burn off

v. in entertainment television, to broadcast un-aired episodes of a canceled program. Subjects: English, Entertainment, Media, Jargon

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Citations: 1986 Ed Bark Dallas Morning News (Texas) (May 31) “‘Dallas’ Gets New Time Slot For Summer” p. 1F: The summer season, used primarily to burn off reruns, failed series pilots and documentaries, is becoming more important as a possible springboard for freshman series that had modest ratings in the regular season. 1992 Greg Dawson Chicago Tribune (Dec. 11) “Hopes ride on ‘burn off’ Viewers group works to rescue ‘Brooklyn Bridge’” p. 8: VQT pins its slender hopes on seven unseen episodes of “Brooklyn Bridge” that CBS plans to air (“burn off” in TV lingo) sometime after the first of the year. 1996 Lon Grahnke Chicago Sun-Times (June 5) “Networks ‘Burn Off’ 5 Canceled Series” p. 53: In TV lingo, networks “burn off” episodes of rejected series after the official prime-time season ends in May.…The burnoff season also provides a bonus for viewers, giving them a fresh alternative to the nightly diet of reruns. Sometimes the final burned-off episodes of a high-quality, low-rated series. 2005 Joanne Ostrow Denver Post (Colo.) (Feb. 14) “Listening in on the moguls”: Burn-Off Theater…the presentation of shelved losers and leftovers, ie. making use of pilots that didn’t go. Fox president G. Berman: “Summer isn’t just for Burn-Off Theater anymore.”

Posted 15 Feb 05 | Permalink | Tell a Friend