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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 genre
This is a list of genres of literature and entertainment (film, television, music, and video games), excluding genres in the visual arts.
''Genre'' is the term for any category of creative work, which includes literature and other forms of ar ...
s 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 shows, many of which are remade in multiple markets with local contestants. Recent examples include ''
Survivor'', ''
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 l ...
'', ''
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 par ...
'' and ''
Big Brother'' 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 are often sold as formats, enabling broadcasters to adapt them to the perceived tastes of their own audience. An example is ''
The Office
''The Office'' is a mockumentary sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, first made in the United Kingdom, then Germany, and subsequently the United States. It has since been remade in ten other countries.
The original series o ...
'', a
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
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, changing ...
'' in France, ''
Stromberg'' in Germany, ''
La Job
''La Job'' is a Canadian French-language comedy television series set in Montreal, Quebec. It is an adaptation of the British show ''The Office''. Produced by Anne-Marie Losique's Image Diffusion International, it has been broadcast for a limite ...
'' 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 mi ...
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
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television and radio station offerings, and may also incl ...
. 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 Talpa may refer to:
Places
* Talpa, Iran, a village in Khuzestan Province, Iran
* Talpa, Teleorman, a commune in Teleorman County, Romania
* Talpa, a village in Cândeşti Commune, Botoşani County, Romania
* Talpa, a village in Bârgăuani Com ...
,
Endemol Shine and
Fremantle.
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 producer
A television producer is a person who oversees one or more aspects of video production on a television program. Some producers take more of an executive role, in that they conceive new programs and pitch them to the television networks, but upon a ...
s,
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 p ...
and broadcasters. For example, ''
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 l ...
'' 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, i. ...
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 Ap ...
''.
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, educatio ...
law.
[Legal Protection](_blank)
Bournemouth University.[McInerney, Peter](_blank)
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'' (f ...
'', 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 (FRAPA) aims to protect rights to formats and lobbies for legal protection.
See also
*
*
*
Radio format
A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when radio was compelle ...
References
External links
Bournemouth University: TV Formats
{{Appropriation in the Arts
Format