273:, 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
264:
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
307:
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
373:
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,
349:, 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.
352:
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
311:
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 "
260:
The production of early television shows was very expensive, with few guarantees of public success, and ongoing (weekly) shows typically required a single, major
385:, 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
584:
Baughman, James L. (Winter 1997). ""Show
Business in the Living Room": Management Expectations for American Television, 1947-56".
534:
483:
447:
111:
559:
248:
115:
622:
173:
617:
304:
275:
366:) than to filmed presentations especially made for television, which were (and still are) referred to as
362:
196:
39:. Some specials provide a full range of entertainment and informational value available via the
475:
327:
526:
514:
439:
427:
317:
312:
285:
386:
382:
337:
261:
389:—makes it possible for the general public to own copies of television specials and films.
8:
522:
435:
356:. The term "TV special" formerly applied more to dramas or musicals presented live or on
35:
which may also temporarily interrupt episodic programming normally scheduled for a given
308:
it controversially broke up viewer routines and risked stable weekly sponsorship deals.
593:
291:
530:
479:
443:
119:
52:
403:
398:
367:
130:
467:
378:
374:
322:
270:
169:
125:
44:
32:
280:
163:
146:
611:
554:
230:
154:
137:
98:
496:
242:
223:
200:
192:
150:
68:
342:
48:
597:
353:
159:
141:
72:
64:
40:
357:
346:
188:
185:
181:
177:
104:
56:
43:
medium (news, drama, comedy, variety, cultural), in various formats (
36:
332:
219:
76:
247:
Promotional previews of regularly scheduled programming (such as
238:
234:
296:(1953, a two-hour variety show simulcast on both CBS and NBC).
212:
208:
87:
The types of shows described as television specials include:
204:
60:
300:
266:
555:"Encyclopedia of Television - "Special/Spectacular""
508:
506:
503:
609:
421:
419:
345:). In time, the term "spectacular" was seen as
579:
577:
416:
315:". The three initial spectacular blocks were
574:
592:(2). Cambridge University Press: 718–726.
461:
459:
107:profiles, interviews, or tribute specials
583:
465:
456:
610:
552:
519:Les Brown's Encyclopedia of Television
432:Les Brown's Encyclopedia of Television
548:
546:
512:
425:
133:(shorts, more than two-part episodes)
13:
560:Museum of Broadcast Communications
543:
14:
634:
249:Saturday morning preview specials
237:of a major public figure or the
63:), and in any viewing lengths (
233:or event coverage such as the
116:Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
110:Seasonal programs or parades:
94:Extended episodes of TV shows.
1:
586:Business and Economic History
409:
286:Hallmark Television Playhouse
112:Christmas television specials
276:Amahl and the Night Visitors
7:
392:
82:
10:
639:
255:
16:Type of television program
513:Brown, Lester L. (1992).
466:Terrace, Vincent (2013).
426:Brown, Lester L. (1992).
136:Irregular sports events:
341:(Saturdays, produced by
476:McFarland & Company
218:Fundraising campaigns (
97:Adaptations of operas,
623:Television terminology
331:(Mondays, produced by
321:(Sundays, produced by
29:television spectacular
318:Hallmark Hall of Fame
294:50th Anniversary Show
124:Theatrical films and
91:One-time comedy shows
383:streaming television
338:Max Liebman Presents
279:(1951, sponsored by
265:executives, such as
197:St. Peter's Basilica
168:Religious specials:
126:"made-for-TV" movies
101:, and other musicals
618:Television specials
523:Gale Research, Inc.
472:Television Specials
436:Gale Research, Inc.
328:Producer's Showcase
368:made-for-TV movies
31:) is a standalone
21:television special
536:978-0-8103-8871-0
485:978-0-7864-7444-8
449:978-0-8103-8871-0
387:digital downloads
241:of a member of a
215:and Other's, etc.
131:Animated cartoons
53:studio production
630:
602:
601:
581:
572:
571:
569:
567:
550:
541:
540:
521:(3rd ed.).
510:
501:
500:
494:
492:
474:(2nd ed.).
463:
454:
453:
434:(3rd ed.).
