How many episodes does a show need for syndication? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

mmc123 · 05-15-2001, 09:54 PM

How many episodes does a show need to have to go ont syndication like Friends and Seinfeld..3rd Rock...the simpsons..you know what I mean!

Matt

callmetootie · 05-15-2001, 09:56 PM

I think that it needs at least 2 seasons to go into syndication.

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Andrew Carden

TJ · 05-15-2001, 11:18 PM

The usual 'golden' number today is 100. For example, The Jamie Foxx Show went to 100 episodes this season then changed to a variety format so they would have 100 episodes - this is just for major syndication because the USA Network shows a lot of sitcoms that lasted only a season or two..

Truth · 05-15-2001, 11:47 PM

Eerie, Indiana a kids tv show made only 19 episodes and i still see it on sometimes... it was made in teh early 90's

Slippery Dan · 05-16-2001, 11:06 AM

Friends went into syndication with only 97 episodes in 1998. Seinfeld went into syndication in 1995 with 110 episodes. 3rd Rock in 1999 with only 97 episodes. Simpsons in 1994 with only 103 episodes. Usually once it has four full seasons, regardless of number of episodes it hits syndication. There are several exceptions. NewsRadio went into syndication in 1998 with only 75 episodes. But than again it was a mid season replacement show and its first season only had 7 episodes. In The House only has 75 episodes to show in syndication. Bosom Buddies is still in syndication in some markets, and only has 38 episodes to show. Then you have shows that waited long to go into syndication. Facts of Life wen tinto syndication in 1986 I believe and had 157 episodes. But than again it was rerun on NBC weekday mornings from 1982 - 1985. So I guess it all matters if they want to show it in syndication or not. Mad TV had been on since 1995, and it's only hitting syndication this fall when shows that premiered at the same time it did, like Drew Carey Show hit syndication two years ago.

Lance Link · 05-19-2001, 04:20 PM

The Weakest Link has aired about seven shows and starting in June, it will be on Pax tv which I thought it would have to go about two or three seasons before going into syndication.

05-19-2001, 07:02 PM

PAX shows all the old eps of NBC game shows (remember 21? ) anyway, I always thought that it first)must have at least 2 distinct seasons and second)must have at least 8 episodes in each season.

Cokies · 05-19-2001, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JWillhight:
Eerie, Indiana a kids tv show made only 19 episodes and i still see it on sometimes... it was made in teh early 90's

Sometimes great shows with little amount of actual episodes get lucky simply because they were quite good. they just didn't find an audience... just look at Freaks and Geeks or My So-Called Life. Now they are cult favs...
By the way, I loved Eeria, Indiana...

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"It was just like Saturday Night Fever, only it was a Friday."

[This message has been edited by Cokies (edited 05-19-2001).]

Brett Ferino · 05-20-2001, 11:36 AM

105.

Brett Ferino · 05-20-2001, 11:43 AM

227 had about 116 eps in 1990 when it went into syndie (it was not on in fall 1990, so it went into syndication a couple of months before it was even cancelled, Who's the Boss had like 72 episodes when it went into syndie in 1987, Night Court had 100 episodes in 1988, Cosby Show had about 98 episodes in 88. Seinfeld went into syndie in 1996. Not 1995..

cp · 05-20-2001, 11:42 PM

Gloria ran on WWOR in the early 90s. It had only 13 episodes but it aired only once or twice a week.

Slippery Dan · 05-21-2001, 09:28 PM

Seinfeld did go in syndication in September 1995. Who's The Boss? went into syndication in 1988, not 1987. From June 1987 to July 1988 ABC aired reruns of Who's The Boss? weekday mornings. I doubt that WPVI aired it. WTXF probably aired the reruns just like they did for Perfect Strangers and Growing Pains when ABC reran that weekday mornings right before they hit syndication.

Slippery Dan · 05-22-2001, 02:47 PM

Correction, Who's The Boss? started syndication in 1989, not 1988. My mistake.

Brett Ferino · 05-22-2001, 03:20 PM

I have an old video that my grandmother bought me and it is a video of DuckTales that was taped from TV that someone sold at a local flee market in FLORIDA. And the video like happened in 1987 and there was a commercial for it when WBFS aired Who's the Boss when aired Untouchables.. I may not be so accurate..

