Introduction The dump months are what the film community calls the two periods of the year when there are lowered commercial and critical expectations for most new releases from American filmmakers and distributors. Domestic audiences during these periods are smaller than the rest of the year, so no tentpole movies are released. January and February… Read More
Introduction The Friday night death slot, or Friday evening death slot, is a perceived graveyard slot in American television. For information on the graveyard slot look here. Dump months, the equivalent to the Friday night death slot on the American film schedule. What Time Slot Does It Refer To? It implies that a television programme… Read More
Introduction A graveyard slot (or death slot) is a time period in which a television audience is very small compared to other times of the day, and therefore broadcast programming is considered far less important. Graveyard slots are usually in the early morning hours of each day, when most people are asleep. What Happens during… Read More
Introduction In television programming, flow is how channels and networks try to hold their audience from programme to programme, or from one segment of a programme to another. Thus, it is the ‘flow’ of television material from one element to the next. Academic Input on Production and Purpose The term is also significant in television… Read More
Introduction Channel surfing, also known as channel hopping or zapping, is the practice of quickly scanning through different television channels or radio frequencies to find something interesting to watch or listen to. Modern viewers – who may have cable, satellite or streaming services broadcasting dozens if not hundreds or thousands of channels – are frequently… Read More
Introduction In fiction, canon is the material accepted as officially part of the story in the fictional universe of that story. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction. The alternative terms mythology, timeline, universe and continuity are often used, with the first of these being used especially… Read More
Introduction In television, cancellation refers to the termination of a programme by a network, typically because of low viewership, financial losses, low ratings, or unfavourable critical reviews. Other potential reasons for cancelling television programmes include controversies involving the programme’s cast, conflicts among the show’s staff members or to make room for new programming. Cancellation vs… Read More
Introduction In the motion picture industry, a box-office bomb or box-office flop is a film that is considered highly unsuccessful or unprofitable during its theatrical run. Although any film for which the production and marketing costs exceed the combined revenue after release can be considered to have ‘bombed’, the term is more frequently used on… Read More
Introduction A blockbuster is a work of entertainment – typically used to describe a feature film, but also other media – that is highly popular and financially successful. The term has also come to refer to any large-budget production intended for ‘blockbuster’ status, aimed at mass markets with associated merchandising, sometimes on a scale that… Read More
Introduction Bridging is the practice of discouraging the audience from changing channels during the ‘junctions’ between specific programmes. This can be done, primarily, by airing promos for the next programme near the end of the preceding programme, such as during its credits. Bridging is a scheduling strategy. What is the Purpose of Bridging? The host… Read More
Military Gogglebox 