TV

Planet Earth captures images of the Earth that no one has ever seen before, from a super slow-motion shot of a great white shark killing a seal, to footage of the deepest cave in the world. Go behind the cameras to find out how you make a show about the entire planet.

By Charles W. Bryant

The term "reality tv" may be new but the concept dates back for decades. Where did it begin and how did it come to captivate so many viewers? Get the history and low down on this incredibly popular television phenomenon.

By Winifred Fordham Metz

Jackpot! A network has bought the TV show script we've been following. Now it needs producers, directors, writers, actors and a production crew ... and to actually make it into the fall lineup.

By Winifred Fordham Metz

You've read How TV Writing Works and now it's time for step two -- pitching your new show to the television networks. We'll tell you how to get a meeting, how to prepare your pitch, and how to sell it to the executives who make the final decision.

By Winifred Fordham Metz

TV and film writers may be on strike, but there's no reason you can't go ahead and prepare your great idea for production. Learn all about how to write a TV show, including understanding characters, treatments, and loglines.

By Winifred Fordham Metz

The allure of the television game show has reigned on the airwaves since the 1950s. Some of these games shows managed to find success and remained on the air for a decades and decades. See our list of television's 11 longest-running game shows.

By the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.

Some TV shows are lucky to stick around for just one season, but these did that and then some. In fact, they're the longest-running dramas and comedies in television history.

By Jesslyn Shields & Yara Simón

Since the beginning of television, puppets have had a special place on the airwaves. Many television shows featured ventriloquist dummies, hand puppets and marionettes, which have since been replaced by animation. Learn about 10 puppets that made it

By the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.

For more than 50 years, soaps have entertained daytime audiences with captivating story lines. Soap operas got their name from the sponsors, such as Proctor & Gamble, who produced the shows. See our list of the 11 longest-running daytime soap operas.

By the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.

A hit TV show is not complete without a memorable theme song. In fact, you probably know all the words to the theme songs included on this list. Read our list of 18 memorable TV theme songs, including the theme from 'Happy Days.'

By the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.

"Heroes" got Americans -- and fans in nearly 150 countries -- hooked on the adventures of an indestructible cheerleader, a Japanese time-traveler and an exotic dancer with a very split personality. And that was just the first season.

By Gerri Miller

The NBC Tonight Show debuted in 1954 with Steve Allen as the show's first host. Learn more history of the NBC Tonight Show, how it changed over the years, and its infamous hosts, from Allen to Jack Paar, Johnny Carson and Jay Leno.

By John Fuller

In Hollywood shorthand, what "Lost" is to "Survivor," "Drive" is to the "Amazing Race," but with much higher stakes. Learn about this new series that follows a diverse group of people coerced into competing in a secret, illegal cross-country road race.

By Gerri Miller

If you're a big fan of "LOST," you're probably full of theories about the DHARMA Initiative and its relationship to other elements of the show. Learn about the DHARMA Initiative, its history and what might be going on at its island research center. Warning: Spoilers within.

By Tracy V. Wilson

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel the world with only the clothes on your back and a few personal items tucked away in a backpack? The cast of CBS's "The Amazing Race" does just that. Go behind the scenes to see how contestants race around the globe for a $1 million prize.

By Gerri Miller

Typically it takes nine months or more to create one half-hour of an animated show, while you can push out a live action sitcom in just a few weeks. Learn about all the steps involved in the process of making an animated TV show.

By Sean Russell

TLC's "Junkyard Wars" puts two teams head to head in a race to build a specific complicated working machine out of random trash. Take a look behind the scenes of the "Junkyard Wars" game show, how it started, and how you can get on.

Is the line between fiction and reality getting fuzzier? During commercial breaks in episodes of the science-fiction drama "LOST," ABC ran advertisements for the Hanso Foundation, a fictional (or is it?) organization tied to the show’s plotline.

By Cameron Lawrence

The Emmys -- from the glitz and glamour of red-carpet fashions to too-long award speeches, this award show is not to be missed. But what does it take to get the Emmys off the ground?

By Pamela Nelson

A show that has several million viewers may seem popular to us, but a network may need millions more watching that program to make it a financial success. How do they figure out how many people are watching a show?

By Yves Jeffcoat