05-15-2001, 09:54 PM	#1
mmc123 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Apr 19, 2001 Location: Canada Posts: 14	How many episodes does a show need for syndication? How many episodes does a show need to have to go ont syndication like Friends and Seinfeld..3rd Rock...the simpsons..you know what I mean! Matt

05-19-2001, 07:02 PM	#7
Devastation26 Guest Posts: n/a	PAX shows all the old eps of NBC game shows (remember 21? ) anyway, I always thought that it first)must have at least 2 distinct seasons and second)must have at least 8 episodes in each season.
Devastation26 Guest Posts: n/a

05-15-2001, 09:56 PM	#2
callmetootie Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 06, 2001 Location: Clifton Park, NY Posts: 4,768	I think that it needs at least 2 seasons to go into syndication. ------------------ Andrew Carden

05-15-2001, 11:18 PM	#3
TJ Site Owner Administrator Forum Star Join Date: Feb 03, 2000 Location: Marietta, GA Posts: 10,656	The usual 'golden' number today is 100. For example, The Jamie Foxx Show went to 100 episodes this season then changed to a variety format so they would have 100 episodes - this is just for major syndication because the USA Network shows a lot of sitcoms that lasted only a season or two..

05-15-2001, 11:47 PM	#4
Truth •°·Alien Believer·°• Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: May 15, 2001 Posts: 3,463	Eerie, Indiana a kids tv show made only 19 episodes and i still see it on sometimes... it was made in teh early 90's

05-16-2001, 11:06 AM	#5
Slippery Dan His Majesty Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 12, 2001 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 262	Friends went into syndication with only 97 episodes in 1998. Seinfeld went into syndication in 1995 with 110 episodes. 3rd Rock in 1999 with only 97 episodes. Simpsons in 1994 with only 103 episodes. Usually once it has four full seasons, regardless of number of episodes it hits syndication. There are several exceptions. NewsRadio went into syndication in 1998 with only 75 episodes. But than again it was a mid season replacement show and its first season only had 7 episodes. In The House only has 75 episodes to show in syndication. Bosom Buddies is still in syndication in some markets, and only has 38 episodes to show. Then you have shows that waited long to go into syndication. Facts of Life wen tinto syndication in 1986 I believe and had 157 episodes. But than again it was rerun on NBC weekday mornings from 1982 - 1985. So I guess it all matters if they want to show it in syndication or not. Mad TV had been on since 1995, and it's only hitting syndication this fall when shows that premiered at the same time it did, like Drew Carey Show hit syndication two years ago.

05-19-2001, 04:20 PM	#6
Lance Link Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 27, 2001 Posts: 224	The Weakest Link has aired about seven shows and starting in June, it will be on Pax tv which I thought it would have to go about two or three seasons before going into syndication.

05-20-2001, 11:36 AM	#9
Brett Ferino Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 18, 2000 Location: PA Posts: 3,782	105.

05-20-2001, 11:43 AM	#10
Brett Ferino Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 18, 2000 Location: PA Posts: 3,782	227 had about 116 eps in 1990 when it went into syndie (it was not on in fall 1990, so it went into syndication a couple of months before it was even cancelled, Who's the Boss had like 72 episodes when it went into syndie in 1987, Night Court had 100 episodes in 1988, Cosby Show had about 98 episodes in 88. Seinfeld went into syndie in 1996. Not 1995..

05-20-2001, 11:42 PM	#11
cp Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Nov 10, 2000 Location: MN Posts: 359	Gloria ran on WWOR in the early 90s. It had only 13 episodes but it aired only once or twice a week.

05-21-2001, 09:28 PM	#12
Slippery Dan His Majesty Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 12, 2001 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 262	Seinfeld did go in syndication in September 1995. Who's The Boss? went into syndication in 1988, not 1987. From June 1987 to July 1988 ABC aired reruns of Who's The Boss? weekday mornings. I doubt that WPVI aired it. WTXF probably aired the reruns just like they did for Perfect Strangers and Growing Pains when ABC reran that weekday mornings right before they hit syndication.

05-22-2001, 02:47 PM	#13
Slippery Dan His Majesty Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 12, 2001 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 262	Correction, Who's The Boss? started syndication in 1989, not 1988. My mistake.

05-22-2001, 03:20 PM	#14
Brett Ferino Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 18, 2000 Location: PA Posts: 3,782	I have an old video that my grandmother bought me and it is a video of DuckTales that was taped from TV that someone sold at a local flee market in FLORIDA. And the video like happened in 1987 and there was a commercial for it when WBFS aired Who's the Boss when aired Untouchables.. I may not be so accurate..