Television Slang, Jargon, and New Words from Double-Tongued Dictionary

Television, programming, broadcasting, etc. You can also see entries assigned to this category.

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A-story n. The A-story, as they call it in the TV biz, concerns Tom’s efforts to interview and then assist Crazy Benny, the tire guy, who insanely slashes prices to the bone. [English Entertainment Media Television Jargon] [full cite] (Jun. 3, 2004)

anticipointment n. WPXI news director Corrie Harding acknowledged there’s a term for teasing stories that don’t deliver: “anticipointment.“ “If we make a story sound like the second coming and tease it four times and it’s really nothing by the time we get there” that leads to anticipointment, Harding said. Stations don’t set out to aggravate viewers, but as WTAE news director Bob Longo notes, TV is also a business. [English Media Television] [full cite] (May. 1, 2008)

Asianovela n. Filipino fans around the country are now going crazy over Asianovelas—a local colloquial term used to describe drama series imported from Korea, China, Taiwan, Japan and other parts of Asia. [Philippines Television] [full cite] (May. 5, 2007)

back nine n. Both NBC and Warner Brothers have now confirmed that the ratings-challenged (but fan-adored) Studio 60 has received a “back nine” order, meaning the series will complete a full 22 episodes for its freshman season. [English Entertainment Television Jargon] [full cite] (Nov. 19, 2006)

backdoor pilot n. The episode will serve as what is known as a “backdoor pilot” for the spinoff, which would be exec-produced by “Grey’s” creator Shonda Rhimes. [English Television Jargon] [full cite] (Feb. 26, 2007)

bake-off n. Studios frequently stage “bake-offs,“ calling in up to 10 writers for a single rewrite job. Each writer offers his or her take on the property, meaning extensive fleshing out of the material—for free. [English Entertainment Movies Television] [full cite] (Feb. 12, 2008)

beauty n. I had fallen victim to what is called, by its detractors, “food porn.” Its creators usually refer to it as “making beauties”—as in “Hey, Al, let’s do a beauty of those pecans.” Bob Tuschman, the Food Network’s head of programming, had described the concept when I visited him in his office, above the Chelsea Market, in Manhattan. The point is to get very close to what you are filming, so close that you can see an ingredient’s “pores” (“You should believe the dish is in your living room”), which then triggers some kind of Neanderthal reflex. “If you’re flicking from channel to channel and come upon food that has been shot in this way, you will be hardwired as a human being to stop, look, and bring it back to your cave.” [English Television] [full cite] (Oct. 3, 2006)

beauty shot n. Beauty shots: Generic external views of the stadium or host city, often shot from a blimp. [English United States Entertainment Media Sports & Recreation Television] [full cite] (May. 30, 2004)

beauty shot n. Once the game started, it was all about business, seamlessly blending live shots and instant replays, graphics and “beauty shots,“ which is jargon for views of the stadium or home city during a game. [English United States Entertainment Media Sports & Recreation Television] [full cite] (May. 30, 2004)

blocktimer n. Those independent producers who are now thriving are directly the same people who already had control of media outlets under the Marcos government, or are allied by kinship or partnership to network owners, advertising agencies, government agencies or powerful religious organizations. Even available airtime is controlled by a kind of “blocktimers mafia.“ [English Philippines Media Television] [full cite] (Aug. 23, 2004)

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