TV shows are single or repeated segments produced for television broadcasting. The tag should be used on questions concerning tv show aspects in general, not details of one specific tv show.
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What rules govern how TV show opening credits are structured?
I've always been curious what decides if a credit is in the opening or closing credits. It seems loosely that cast (in order of today's "big name" significance), directors and financiers get the ...
19
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1answer
2k views
In opening credits for TV shows, why does it say 'with so and so' for some actors?
I am thinking of Ally McBeal in particular. For the entire run of the show the opening credits generally had clips of a character and the name of the actor that plays them. The final two actors (Peter ...
16
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3answers
412 views
When/Why did American television change from primarily episodic to primarily serialized?
My recollection of the prime-time television I watched growing up -- the 70s and 80s plus whatever were on at the time -- are almost invariably of episodic television. At the end of each episode, ...
14
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4answers
727 views
How can I find tv shows/films similar to one I like?
As a general case, how can I find movies or TV shows similar to an existing movie or TV show that I like?
10
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4answers
202 views
What was the first case of a celebrity playing a fictionalized version of her/himself?
James Van Der Beek in Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 is one of the more recent examples of
celebrities playing a fictionalized version of themselves
To be clear, I'm not talking about a ...
10
votes
0answers
211 views
What happens to actor salaries around seasons 6-7 of a show?
Many successful (broadcast, United States) TV shows last about 5-7 seasons. Somehow I'd gotten this story in my head in which this was a combination of two factors:
TV shows become more attractive ...
9
votes
2answers
342 views
Why do TV networks air pilot episodes?
Why do TV networks air pilot episodes of a series that has already aired a first episode? Why do they call it a pilot episode?
Irrespective of the result (good or bad ratings) of the pilot episode, ...
8
votes
2answers
253 views
What year did they begin announcing that TV shows were “Filmed in front of a live studio audience”?
I was watching antenna TV and now I wonder: What year did they begin to make the point of announcing that specific TV shows were
"Filmed in front of a live studio audience"?
and which show was ...
8
votes
1answer
79 views
How are the measurements used by Nielsen evolving to meet new methods of content delivery and viewing?
I was interested to find out that in the 1950s, Nielsen used devices in the homes of the families that were surveyed to record their viewing preferences, and only later introduced their system of ...
7
votes
1answer
368 views
Why are there typically no more than 24 episodes in a TV Season?
I noted that there is typically a maximum of 24 episodes per a season in a TV show. What is the reason for that?
7
votes
2answers
133 views
Which film or TV-Show was the first to use a '555-' phone number?
[Toy Story 3]
Using a fictional '555-' phone number is not uncommon in American films and television shows.
Watch a compilation of films using a '555-' number
My Question:
Which film or ...
7
votes
1answer
105 views
Wrong end to The Good wife season 4 episode 6
In The Good Wife (season 4) , I think that the end of episode 6 is wrong, mainly in the facts, but I need someone with some legal knowledge to confirm.
As we are told, Cpt. Laura Hellinger has lost ...
6
votes
2answers
147 views
What does “The Middle” refer to in the TV show “The Middle”?
What does "The Middle" refer to in the TV show The Middle? I thought it referred to one of the kids being the middle child before I watched it, but that's obviously not correct.
6
votes
1answer
87 views
What does the television-esque film style in the episode “I Am Anne Frank, Part II” represent?
In the second season episode of American Horror Story, "I Am Anne Frank, Part II", we're told that Anne Frank is actually Charlotte Brown, delusional and obsessed wife of Jim Brown, a new character to ...
5
votes
1answer
67 views
What are the 'quadrants' in TV testing?
When talking of the upcoming S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series, ABC Entertainment Group President Paul Lee said:
“We don’t normally talk about testing, but [Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.] tested so well in ...
5
votes
1answer
311 views
Why do panelists on British panel shows have a pen and paper which they seem to use regularly?
I personally find British panel shows to be among the funniest shows you can find on TV. One common occurrence I've noticed is that the panelists are often seen writing scribbling notes while another ...
4
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0answers
1k views
First use of on-screen text messages, like in Sherlock and House of Cards
The BBC's Sherlock (July 2010-) uses a novel visual trick to show the contents of an SMS message directly on the television screen, so we can all read it without having to look at a dull phone screen.
...
3
votes
2answers
188 views
What is meant by bloopers and marathon?
I have seen TV shows marathon episodes and bloopers such as:
Leverage Marathon
X-Files Bloopers
Are they things like credits or previews? What are their meanings?
3
votes
1answer
263 views
Numb3rs character John Buckley mentions game season 6 episode 9
On season 6 episode 9 John Buckley mentions a game that he played in prison. What was the game that he mentioned, and is it a real game?
2
votes
1answer
86 views
Is the “season” meant to be the interval from September/October to May/June or is it not striclty defined like that?
Almost all TV series like Two and a half men, Smallville, The big bang theory, etc. start in Sep/Oct and end in May/Jun with some weeks/months off in between. Their episodes are thrown at you almost ...
2
votes
0answers
28 views
Why does Dr. Cox from Scrubs hate Hugh Jackman?
I distinctly remember at least 2 episodes of Scrubs where Dr. Cox insults Hugh Jackman (implied that Hugh is a bad actor) and does anyone know the reason why?
I haven't been able to find a clear ...
2
votes
1answer
737 views
How does the budget breakdown for a US TV season compare to a UK TV Season?
Firstly, regardless of the total amount how is the budget for a US TV Season of twenty odd episodes typically broken down? What percentage goes on writing, sets, equipment, actors, etc?
Secondly, how ...
1
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1answer
81 views
Is there a term for the opposite of the Chuck Cunningham Syndrome?
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome refers to when a character simply disappears with no explanation and is treated in later episodes as if they never existed.
I was wondering if there was a term, maybe ...
1
vote
1answer
56 views
Have there been any TV specials on lava lakes?
I was reading about lava lakes and got to wondering: have there been any Discovery or other scientific documentary TV specials about them?
I'm curious to know if there are any real-life examples that ...
0
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0answers
25 views
Reference to the bones structure from The Venture Bros.
The creepy bones structure featured in “The Buddy System” (season 3, episode 5 of The Venture Bros.) inside the E-deb biodome, is it from somewhere else or just a random spooky totem?
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0answers
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A tv series without girls [duplicate]
This may be an unusual question but can you suggest me some good tv series with least amount of beautiful girls and least amount of nudity or sexuality?
Like Breaking Bad, Dexter, Prison Break
