284:, sought to avoid any disruption in viewing habits which might cause viewers to move to another network. These weekly series, though, typically became too expensive for any single sponsor, so stand-alone shows offered a way to continue accommodating the single-sponsor practice, leading to shows like
275:
to operate. As such, a good deal of programming was one-off shows, accommodating smaller sponsors and not requiring a loyal audience following. As the industry matured, this trend reversed; by the 1950s, most networks aimed to provide stable, routine, and proven content to their audiences. Television
318:
pioneered an innovative style of programming which he called "spectaculars". These stand-alone broadcasts, usually 90 minutes in length, were designed to attract large, new audiences and bring prestige to the network. The spectaculars aired on three nights every fourth week - a major gamble because
384:
In the era before cable and home video, television audiences often had to wait an entire year or more to see a special program or film that had a great impact on first viewing. Today,
360:, and so led to the more modern and modest term, "special". Weaver's strategy was not as successful as CBS's predictably scheduled and prefilmed programs, and he was fired in 1956.
363:
In the 1960s, multi-part specials, which aired over several days in a week or on the same day for several weeks, evolved from this format, though these were more commonly called
322:
To address this, Weaver used his "magazine" style which involved selling segments of each show to a different sponsor, a practice which would evolve into the modern "
271:
The production of early television shows was very expensive, with few guarantees of public success, and ongoing (weekly) shows typically required a single, major
396:, often makes it possible for viewers to watch a television special again almost immediately after it is aired, and home video—which has largely given way to
595:
Baughman, James L. (Winter 1997). ""Show
Business in the Living Room": Management Expectations for American Television, 1947-56".
545:
494:
458:
122:
570:
259:
126:
633:
184:
628:
315:
286:
377:) than to filmed presentations especially made for television, which were (and still are) referred to as
17:
373:
207:
50:. Some specials provide a full range of entertainment and informational value available via the
486:
338:
537:
525:
450:
438:
328:
323:
296:
397:
393:
348:
272:
400:—makes it possible for the general public to own copies of television specials and films.
8:
533:
446:
367:. The term "TV special" formerly applied more to dramas or musicals presented live or on
46:
which may also temporarily interrupt episodic programming normally scheduled for a given
319:
it controversially broke up viewer routines and risked stable weekly sponsorship deals.
604:
302:
541:
490:
454:
130:
63:
414:
409:
378:
141:
478:
389:
385:
333:
281:
180:
136:
55:
43:
291:
174:
157:
622:
565:
241:
165:
148:
109:
507:
253:
234:
211:
203:
161:
79:
353:
59:
608:
364:
170:
152:
83:
75:
51:
368:
357:
199:
196:
192:
188:
115:
67:
54:
medium (news, drama, comedy, variety, cultural), in various formats (
47:
343:
230:
87:
258:
Promotional previews of regularly scheduled programming (such as
249:
245:
307:(1953, a two-hour variety show simulcast on both CBS and NBC).
223:
219:
98:
The types of shows described as television specials include:
215:
71:
311:
277:
566:"Encyclopedia of Television - "Special/Spectacular""
519:
517:
514:
620:
432:
430:
356:). In time, the term "spectacular" was seen as
590:
588:
427:
326:". The three initial spectacular blocks were
585:
603:(2). Cambridge University Press: 718–726.
472:
470:
118:profiles, interviews, or tribute specials
594:
476:
467:
14:
621:
563:
530:Les Brown's Encyclopedia of Television
443:Les Brown's Encyclopedia of Television
559:
557:
523:
436:
144:(shorts, more than two-part episodes)
24:
571:Museum of Broadcast Communications
554:
25:
645:
260:Saturday morning preview specials
248:of a major public figure or the
74:), and in any viewing lengths (
244:or event coverage such as the
127:Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
121:Seasonal programs or parades:
105:Extended episodes of TV shows.
13:
1:
597:Business and Economic History
420:
297:Hallmark Television Playhouse
123:Christmas television specials
287:Amahl and the Night Visitors
7:
403:
93:
10:
650:
266:
27:Type of television program
524:Brown, Lester L. (1992).
477:Terrace, Vincent (2013).
437:Brown, Lester L. (1992).
147:Irregular sports events:
352:(Saturdays, produced by
487:McFarland & Company
229:Fundraising campaigns (
108:Adaptations of operas,
634:Television terminology
342:(Mondays, produced by
332:(Sundays, produced by
40:television spectacular
329:Hallmark Hall of Fame
305:50th Anniversary Show
135:Theatrical films and
102:One-time comedy shows
394:streaming television
349:Max Liebman Presents
290:(1951, sponsored by
276:executives, such as
208:St. Peter's Basilica
179:Religious specials:
137:"made-for-TV" movies
112:, and other musicals
629:Television specials
534:Gale Research, Inc.
