TV Drama Glossary: The Words Behind the Screen

The percentage of all TV households watching a program. Nielsen has measured US TV ratings since 1950.

The percentage of households with a TV switched on that are watching a program. It is always higher than the rating because not every set is on.

A device that recorded when a radio was on and which station it was tuned to. Nielsen acquired the rights in 1936 and adapted it for TV in 1950.

A meter Nielsen launched in the US in 1987 that lets each person in a household log in, so ratings come with data on who is watching.

An ending that leaves a big question unanswered so viewers come back. The Dallas shooting of J.R. Ewing in 1980 is the most famous TV example.

The last episode of a show. The 1983 M*A*S*H finale holds the US record for a scripted episode, with about 106 million viewers.

A long-running serial drama, usually about families and romance. The name comes from the soap companies that sponsored early radio serials in the 1930s.

A program built around real people rather than scripted actors. Candid Camera, which premiered in 1948, is often called the first reality-based comedy show.

Watching many episodes of a series one after another. Collins Dictionary made binge-watch its Word of the Year in 2015.

The rules and structure of a show that can be sold and remade in other countries. Big Brother, first aired in the Netherlands in 1999, is a famous example.