第2959期:Programmes for those not watching

OK, I'm not proud of it, but sometimes when I'm watching TV, I might not actually be watching. Sometimes I'm just more tempted by my phone. Be honest, do you do the same? If you do, then we're not alone, lots of us watch TV with our phones in our hands. How is TV changing to accommodate this?

好吧，我并不为此感到自豪，但有时当我看电视时，我可能实际上并没有在看。 有时我只是对手机更感兴趣。 说实话，你也这样做吗？ 如果您这样做，那么我们并不孤单，我们很多人都拿着手机看电视。 电视如何改变以适应这一点？

Let's start by looking at the data. Studies have investigated different countries across the world and many of them reported that most people use their phone while watching TV. While the classic stereotype is that it's younger people who find it hard to put their phone down, the data actually shows that second-screening is common in most age groups under 55. Younger age groups are more likely to be looking at social media or food delivery apps, while older age groups prefer banking, e-commerce and travel.

让我们首先查看数据。 研究调查了世界各地不同的国家，其中许多国家报告称，大多数人在看电视时使用手机。 虽然人们普遍认为很难放下手机的是年轻人，但数据实际上显示，在 55 岁以下的大多数年龄组中，二次筛选很常见。年轻年龄组更有可能关注社交媒体或食品配送应用程序，而年长年龄组则更喜欢银行、电子商务和旅游。

How are producers dealing with this? A number of screenwriters have reported being told that they need to make programmes easier to follow for distracted viewers. Reports say that showrunners have asked for more exposition in dialogue, repetition of plot points and increased use of voice-over to make things clearer for those who aren't looking. Some critics and viewers have complained that this could be making series less complex and dialogue less natural.

生产商如何处理这个问题？ 据许多编剧报告，他们需要让分心的观众更容易看懂节目。 报道称，剧集制作人要求在对话中进行更多阐述、重复情节点并增加画外音的使用，以便让那些没有看的人更清楚地了解事情。 一些评论家和观众抱怨说，这可能会使剧集变得不那么复杂，对话也不那么自然。

Second screens are not the only reason that these things happen. Television drama writing developed from radio drama writing, which has to use dialogue to compensate for the lack of visuals. When books are adapted for TV or film, one challenge is how to tell the whole story with less narration. All this means that exposition has often been a feature of TV writing. As series became more prestigious and cinematic since the early 2000s, this clear signposting of plot points had become less common.

第二屏幕并不是发生这些事情的唯一原因。 电视剧写作是从广播剧写作发展而来的，广播剧写作必须用对话来弥补视觉效果的不足。 当书籍被改编成电视或电影时，一个挑战是如何用更少的旁白讲述整个故事。 所有这些都意味着，阐述往往是电视写作的一个特点。 自 2000 年代初以来，随着剧集变得越来越有声望和电影化，这种清晰的情节点路标已经变得不那么常见了。

Of course, TV viewers and TV programmes are not all the same. There is space for both casual and more complex programmes. Maybe the most important thing is for us to remember when to put our phones down.

当然，电视观众和电视节目并不完全相同。 休闲项目和更复杂的项目都有空间。 也许对我们来说最重要的是记住何时放下手机。