TV shows are fun to watch.
You see them on a screen. Some shows are made live. Others are made ahead of time. They tell stories or show news. They bring people together. Do you have a favorite show?
TV shows are fun to watch.
You see them on a screen at home.
Some shows are made live. Others are made ahead of time. Most shows are made before you watch them.
Some shows tell stories. Other shows show news or real life. You can watch them on a small set or on a computer.
People work hard to make shows. They use many cameras and lights. They also use actors to play parts.
Do you have a favorite show?
A television show is something made to watch on a screen.
Most shows are made ahead of time. Some shows are shown live as they happen. A show that comes out often is a series. Each part of a series is called an episode. Many episodes together make a season. A show with only a few episodes is a miniseries.
Shows can be many things. Some are fake stories, like dramas or comedies. Others show real life, like news or documentaries. In the past, most shows were in black and white. Later, they changed to color. By 1972, most shows were in color.
Making a show takes a big team. First, people make a plan. This plan is called a pilot. If the pilot is good, the show continues.
Making the show has three main steps. First is pre-production. This is when people plan the sets and costumes. Next is principal photography. This is the actual filming. Actors and crews work together in a studio.
The last step is post-production. This is when people edit the video. They add music and special effects to finish the show.
A television show is a special kind of content made for a screen. People watch these programs through cable, satellite, or digital streaming platforms.
Some shows are series that come out regularly. Each individual part of a series is called an episode. Many episodes grouped together are called a season. A show with only a few episodes is a miniseries. A single show that only happens once is called a special. Some shows are even made as films just for television.
Creating a show follows a very specific way of working. First, creators develop a concept with characters and a crew. They then pitch this idea to networks to get a pilot. A pilot is a prototype episode used to see if people like the idea.
If the pilot is a success, the network may order a full season. Making a show is divided into three main stages. These stages are pre-production, principal photography, and post-production.
In the pre-production stage, the team plans everything carefully. A director is chosen to decide how the episode will look. The crew builds sets, makes costumes, and finds props. They also create storyboards to plan the action. During principal photography, the actual filming happens in a studio or on location. Actors perform their lines while cameras capture the shots. Sometimes, a second unit films different scenes at the same time to save time.
Television has a very interesting history that began in the 1930s. Early broadcasts were experimental and only reached a short distance. Big events like the 1936 Summer Olympics helped the medium grow. In 1948, a radio show called Texaco Star Theater became a weekly variety show. This helped people see that television was a great way to entertain. In 1951, President Harry Truman gave the first national live broadcast in the US.
Color also changed how we see shows. The first national color broadcast was a parade in 1954. By 1972, almost all network shows had moved to color.
Today, there are many different types of shows to enjoy. Some are fictional stories, like comedies or dramas. Others are non-fictional, such as news or documentaries. In the past, most stories stayed the same in every episode. Since the 1980s, many shows use progressive plots where characters change over time. This makes the stories feel more like movies. Now, streaming services let us watch these stories whenever we want.
A television show, also known as a TV program, is content created for viewing on a television set. These programs reach viewers through over-the-air signals, satellite, cable, or digital streaming platforms. While breaking news and advertisements are usually excluded from this definition, most other content is considered a television show. A regularly recurring show is called a television series, and each individual segment is an episode.
Episodes are often organized into annual sets known as seasons in North America or series in other regions. Other formats include miniseries, which have a limited number of episodes, and television specials, which are one-off programs. Some feature-length movies produced specifically for broadcast are called telefilms.
Creating a television show involves a structured development process. It begins when a person or company develops the core elements, including the concept, characters, crew, and cast. Creators then "pitch" these ideas to networks to find interest. If a network is interested, they may order a pilot, which is a prototype episode of the series.
If audiences respond well to the pilot, the network may pick up the show for a full season. In the United Kingdom, some long dramatic series use a "team writing" method. This can involve an independent production company working with a broadcaster, such as the BBC's production of EastEnders.
Production is divided into three distinct stages: pre-production, principal photography, and post-production. During pre-production, a director is chosen to plan the visual look of the episode. The team works on storyboarding, building sets, creating props, and casting guest stars. They must also manage budgets and acquire resources like special effects or stunts. Because of time constraints, a single show might have multiple episodes in different stages at once. For example, two episodes might be in pre-production while another is in principal photography.
Principal photography is the stage where the actual filming occurs. Actors and crew gather in a studio or at a specific location to record scenes. These scenes are often shot out of sequence to fit the schedules of actors. A scene might be broken down into many different shots from various camera angles.
To increase efficiency, a "second unit" may film different scenes at the same time using a separate crew. For live events, crews use mobile television studios called scanners or Outside Broadcast (OB) trucks. These trucks can be operated by up to 15 skilled personnel.
Once filming is finished, the show enters post-production. Producers coordinate video editing to finalize the episode. This stage often involves adding visual or digital video effects, which are sometimes handled by specialized companies. Music is also added during this time, with conductors using the film as a reference. This careful sequence of events ensures that the final product is ready for its scheduled broadcast time.
The history of television began with experimental, sporadic broadcasts in the 1930s. These early signals could only be seen within a short range of the broadcast tower. Major events like the 1936 Summer Olympics and the 1937 coronation of King George VI helped the medium grow.
In the United States, the 1947 World Series inspired many people to buy television sets. By 1948, the Texaco Star Theater became the first weekly televised variety show. A major milestone occurred on September 4, 1951, when President Harry Truman's speech was the first national live broadcast in the US.
Color technology also transformed the viewing experience over several decades. The first national color broadcast in the US was the 1954 Tournament of Roses Parade. For many years, most programming remained in black-and-white. A major transition began in the fall of 1965, when over half of prime-time programming moved to color. By 1972, the last daytime network shows converted, resulting in the first completely all-color network season. Today, television continues to evolve through streaming, which allows viewers to watch programming at any time via a subscription.
Television shows are categorized by many different genres and formats. Fictional shows include comedies, animations, and dramas, while non-fictional shows include documentaries, news, and reality television. Dramas often feature actors playing characters in specific settings. Before the 1980s, most shows were static, meaning characters and plots changed very little between episodes. However, series like Hill Street Blues introduced progressive change, where plots and characters evolve over time. In 2012, it was reported that television revenues were growing to be larger than film revenues for some major media companies.
Where will your curiosity go next?
🖼️ Images & Media (3)
More to explore
✨ What else?
Related topics you might enjoy
🔬 Go deeper
More advanced topics to explore
🪜 Step back
Simpler topics to build understanding
What is Nepedia?
A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.