Topic summary
Television show
A television show, TV program (British English: programme), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is transmitted via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming platforms. Content is produced either in-house on a television stage with multiple cameras or produced by contract with film production companies (many major entertainment companies have both film and television production divisions). Such content generally excludes breaking news or advertisements that are aired between shows or between segments of a show.
An episodic show, whether regularly recurring or limited run, is called a television series. An individual segment of such a series is called an episode. Episodes are usually broadcast in annual sets, which are called seasons in North America and series in other regions. A one-off television show may be called a television special, while a show with a limited number of episodes is a miniseries. A television film, or telefilm, is a feature film produced for broadcast by a terrestrial or cable network.
Television shows by terrestrial and cable networks are most often scheduled for broadcast ahead of time and appear on electronic guides or other TV listings. The rise of streaming television, however, has made television schedules less relevant than in earlier decades. Some programming may be aired live—that is, events are broadcast at the time they happen rather than at a later time or date—but the vast majority of programming is produced ahead of time. Originally, viewers had no practical way to record a show for later viewing; this changed with the advent of home video, first in the form of videotape recorded on VCRs and later in the form of digital video recorders. Cable television providers began offering "pay-per-view" or on-demand programming, with viewers paying a one-time fee to watch a program at a time of their own choosing. Streaming television lets viewers watch programming anytime with an OTT subscription.