What is syndication and why did tv shows used to pump out so many episodes trying to get it?
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The way TV worked was that there were a small number of networks who had contracts with the local affiliates. Every city had an ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX but those designations only really told you what would be on TV during *primetime* (8pm to ~midnight). For the rest of the day those stations were mostly free to air whatever they wanted. To fill that time they bought the rights to show reruns of older shows.
Unlike the primetime broadcasts which aired on a specific night once a week shows in syndication would typically run every weekday. Because they were running episodes so often the longer the shows run was the more weeks they could get from it without cycling back around to the first episode.
Most affiliates wouldn’t touch a show unless it had 100 episodes because shorter shows were not worth reworking their lineups. In response to this demand some shows ran longer in primetime than they otherwise would have to get past that threshold because syndication was highly profitable for the shows producers.
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