A TV format is the overall concept and branding of a copyrighted

television show A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed b ...

. The most common type of formats are those in the television genres of

game show A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or demonstrative and are typically directed by a host, ...

s and

reality show Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

s, many of which are remade in multiple markets with local contestants. Recent examples include ''

Survivor Survivor(s) may refer to: Actual survivors * *Last survivors of historical events Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Survivors, characters in the 1997 ''KKnD'' video-game series * ''The Survivors'', or the ''New Survivors Found ...

'', ''

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' (often informally called ''Millionaire'') is an international television game show franchise of British origin, created by David Briggs, Mike Whitehill and Steven Knight. In its format, currently owned and ...

'', ''

Pop Idol ''Pop Idol'' is a British music competition television series created by Simon Fuller which ran on ITV from 2001 to 2003. The aim of the show was to decide the best new young pop singer (or "pop idol") in the UK based on viewer voting and pa ...

'' and ''

Big Brother Big Brother may refer to: * Big Brother (''Nineteen Eighty-Four''), a character from George Orwell's novel ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' ** Authoritarian personality, any omnipresent figure representing oppressive control ** Big Brother Awards, a sat ...

'' that have all proved successful worldwide. Such types of formats are also known as

franchises Franchise may refer to: Business and law * Franchising, a business method that involves licensing of trademarks and methods of doing business to franchisees * Franchise, a privilege to operate a type of business such as a cable television ...

, since rights to the format are usually handled with licenses. Particular models in the genre of

sitcoms A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...

are often sold as formats, enabling broadcasters to adapt them to the perceived tastes of their own audience. An example is '' The Office'', a BBC sitcom which got adapted as ''The Office'' US, Kontoret in Sweden, ''

Le Bureau ''Le Bureau'' is a 2006 French television show written and directed by Nicolas & Bruno. It is a French adaptation of the popular British television series '' The Office''. ''Le Bureau'' adapted the scripts of the original British series, changi ...

'' in France, '' Stromberg'' in Germany, '' La Job'' in Quebec and '' La Ofis'' in Chile. A format is licensed by

TV network A television network or television broadcaster is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, where a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay television providers. Until the mid-1 ...

s, so that they may produce a version of the show tailored to their nationality and audience. Formats are a major part of the international television market. Format purchasing is popular with broadcasters, due principally to the lower risk associated with an already-proven idea and the preference of audiences to watch programming tailored to their locality. Leading companies that handle the creation and sales of programming formats include Warner Bros. International Television Production,

ITV Studios ITV Studios is a British multinational television production and distribution company owned by the British television broadcaster ITV plc. It handles production and distribution of programmes broadcast on the ITV network and third-party broadca ...

, Talpa,

Endemol Shine Endemol Shine Group B.V. (stylized in all spaceless) was a Dutch production and distribution company of scripted and non-scripted content, responsible for programmes such as '' Big Brother'', ''Deal or No Deal'', '' The Money Drop'', '' Fear Fa ...

and

Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for ...

Legal issues

TV formats are viewed as a form of

intellectual property Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, cop ...

(IP), and are regularly bought and sold by TV producers,

distribution company Distribution (or place) is one of the four elements of the marketing mix. Distribution is the process of making a product or service available for the consumer or business user who needs it. This can be done directly by the producer or service ...

and broadcasters. For example, ''

'' has been recreated in 108 territories, while local versions of ''Idol'' have aired (over 129 series) in 42 territories receiving about three

billion Billion is a word for a large number, and it has two distinct definitions: *1,000,000,000, i.e. one thousand million, or (ten to the ninth power), as defined on the short scale. This is its only current meaning in English. * 1,000,000,000,000, ...

votes, most notable being ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to A ...

''. However, TV formats are not generally protected under

copyright A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, education ...

law.Legal Protection
Bournemouth University.McInerney, Peter
and Rose, David ''Television formats and copyright protection'' in ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ...

'', 2 March 1999, p.41 (Law page). As a result, copycat formats are sometimes created, which seek to duplicate the success of an original format without paying the person who came up with it. Format developers seek to prevent this by various means, including the use of trademarks or withholding distribution of other shows. Establishing "Proof of Review" and exposure to companies reviewing new TV formats is one important aspect of protection by the industry at the Television Writers Vault. The

Format Recognition and Protection Association The Format Recognition and Protection Association (FRAPA) is a trade association that seeks to create and enforce legal protection for television formats as intellectual property, and to mediation, mediate industry disputes. FRAPA co-sponsors the C ...

(FRAPA) aims to protect rights to formats and lobbies for legal protection.

References

External links

Bournemouth University: TV Formats
{{Appropriation in the Arts

Format Format may refer to: Printing and visual media * Text formatting, the typesetting of text elements * Paper formats, or paper size standards * Newspaper format, the size of the paper page Computing * File format, particular way that informati ...

Legal issues

See also

References

External links