Cult television

Cult television, like cult figures, cult film and cult radio, attracts a band of aficionados devoted to a specific television program or unreal universe.

Recent Developments

Since the late 1990s, cult shows have increasingly been available on DVD, leading to many formerly niche programs (such as Family Guy and Freaks and Geeks) becoming popular as new people discover them. Cartoon Network's adult oriented "Adult Swim" progamming block shows cult television quite often. Before the DVD and internet file sharing, cult shows were often much harder to obtain and spread. Success in syndication and DVD sales even influenced Fox to bring back Family Guy, a rare phenomenon in television.

Related Topics:
1990s - DVD - Family Guy - Freaks and Geeks - Cartoon Network - Adult Swim - Syndication - Fox

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The internet has also been instrumental in growing TV series cults through inter-fan communication. Previously, a cult required enough people to support local clubs, conventions and book publishing to raise fan communications beyond the monthly newsletter level. Now many intense fans communicate daily with others about the programs they are fans of, and can access vast stores of information on websites. Even if there are only a few dozen people worldwide interested in a program.

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The internet is also increasingly a platform for publishing cult shows. Programs like Happy Tree Friends and Queer Duck both went from online hobbies to broadcast cult TV. Others like Homestar Runner are immensely popular without any traditional TV presence.

Related Topics:
Happy Tree Friends - Queer Duck - Homestar Runner

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As it's become easier to make, distribute and promote TV programs, there's been a correlated increase in material of low popularity. This correlation is partially explained by the long tail theory. According to the theory, if these things become yet easier, we will see yet more niche programming produced and mainstream material will eventually make up a substancially lower proportion of all programming.

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