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PROGRAMMES DEPARTMENT:Program content, Television series by genre

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TV News Reporting and Production ­ MCM 516
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LESSON 41
PROGRAMMES DEPARTMENT
A television program (US), television programme (UK) or simply television show is a segment of
programming in television broadcasting. It may be a one-off broadcast or, more usually, part of a
periodically returning television series. A television series that is intended to be broadcast a finite
number of episodes is usually called a mini-series or serial (although the latter term also has other
meanings).
Americans call a short run lasting less than a year a season; People of the United Kingdom generally
call this a series. This season or series usually consists of 6­26 instalments. U.S. industry practice tends
to favour longer seasons than those of some other countries.
A single instance of a program is called an episode, although this is sometimes also called a "show" or
"programme." A one-off broadcast may be called a "special". A television movie ("made-for-TV"
movie) is a film that is initially broadcast on television rather than being released in theatres or direct-to-
video, although many successful television movies are later released on video.
Today, advertisements play a role in most television programming, such that each hour of programming
can contain up to 15 minutes of advertisements in some countries. By contrast, being publicly funded,
the BBC in the United Kingdom does not run advertisements, except to trail (promote) its own output.
Its promotions appear between and near the end of shows but not in the middle of them, much like the
Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the United States and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
(ABC) in Australia. With rise of internet video clips, there is serious debate about where the future of
television programs is going.
Program content
The content of television programs may be factual, as in documentaries, news, and reality shows, or
fictional as in comedy and drama. It may be topical as in the case of news and some made-for-
television movies or historical as in the case of such documentaries or fictional series.
It may be primarily instructional as in the case of educational programming, or entertaining as is the
case in situation comedy, reality TV, or game shows, or for income as advertisements. A drama
program usually features a set of actors in a somewhat familiar setting. The program follows their lives
and their adventures.
Many shows, maintain a status quo where the main characters and the premise changed little. If some
change happens to the characters lives during the episode, it is usually undone by the end. (Because of
this, the episodes can usually be watched in any order.) 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.
Miniseries usually range from about 3 to 10 hours in length, though critics often complain when
programs hit the short end of that range and are still marketed as "minis." In the UK, the term
"miniseries" is only usually used in references to imported programmes, and such short-run series are
usually called "serials".
Older American television shows began with a Pilot title sequence, showed opening credits at the
bottom of the screen during the beginning of the show, and included closing credits at the end of the
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TV News Reporting and Production ­ MCM 516
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show. However, beginning in the 1990s some shows began with a "cold open," followed by a title
sequence and a commercial break.
Many serialistic shows begin with a "Previously on..." introduction before the teaser. And, to save time,
some shows omit the title sequence altogether, folding the names normally featured there into the
opening credits. The title sequence has not been completely eliminated; however, as many major
television series still use them.
While television series appearing on TV networks are usually commissioned by the networks
themselves, their producers earn greater revenue when the program is sold into syndication. With the
rise of the DVD home video format, box sets containing entire seasons or the complete run of a program
have become a significant revenue source as well.
Many of the prime-time comedy shows and cartoons are digitally re-mastered for television, as there is
more original and re-issued DVD sets of television programs containing either entire seasons or
complete series runs to come in the future.
Television series by genre
Scripted entertainment
Dramatic television series (including drama series, serial drama, science-fiction, or soap operas)
Or Television comedy (typically situation comedy or sketch comedy)
·
Animated television series
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Miniseries and TV Movies
·
Award show
Unscripted entertainment
·
Talk shows
·
Reality television
·
Game shows
Informational
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News programs
·
Documentary
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Television news magazine, dealing with current affairs
·
TV infomercials, which are advertising paid spots
Development
What follows is the standard procedure for shows on network television.
A person decides to create a new television series. The show's creator develops the show's elements,
consisting of the concept, the characters, the crew, and various actors (in some cases, "big-name"
actors). They will then offer ("pitch") it to the various television networks in an attempt to find one that
is interested in the series and order a prototype first episode of the series, known as a pilot.
To create the pilot, the structure and team of the whole series needs to be put together. If the network
likes the pilot, they will "pick up" the show for their next season or series. Sometimes they'll save it for
"midseason" or request re-writes and further review. And other times they'll pass entirely, leaving the
show's creator forced to "shop it around"' to other networks. Many shows never make it past the pilot
stage.
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If the show is picked up, a "run" of episodes is ordered. Usually only 13 episodes are ordered at first,
although a series will typically last for at least 26 episodes. The show hires a group or panel of writers,
who usually work in parallel: the first writer works on the first episode, the second on the second
episode, and so forth.
When all of the writers have been used, the assignment of episodes continues starting with the first
writer again. On other shows, however, the writers work as a team. Sometimes they will develop story
ideas individually, and pitch them to the show's creator, who then folds them together into a script and
rewrites them.
