In American

network television Network, networking and networked may refer to: Science and technology * Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects * Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks Mathematics ...

scheduling A schedule or a timetable, as a basic time-management tool, consists of a list of times at which possible tasks, events, or actions are intended to take place, or of a sequence of events in the chronological order in which such things are ...

, a mid-season replacement is a

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 ...

that premieres in the second half of the traditional

television season 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 bet ...

, usually between December and May. Mid-season replacements usually take place after a show that was in the

fall schedule The fall schedule is the broadcast programming television lineup for the five major American commercial broadcast networks. It usually consists of new television shows paired with returning favorites and runs from September to December, since an al ...

was canceled or put on hiatus, outside factors such as an actor's family emergency or personal illness led to a delay in the program's debut, a program was purposefully scheduled for mid-season (for example, shows NBC airs on Sunday nights after the NFL season ends, as it only takes up the first half of the television season), or a program had a shortened season for some other reason which resulted in a time slot that needed filling. A few shows in American television history have been perennial mid-season replacements. For example, ''

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 Ap ...

'' aired from January to May each year from its second season onward, to great ratings success. An older and related concept is the summer replacement, which debuts between May and August, when a network's

is on hiatus. Summer replacements tend to be lower-profile shows with either low budgets or minimal prospects for renewal.

Notable mid-season replacement shows

Notes

References

{{Reflist Television terminology