Television show

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.