Television program
A television program (American usage) or television programme (British usage) is a presentation in a television broadcast which may be either a one-off broadcast or, more usually, a periodically returning one. A television series is an example of the latter type (though this is a somewhat confusing term since American speakers consider a “series” to be a multi-year run of a program, while other speakers consider the word to mean a short run of episodes lasting less than a year).
The content of television programs may be factual (e.g. documentaries) or fictional (e.g. comedy or drama).
A drama program usually features a set of actors in a somewhat familiar setting. The program follows their lives and their adventures. Many shows, especially before the 1980s, maintained a status quo where the main characters and the premise changed little. Since the 1980s, there are many series that feature progressive change to the plot, the characters, or both.
Common TV program periods include regular broadcasts (like TV news), TV series (usually seasonal and ongoing with a duration of only a few episodes to many seasons), or TV miniseries which is an extended film, usually with a small pre-determined number of episodes and a set plot and timeline.
Television shows usually include a title sequence, opening credits and closing credits that mark the beginning and end of the show. Sometimes a cold open is used to introduce the show and to hook the viewer quickly in an age in which competition can be fierce.
While television series appearing in TV networks are usually commissioned by the networks themselves, the real revenue for the producers is typically when the product is sold into syndication. However, with the rise of the DVD home video format, box sets containing entire seasons or the complete run have become a significant revenue source as well.
Common TV program formats include:
- TV comedy (typically situation comedy or sketch comedy)
- TV documentary
- TV drama
- dramedy
- TV talk show
- TV current affairs show
- TV cartoon
- TV infomercial
- TV miniseries
- game shows