In contrast to the US model, the UK procedure is operated on a sometimes similar, but much smaller
scale.
The method of "team writing" is employed on some longer dramatic series (usually running up to a
maximum of around thirteen episodes). The idea for such a show may be generated "in-house" by one of
the networks; it could originate from an independent production company; it will sometimes be a
product of both.
However, there are still a significant number of programs (usually sitcoms) that are built around just one
or two writers and a small, close-knit production team. These are "pitched" in the traditional way, but
since the creator(s) will handle all the writing requirements, there will be a run of six or seven
instalments per series once approval has been given.
Production
The Executive Producer, often the show's creator, is in charge of running the show. They pick crew
and cast (subject to approval by the network), approve and often write series plots, and sometimes write
and direct major episodes. A whole host of other producers of various names work under him or her, to
make sure the show is always running smoothly.
As with films or other media production, production of an individual episode can be divided into three
parts: pre-production, principal photography, and post-production. Pre-production begins when a script
is approved for production. A Director is chosen to plan what the episode will actually look like in the
end.
Pre-production tasks include storyboarding, construction of sets, props, and costumes, casting guest
stars, budgeting, acquiring resources like lighting, special effects, stunts, etc. Complex scenes are
translated from storyboard to animatics to further clarify the action. Scripts are adjusted to meet altering
requirements.
Once the show is planned, it must then be scheduled; scenes are often filmed out of sequence, guest
actors or even regulars may only be available at certain times, sometimes the principal photography of
different episodes must be done at the same time, complicating the schedule (i.e. a guest star might
shoot scenes from two episodes on the same afternoon).
Some shows have a small stable of directors, but also usually rely on outside directors. Given the time
constraints of broadcasting, a single show might have two or three episodes in pre-production, one or
two episodes in principal photography, and a few more in various stages of post-production. The task of
directing is complex enough that a single director can usually not work on more than one show at a
time, hence the need for multiple directors.
Principal photography is the actual filming of the episode. Director, actors and crew will gather at
soundstages or on location to film a scene. A scene is further divided into shots, which should be
planned during preproduction; depending on scheduling, a scene may be shot not in the chronological
order of the story.
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Conversations may be filmed twice from different angles, often using stand-ins, so one actor might
perform all their lines in one set of shots, and then the other side of the conversation will be filmed from
the opposite perspective. In order to complete a production on time, a second unit may be filming a
different scene on another set or location at the same time, using a different set of actors, an assistant
director, and a second unit crew.
A Director of Photography takes care of making the show look good, doing things with lighting and so
on. Once principal photography is complete, producers coordinate post-production tasks. Visual and
digital effects are added to the film; this is often outsourced to companies specializing in these areas.
Often music is performed with the conductor using the film as a time reference (other musical elements
may be previously recorded). An Editor cuts the various pieces of film together, adds the musical score
and effects, determines scene transitions, and assembles the completed show.
Distribution
The show is then turned over to the network, which sends it out to its affiliates, which broadcast it in the
specified timeslot. If the Nielsen Ratings are good, the show is kept alive as long as possible. If not, the
show is usually cancelled. If the show is popular or lucrative, and a number of episodes (usually 100
episodes or more) are made, it goes into syndication where broadcast rights are then resold.
The show's creators are then left to shop around remaining episodes, and the possibility of future
episodes, to other networks. On especially successful series, the producers sometimes call a halt to a
series on their own and end it with a concluding episode which sometimes is a big production called a
series finale.
Seasons/Series
The terminology used to define a set of episodes produced by a television series varies from country to
country. In North America and Australia, the term used to describe a regular run of episodes is a
television season or simply, season. For example, a season of a television series might consist of 22-24
episodes broadcast regularly between September and April with a hiatus or break during the holidays.
Alternatively, it may comprise 22-24 consecutive episodes between September and December or
January and May. The latter is often referred to as a "non-stop season", which is usually used for serial
television series. Another example might be a series that airs only a 6-13 episode season during the
summer.
In the United Kingdom, on the ABC in Australia and in other countries, these sets of episodes are now
referred to as series (the term is used separately from "television series" which refers to a complete
production), although in the UK historically "season" was used on certain series, and remains in use in
reference to them.
In the United States, most regular television series have 22 episodes per season. In general, dramas
usually last 44 minutes (an hour with advertisements), while comedies last 22 (30 with advertisements).
However, with the rise of cable networks, especially pay ones, series and episode lengths have been
changing.
Cable networks usually feature seasons lasting around thirteen episodes. Many British series have
significantly shorter yearly runs, which feature 6 episodes per series. Recently, American non-cable
networks have also begun to experiment with shorter seasons for some programs, particularly reality
shows.
