Season premiere

A season premiere is the first episode of a new season of a returning television show.^[1] In the United States, many season premieres are aired in the fall time or, for mid-season replacements, either in the spring or late winter.

In countries such as Australia and the UK, a season premiere can be broadcast at any time of the year. In Australia, the premieres of several shows are in mid- to late summer, late January or early February.

Mid-season premiere

See also: Mid-season finale

In the 2000s, the terms "mid-season premiere" and "spring premiere" began being used by television broadcasters in the United States to denote the first episode after a mid-season hiatus, often following the holiday season leading into spring and summer months. As with a season/series premiere, a mid-season premiere can include a major plot development, cast change, or resolution to a cliffhanger ending that featured in the "mid-season finale" in order for networks to draw attention and encourage viewership of such episodes as event television. The practice has faced criticism for affecting the structure and narrative of broadcast television programs, as writers may be coerced by broadcasters into placing cliffhangers and plot developments within the midseason, rather than allow a plot to build up to a traditional season finale leading into a following season premiere.^[2][3]

See also

• Season finale
• Series premiere
• Series finale

References

1. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, Oxford University Press (December 4, 2011). "Definition of season premiere noun". Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Retrieved December 4, 2011. the first show of a new season for a television series that is continuing
2. Travers, Ben (December 12, 2014). "December TV: Why Midseason & Winter Finales Make Shows Better". IndieWire. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
3. Moylan, Brian (November 20, 2014). "No, Scandal, I will not get excited about your 'winter finale'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved November 20, 2014.