at the end of the program chanting “Encore” or “We want more” 🙂
Their interviews are the most annoying part of the 7PM Project [Charlie comes close IMO] – they never seem to interview anyone for more than 90secs. It’s hard to get any real content out of the guest. They simply repeat what we already know from the news item…..
Promos saying “Australia, Your top 20…” etc. Your this, your that. No they bloody aren’t. I didn’t vote for them, I don’t even watch the show, they are not in any sense of the word mine. I don’t mind the odd verbal trick but this is so clumsy, it gets me screaming at the telly every time.
Good topic David, you knew we’d enjoy getting fired up.
Worst white lies – how about?
At 8.30PM is Such and Such show
In reality, that show will start at 8.47PM
“The most important episode of the year” “The most shocking episode of the year” “The episode you can’t afford to miss” – usually used for Home and Away promos. Also they love to pull the “…it will shock you…you won’t see this coming” etc…
“Journey” is the most overused word in all reality shows but the Loser phrase I hate the most is Ajay’s line every eviction show, “it’s time to cut the fat”.
I completely agree with you David. I really dislike all these lies and overused phrases on televisions especially reality shows saying ‘sing with your heart’ or ‘you have achieved so much in your journey and you will have a bright future’ where in fact, their 15min of fame is just ticking by.
I also hate the phrases that are used in promos like ‘you will never believe your eyes’ or ‘what will happen next will shock you.’ Those promos get me so pumped up and when I watch the show, I’m so disappointed because there is no ‘shock’.
I hate all these lies and the excuse of ‘we’re just re-wording it’ is pathetic. No wonder I don’t watch ACA.
…or “special new time” translates to “the show is getting pummelled so we’ll move it around so any viewers who enjoy it, miss it, then don’t bothering watching…until it comes out on DVD”
my bug bear is “must see tv”…usually meaning Not. Or “special encore screening”…insert Repeat here…”journey” has filtered into any reality show and Idol does not have a patent on it…biggest loser, surviver, even master chef..
Back after this short break……
and it usually isn’t.
“we’ll be back right after the break…”
And there is also So You Think You Can Dance Australia’s “dance for their life”. Really? So if they don’t dance they’ll just drop dead?
David – I couldn’t agree more about the interview with Hayley Lewis last night. It was so incredibly awkward that they cut her off…
Where was any story about her struggle with weight? (Which someone started to ask?)
Instead we got to hear more about Carrie and her Mum asking her about her free pass….
*sigh*
One day 7pm will get it right! In the meantime, I’ll enjoy watching the awkwardness.
On a lot of the reality shows “Playing the game” – especially Biggest Loser, which is seen as being the ultimate put-down.
I remember seeing a promo for Blue Heelers years ago and it said something like “…the ending will take your breath away!” I thought yeah, yeah, whatever, they always say that. I can tell you that it is the only time I was truly shocked and, dare I say, my breath was literally taken away! The ending scene was a raid on an offenders home which saw PJ confronted by a man with a gun. In the last few seconds of the episode PJ shot him twice in the chest. Very well done.
If I have to see ‘the toughest challenge yet’ or ‘the most complex dish ever seen in the masterchef kitchen’. I’m gonna hit someone. Seriously after one season the must have found Australia’s most complex dish by now!
One of my favourites on those awful 6.30pm fodder-for-the-masses shows is “It’s a story no parent can afford to miss” or one of the many variants, such as “a story no Australian can afford to miss” or even “a story no-one can afford to miss”. I don’t actually watch the programs and so far I’ve done alright by missing every single one of these stories…
The 7pm Project’s habit of cutting off their interviewees really irritates me. Especially when they spend the next two minutes making jokes about it. I realise that they are trying to bring the light-heartedness into the show and they are trying to pack so much into their 22 minutes (or however long) that they need to be brief, but they need to work their balance much better. Currently, it’s coming across as almost rude to me as Charlie starts talking over the guest.
The other night when they were speaking to the lawyer about the pre-nups, Carrie didn’t even let him finish his question! If they are going to cut them off after 1 minute, they should tell the guests that is going to happen, so they can work their answers accordingly.
Calling whatever program “Australia’s favourite drama/gameshow/comedy/family/character”. Love it when the networks speak for the entire nation, often telling us how we’ve “fallen in love” with whoever or whatever show… Have also heard the old trick – as pointed out many years ago by Frontline – of news/current affairs saying “some say” or “it’s been alleged” to ask a provocative question from time to time.
At the start of every sports segment, Michael Thomson on Nine News Perth says “Thank…..you-very-much-Dixie. Coming up in Sport….” Every night, word for word. Never shows any signs of creative flair.
and I thought that George Calombaris’ signature catchphrase was “Yeah”. 😛
I know she probably doesn’t write the copy, but I blame the female announcer on Fox8 for that insufferable “cool” speak on anything that is even remotely targeted towards younger viewers. Not overused (unless you count the fact that Fox8 will run those adverts 2000 times a week), but certainly gets on my tits.
I hate how some of the voice overs when they promo the next weeks ep of a show and make it sound like it’s the most important thing in the world and you’ll die if you miss it… even if its a sitcom.
Sorry for the guy but I hate the one on Nine/WIN, even damn program is that important and his tone never changes no matter the type of show!