483:Television Specials
447:Gale Research, Inc.
339:Producer's Showcase
379:made-for-TV movies
42:) is a standalone
32:television special
547:978-0-8103-8871-0
496:978-0-7864-7444-8
460:978-0-8103-8871-0
398:digital downloads
252:of a member of a
226:and Other's, etc.
142:Animated cartoons
64:studio production
16:(Redirected from
641:
613:
612:
592:
583:
582:
580:
578:
561:
552:
551:
532:(3rd ed.).
521:
512:
511:
505:
503:
485:(2nd ed.).
474:
465:
464:
445:(3rd ed.).
434:
415:Event television
410:Documentary film
316:Sylvester Weaver
21:
649:
648:
644:
643:
642:
640:
639:
638:
619:
618:
617:
616:
593:
586:
576:
574:
562:
555:
548:
522:
515:
501:
499:
497:
475:
468:
461:
435:
428:
423:
406:
390:video on demand
386:streaming media
334:Albert McCleery
294:as part of the
269:
181:Catholic Church
158:Beauty pageants
96:
56:live television
44:television show
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
647:
637:
636:
631:
615:
614:
584:
564:O'Dell, Cary.
553:
546:
526:"Spectaculars"
513:
495:
466:
459:
425:
424:
422:
419:
418:
417:
412:
405:
402:
292:Hallmark Cards
268:
265:
264:
263:
256:
238:
227:
177:
175:Academy Awards
168:
155:
145:
139:
133:
131:New Year's Eve
119:
113:
110:Broadway plays
106:
103:
95:
92:
26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
646:
635:
632:
630:
627:
626:
624:
610:
606:
602:
598:
591:
589:
573:
572:
567:
560:
558:
549:
543:
539:
535:
531:
527:
520:
518:
509:
498:
492:
488:
484:
480:
473:
471:
462:
456:
452:
448:
444:
440:
433:
431:
426:
416:
413:
411:
408:
407:
401:
399:
395:
391:
387:
382:
380:
376:
375:
370:
366:
361:
359:
355:
351:
350:
345:
341:
340:
335:
331:
330:
325:
320:
317:
313:
308:
306:
304:
299:
298:
293:
289:
288:
283:
279:
274:
261:
257:
255:
251:
247:
243:
242:breaking news
239:
236:
235:pledge drives
232:
228:
225:
221:
217:
213:
209:
206:Blessings at
205:
201:
198:
194:
190:
186:
182:
178:
176:
172:
169:
167:
166:Miss Universe
163:
159:
156:
154:
150:
149:Olympic Games
146:
143:
140:
138:
134:
132:
128:
124:
120:
117:
114:
111:
107:
104:
101:
100:
99:
91:
89:
85:
81:
80:feature films
77:
73:
69:
65:
61:
57:
53:
49:
45:
41:
37:
33:
19:
600:
596:
575:. Retrieved
569:
529:
508:Google Books
506:– via
500:. Retrieved
482:
442:
383:
372:
362:
347:
337:
327:
321:
309:
301:
295:
285:
282:James Aubrey
270:
254:royal family
212:Vatican City
204:Urbi et Orbi
187:, Christmas
162:Miss America
97:
39:
38:, or rarely
35:
31:
29:
354:Max Liebman
200:Holy Masses
193:Holy Masses
191:, New year
189:Holy Masses
171:Award shows
76:short films
60:documentary
623:Categories
439:"Specials"
421:References
365:miniseries
358:hyperbolic
324:commercial
314:president
300:) and the
280:president
153:Super Bowl
84:miniseries
52:television
36:TV special
18:TV special
479:"Preface"
449:pp.
374:Peter Pan
371:(such as
369:videotape
310:In 1954,
240:On-going
231:telethons
197:Holy Week
185:Holy Year
116:Celebrity
88:telethons
68:animation
48:time slot
609:23703062
536:p.
502:20 April
404:See also
388:such as
344:Fred Coe
94:Examples
451:525–526
273:sponsor
267:History
250:wedding
246:funeral
34:(often
607:
544:
493:
457:
605:JSTOR
577:1 May
224:Italy
220:Lazio
579:2018
542:ISBN
504:2018
491:ISBN
455:ISBN
392:and
303:Ford
216:Rome
72:film
538:526
346:),
336:),
312:NBC
278:CBS
183:'s
90:).
625::
601:26
599:.
587:^
568:.
556:^
540:.
528:.
516:^
489:.
481:.
469:^
453:.
441:.
429:^
381:.
233:,
222:,
218:,
214:,
210:,
202:,
195:,
173::
164:,
160::
151:,
129:,
125:,
86:,
82:,
78:,
70:,
66:,
62:,
58:,
30:A
611:.
581:.
550:.
510:.
463:.
262:)
237:)
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.