This is a reduction from the 1950s, in which many American shows (e.g., The Twilight Zone) had 29 to
39 episodes per season. Actual storytelling time within a commercial television hour has also gradually
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reduced over the years, from 50 minutes out of every 60 minutes in the early days down to the current
44 minutes (and, on some networks, less).
The Japanese have sometimes subdivided television series and dramas into kūru (kūru?), from the
French term "cours" for "course", which is a 3-month period usually of 13 episodes. Each kūru
generally has its own opening and ending image sequence and song, recordings of which are often sold.
Lists by genre or characteristic
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Animated series
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Awards shows
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Celebrity Shows
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Children's television shows
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Comedies
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Comedies without laugh tracks
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Cooking shows
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Comedy-drama television series
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Fantasy programs
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Game shows
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News programs
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Reality programs
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Satirical news programs
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Science fiction sitcoms
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Sketch comedy shows
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Soap operas
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Talk shows
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Musical shows
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Table of Contents:
  1. CREATIVITY AND IDEA GENERATION FOR TELEVISION:Video Procedures
  2. PRE-REQUISITES OF A CREATIVE PRODUCER/DIRECTOR:SET-UP RESPONSIBILITIES
  3. REFINING AN IDEA FOR PRODUCTION:Drama, Magazine Shows, Documentary
  4. CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT:Variable. Pure and applied research
  5. RESEARCH AND REVIEWS:Research Procedure, Review of available literature
  6. SCRIPT WRITING:Elements of a successful story, Characters, Effects
  7. PRE-PRODUCTION PHASE:Indoor production, Outdoor production, Essentials of PBE
  8. SELECTION OF REQUIRED CONTENT AND TALENT:Camera rehearsal
  9. PROGRAMME PLANNING:Checklist, Electronic Field Production (EFP)
  10. PRODUCTION PHASE:Floor plan, Traditional set, Representational set, Design elements
  11. CAMERA WORK:Movement of lens of camera, Types of shots
  12. LIGHT AND AUDIO:Importance of sound in TV, Use of microphone, Loudness
  13. DAY OF RECORDING/PRODUCTION:Rehearsals,Point to ponder
  14. LINEAR EDITING AND NLE:Episode, Scene, Editing, Production Switcher
  15. MIXING AND USES OF EFFECTS:Live Sound Effects, ARROW STRIKING
  16. SELECTION OF THE NEWS:Elements of news, Timeliness, proximity
  17. WRITING OF THE NEWS:The inverted pyramid, Lead, Credit line
  18. EDITING OF THE NEWS:Characteristics of good news:Process of editing a news
  19. COMPILATION OF NEWS BULLETIN:Hard news, Soft news, Investigative report
  20. PRESENTATION OF NEWS BULLETIN
  21. MAKING SPECIAL BULLETINS:Agriculture, Show biz, Fashion, Drama
  22. TECHNICAL CODES, TERMINOLOGY, AND PRODUCTION GRAMMAR
  23. TYPES OF TV PRODUCTION:Magazine Shows, Specific audience programming
  24. DRAMA AND DOCUMENTARY:Documentary film, Defining documentary
  25. SOURCES OF TV NEWS:Reporters, Correspondents, Monitoring, News Agency
  26. FUNCTIONS OF A REPORTER
  27. BEATS OF REPORTING:City reporter, Social reporters, Show-biz reporter
  28. STRUCTURE OF NEWS DEPARTMENT:Beat Reporters, Online media
  29. ELECTRONIC FIELD PRODUCTION:Sports, Electronic news gathering
  30. LIVE TRANSMISSIONS:Studio floor, Switcher, Master control room, Camera control units
  31. QUALITIES OF A NEWS PRODUCER:Determination, Awareness, Sharp an active
  32. DUTIES OF A NEWS PRODUCER
  33. ASSIGNMENT/NEWS EDITOR:Accuracy, Fairness and Reliability, Conflict
  34. SHOOTING A NEWS FILM:The Influence of telecast News
  35. PREPARATION OF SPECIAL REPORTS:Uncovering Truth, Reportage
  36. INTERVIEWS, VOX POPS AND PUBLIC OPINIONS:INTERVIEW, Information
  37. BACK GROUND VOICE AND VOICE OVER:Natural or Raw Sound, Sound Effects
  38. SPOKEN WORDS AND RELEVANT VISUALS:Digital Audio, Quantizing Error
  39. TALK SHOWS, FORUMS AND DISCUSSION PROGRAMMES
  40. FUNCTIONS OF VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS OF A TV SET UP
  41. PROGRAMMES DEPARTMENT:Program content, Television series by genre
  42. NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS THE PROGRAMMING & SCHEDULING
  43. COORDINATION AMONG DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OF TELEVISION
  44. COORDINATION AMONG DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OF TELEVISION - 2 SUB-DEPARTMENTS AND SMALL SECTIONS
  45. COORDINATION AMONG DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OF TELEVISION 3