Hiatus (television)
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In United States
Until the late 1990s, summer breaks were sometimes replaced by summer replacement series.[1]
Planned hiatus
Most broadcast network television series are scheduled for a season of 22 episodes in a time span running 36 weeks from September to May. That means at least 14 weeks of repeats, so networks usually arrange the 22 episodes to air in blocks. Television stations often implement a hiatus for their programs to split up a season for storyline purposes. Some programs also go on hiatus so that their television networks can reserve episodes for airing during the three major ratings
In the United States, hiatuses may also be common during major sporting events - currently
The final episode airing before the Christmas break is usually referred to as the
At this time, other TV series may be launched, often a filler short series between seasons to ensure the 22-episode run will conclude in May.[6]
Cancellation
A network may put a show on hiatus before canceling it. This may be to evaluate the series' quality, warn the television producers in an effort to push them to produce a more profitable product, fill its timeslot with another program to compare ratings, or warn viewers that the show is not pulling its weight in ratings to see how the show performs in reruns before deciding whether or not it deserves another season.
In some cases, this is due to creative differences. ABC dealt with such a situation in the mid-1980s with their Tuesday night dramedy Moonlighting on three fronts, including actor Bruce Willis's growing disinterest in the series due to his budding film career, Cybill Shepherd unable to handle the overwhelming workload of the series, and overlong scripts and overbearing production demands from series creator/writer/showrunner Glenn Gordon Caron. The series was never able to fulfill a full series run in its five seasons and had multiple production hiatuses, to the network's constant consternation.
Other reasons
A series may be put on hiatus for other reasons. The
In 2020, that year's coronavirus pandemic had an inordinate and worldwide impact on the entirety of the television industry, effectively forcing a number of programs across all genres to go on hiatus or end their seasons early due to public health concerns and public gathering prohibitions.
See also
- Hiatus (production): the annual halt-of-production of most television series and movies.
References
- ^ Jeff Sack (March 12, 2015). "Why is My Favorite Series on Hiatus, Again?". Not Just Another TV Site. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ^ Jeff Alexander (December 30, 2011). "Why the Winter TV Hiatus Makes No Sense". Times. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
- ^ Anna Pickard (March 31, 2010). "Learning to take the mid-season break". Guardian. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
- ^ Dan Wickline (January 4, 2017). "Star Wars Rebels Goes Back On Hiatus For a Month". Bleedingcool. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
- ^ Ben Travers (December 4, 2014). "December TV: Why Midseason & Winter Finales Make Shows Better". Indiewire. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
- ^ Liz Shannon Miller (December 4, 2014). "December TV: There's More than One Oasis in the Desert". Indiewire. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
- ^ Carina Mackenzie (April 6, 2012). "TV Hiatus explained: Why your favorite shows take breaks during the season". Screen TV. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ^ "Demi Lovato Quitting Sonny With a Chance". E! Online. April 19, 2011. Retrieved February 17, 2015.