A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set and broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, cable, - excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed between shows. Television shows are most often scheduled for broadcast well ahead of time and appear on electronic guides or other TV listings, but streaming services often make them available for viewing anytime.
Television shows can be viewed: live (real time); be recorded on home video; a digital video recorder for later viewing; be viewed on demand via a set-top box or streamed over the internet.
A television show is also called a television program (British English: programme), especially if it lacks a narrative structure.
In the US and Canada, a television series is usually released in episodes that follow a narrative and are usually divided into seasons. In the UK, a television series, is a yearly or semiannual set of new episodes. (In effect, a "series" in the UK is the same as a "season" in the US and Canada)
With approximately three to six episodes, a serials can be inside of or a small collection of episodes. A small collection may also be called a limited/ mini-series. A one-off collection of episodes may be called a "'special"' or limited series. A motion picture for television is initially broadcast as such rather than direct-to-video or the traditional big screen.