423:
404:Event television
399:Documentary film
305:Sylvester Weaver
638:
637:
633:
632:
631:
629:
628:
627:
608:
607:
606:
605:
582:
575:
565:
563:
551:
544:
537:
511:
504:
490:
488:
486:
464:
457:
450:
424:
417:
412:
395:
379:video on demand
375:streaming media
323:Albert McCleery
283:as part of the
258:
170:Catholic Church
147:Beauty pageants
85:
45:live television
33:television show
17:
12:
11:
5:
636:
626:
625:
620:
604:
603:
573:
553:O'Dell, Cary.
542:
535:
515:"Spectaculars"
502:
484:
455:
448:
414:
413:
411:
408:
407:
406:
401:
394:
391:
281:Hallmark Cards
257:
254:
253:
252:
245:
227:
216:
166:
164:Academy Awards
157:
144:
134:
128:
122:
120:New Year's Eve
108:
102:
99:Broadway plays
95:
92:
84:
81:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
635:
624:
621:
619:
616:
615:
613:
599:
595:
591:
587:
580:
578:
562:
561:
556:
549:
547:
538:
532:
528:
524:
520:
516:
509:
507:
498:
487:
481:
477:
473:
469:
462:
460:
451:
445:
441:
437:
433:
429:
422:
420:
415:
405:
402:
400:
397:
396:
390:
388:
384:
380:
376:
371:
369:
365:
364:
359:
355:
350:
348:
344:
340:
339:
334:
330:
329:
324:
320:
319:
314:
309:
306:
302:
297:
295:
293:
288:
287:
282:
278:
277:
272:
268:
263:
250:
246:
244:
240:
236:
232:
231:breaking news
228:
225:
224:pledge drives
221:
217:
214:
210:
206:
202:
198:
195:Blessings at
194:
190:
187:
183:
179:
175:
171:
167:
165:
161:
158:
156:
155:Miss Universe
152:
148:
145:
143:
139:
138:Olympic Games
135:
132:
129:
127:
123:
121:
117:
113:
109:
106:
103:
100:
96:
93:
90:
89:
88:
80:
78:
74:
70:
69:feature films
66:
62:
58:
54:
50:
46:
42:
38:
34:
30:
26:
22:
589:
585:
564:. Retrieved
558:
518:
497:Google Books
495:– via
489:. Retrieved
471:
431:
372:
361:
351:
336:
326:
316:
310:
298:
290:
284:
274:
271:James Aubrey
259:
243:royal family
201:Vatican City
193:Urbi et Orbi
176:, Christmas
151:Miss America
86:
28:
27:, or rarely
24:
20:
18:
343:Max Liebman
189:Holy Masses
182:Holy Masses
180:, New year
178:Holy Masses
160:Award shows
65:short films
49:documentary
612:Categories
428:"Specials"
410:References
354:miniseries
347:hyperbolic
313:commercial
303:president
289:) and the
269:president
142:Super Bowl
73:miniseries
41:television
25:TV special
468:"Preface"
438:pp.
363:Peter Pan
360:(such as
358:videotape
299:In 1954,
229:On-going
220:telethons
186:Holy Week
174:Holy Year
105:Celebrity
77:telethons
57:animation
37:time slot
598:23703062
525:p.
491:20 April
393:See also
377:such as
333:Fred Coe
83:Examples
440:525–526
262:sponsor
256:History
239:wedding
235:funeral
23:(often
596:
533:
482:
446:
594:JSTOR
566:1 May
213:Italy
209:Lazio
568:2018
531:ISBN
493:2018
480:ISBN
444:ISBN
381:and
292:Ford
205:Rome
61:film
527:526
335:),
325:),
301:NBC
267:CBS
172:'s
79:).
614::
590:26
588:.
576:^
557:.
545:^
529:.
517:.
505:^
478:.
470:.
458:^
442:.
430:.
418:^
370:.
222:,
211:,
207:,
203:,
199:,
191:,
184:,
162::
153:,
149::
140:,
118:,
114:,
75:,
71:,
67:,
59:,
55:,
51:,
47:,
19:A
600:.
570:.
539:.
499:.
452:.
251:)
226:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.