Abstract

The circulation of scripted television shows across countries and markets has diversified due to the proliferation of channels and forms of consumption and access. Despite ubiquity and universal access, open linear TV remains the dominant medium in the major European markets. TV consumption is shifting and the process coincides with the rise of the scripted television series which started in the United States but has spread to other international markets, particularly in Europe. In this research, scripted television flows are observed in five major European markets: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. It is discussed how the changing environment affects the scripted television scheduling strategies. Content of 26 general interest channels are analyzed.