TELEVISION

A television program is a segment of content intended for broadcast on over-the-air, cable television, or Internet television, other than a commercial, trailer, or any other segment of content not serving as attraction for viewership. It may be a single production, or more commonly, a series of related productions (also called a television series or a television show).

 

A limited number of episodes may be called a miniseries or a serial or limited series. Series without a fixed length are usually divided into seasons (U.S.) or series (UK), yearly or semiannual sets of new episodes. While there is no defined length, U.S. industry practice has traditionally favored longer television seasons than those of other countries.

 

A one-time broadcast may be called a "special," or particularly in the UK a "special episode." A television film ("made-for-TV movie" or "television movie"), is a film that is initially broadcast on television rather than released in theaters or direct-to-video.

A program can be either recorded, as on video tape, other various electronic media forms, played with an on-demand player or viewed on live television.