Wheel series
Encyclopedia
A wheel series is a term applied in the broadcast television
industry to a television program in which two or more regular series are rotated with the same time slot. Sometimes the wheel series is given its own umbrella title
and promoted as a single unit instead of promoting its separate components.
The most successful example of a wheel series on American
television was the NBC Mystery Movie
, which debuted in 1971 on NBC
and ran for seven seasons. The three shows in the original rotation, Columbo, McCloud, and McMillan & Wife, all were among the most successful shows on American television in the 1970s. Other examples from that era (all airing on NBC) include The Name of the Game
, Four in One
and The Bold Ones
.
The wheel series is not used today on American prime time
network television, and the term has become somewhat archaic. However, some cable channels have developed their own wheel series structures (sometimes called an umbrella rotation) to group together short-run series or documentaries into a package that runs in a standard timeslot each week or each weeknight; examples of umbrella rotations include the Animal Planet Heroes grouping on Animal Planet
, the three different productions grouped together as The Critical Hour
on Discovery Health Channel
, and the "Sci-Fi Series" collections on the Sci Fi Channel (now Syfy
).
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
industry to a television program in which two or more regular series are rotated with the same time slot. Sometimes the wheel series is given its own umbrella title
Umbrella title
An umbrella title is a formal or informal name connecting a number of individual items with a common theme. It is most often used in lieu of listing separately the separate components or providing a convenient "label" for a collection of disciplines.-Academia:...
and promoted as a single unit instead of promoting its separate components.
The most successful example of a wheel series on American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television was the NBC Mystery Movie
NBC Mystery Movie
The NBC Mystery Movie is the general name of an American television series, produced by Universal Studios, that was broadcast by NBC from 1971-77...
, which debuted in 1971 on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and ran for seven seasons. The three shows in the original rotation, Columbo, McCloud, and McMillan & Wife, all were among the most successful shows on American television in the 1970s. Other examples from that era (all airing on NBC) include The Name of the Game
The Name of the Game (TV series)
The Name of the Game is an American television series starring Tony Franciosa, Gene Barry, and Robert Stack that ran from 1968 to 1971 on NBC, totaling 76 episodes of 90 minutes. It was a pioneering wheel series, setting the stage for the likes of The Bold Ones and the NBC Mystery Movie in the 1970s...
, Four in One
Four in One
Four in One was the umbrella title for a wheel series broadcast in the United States on the NBC television network as part of its 1970-71 schedule in the Wednesday 10 PM Eastern time slot....
and The Bold Ones
The Bold Ones
The Bold Ones is the umbrella title for several television series. It was produced by Universal Television and broadcast on NBC from 1969 to 1973...
.
The wheel series is not used today on American prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
network television, and the term has become somewhat archaic. However, some cable channels have developed their own wheel series structures (sometimes called an umbrella rotation) to group together short-run series or documentaries into a package that runs in a standard timeslot each week or each weeknight; examples of umbrella rotations include the Animal Planet Heroes grouping on Animal Planet
Animal Planet
Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:...
, the three different productions grouped together as The Critical Hour
The Critical Hour
The Critical Hour is a medical reality TV show about real medical emergencies. Similar in format to the TV show COPS, it is shown in the United States by the Discovery Communications's Discovery Health Channel network....
on Discovery Health Channel
Discovery Health Channel
Discovery Health Channel is a website owned by Discovery Communications, created for people interested in health and wellness. Until December 31, 2010, it was a U.S. cable television specialty channel dedicated to television programming that highlights various aspects of health and wellness...
, and the "Sci-Fi Series" collections on the Sci Fi Channel (now Syfy
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
).