Only Fools and Horses British sitcom about two market-trading brothers in Peckham, created by John Sullivan; broadcast on BBC One from 1981 with specials until 2003. Noted for its characters, humour and…
Oobi — minimalist children's puppet series Oobi Oobi is a minimalist children's television series by Little Airplane Productions featuring hand puppets with eyes. It ran as shorts and half-hour episodes and inspired internationa…
Open All Hours British sitcom created by Roy Clarke about a small Yorkshire grocer, starring Ronnie Barker and David Jason; 26 episodes aired between 1976–1985 and it inspired a later sequel.
Orange Is the New Black American comedy-drama series (2013–2019) created by Jenji Kohan for Netflix, adapted from Piper Kerman’s memoir; noted for ensemble cast, social themes, and awards across comedy an…
Orphan Black: Canadian science fiction series exploring cloning and identity Orphan Black Orphan Black (2013–2017) is a Canadian sci‑fi thriller created by Graeme Manson and John Fawcett. Tatiana Maslany portrays multiple clones as Sarah Manning uncovers a complex cloni…
Oscar Martinez (The Office) — character profile and cultural significance Oscar Martinez (The Office) Profile of Oscar Martinez, the reserved accountant from the US sitcom The Office. Covers character traits, storylines, representation as a gay Latino character, portrayal by Oscar…
Oscar's Oasis Oscar's Oasis is a dialogue-light French–South Korean CGI animated series featuring short, slapstick episodes about a desert lizard and his encounters. Produced for international b…
Oswald (TV series) Oswald is a gentle 2D animated preschool series created by Dan Yaccarino. It debuted on Nick Jr. in 2001, ran 26 episodes, and later appeared on Noggin, CBS and streaming platforms…
Outnumbered (British television sitcom) Outnumbered A British semi‑improvised family sitcom following the Brockmans in suburban south London, noted for naturalistic child performances and an improvisational production style.
Oviya (2018 Tamil television series) Oviya (TV series) Oviya is a 2018 Tamil-language television drama directed by Sai Maruthu. A regional remake of the Hindi serial Uttaran, it follows two friends whose relationship is strained by lov…
Oxygen (TV channel) Oxygen is a U.S. cable television channel targeting women. Launched in 2000 and available in about 65 million homes, it features reality, documentary and true-crime programming.
Ozark (TV series) — overview, cast, themes, production and reception Ozark (TV series) Ozark is an American crime drama created for Netflix that follows a financial adviser forced to launder money for a cartel after moving his family to the Missouri Ozarks; noted for…
Pac-Man (1980s animated television series) Pac-Man (TV series) 1982–1983 Hanna-Barbera animated adaptation of the Pac-Man video game, following Pac-Man and his family in Pac-Land as they contend with Ghost Monsters and the quest for Power Pell…
Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures A CGI animated television series that reinvents the Pac-Man arcade hero for children, produced by Namco and international partners; premiered on Disney XD in 2013 and aired interna…
Paddy (Polochon) — 1988 Belgian–French animated series Paddy Overview of Paddy (French: Polochon), a 1988 Belgian–French children's animated series of 26 episodes about a farm boy, his sister, a joking raven and a magical blue helper.
Páginas da Vida (Brazilian telenovela) Páginas da Vida Páginas da Vida is a Brazilian television soap opera produced by Rede Globo. Created for prime-time viewing, it explores family, illness, and social issues and had notable national…
Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) — Pakistan's state broadcaster Pakistan Television Corporation PTV is Pakistan's state-owned public television broadcaster, founded in 1964. It provides national and regional programming, news and cultural productions and operates multiple cha…
Paranormal television: genre, formats, history and cultural impact Paranormal television Paranormal television is a reality TV subgenre devoted to real-world investigations of alleged supernatural phenomena, blending documentary techniques, dramatic editing, and equipm…
Paris Trout (1991) — television drama adapted from Pete Dexter's novel Paris Trout Paris Trout is a 1991 made-for-television drama directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal, adapted from Pete Dexter's 1988 novel. The film is noted for its performances and its exploration of…
Parks and Recreation (TV series) Parks and Recreation American television sitcom (2009–2015) about municipal employees in fictional Pawnee, Indiana, created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, noted for its ensemble cast and civic sati…
Party of Five (American television drama) Party of Five An American drama series about five siblings who must raise themselves after their parents' death; aired on FOX from 1994–2000, noted for critical praise, awards and a later reboot…
Passions (American soap opera) Passions (soap opera) American daytime soap opera (1999–2008) that combined family melodrama with paranormal storylines, set in the fictional New England town of Harmony.
Password (game show) A classic television word-guessing game in which celebrity–contestant teams exchange one-word clues to identify a secret word; created in the early 1960s and revived in later decad…
Patrick Star — Fictional character from SpongeBob SquarePants Patrick Star Patrick Star is SpongeBob's best friend, a pink sea star known for his naiveté, loyalty, and comic absurdity. Created by Stephen Hillenburg and voiced by Bill Fagerbakke, he appear…
Pauline Fowler (EastEnders character) Pauline Fowler Long-running fictional matriarch on BBC's EastEnders, played by Wendy Richard from 1985 until the character's death in 2006. Central to family dramas and notable storylines includi…
PAW Patrol PAW Patrol is a Canadian CGI-animated preschool series by Keith Chapman about a boy and a team of rescue dogs who solve community problems; produced by Spin Master with animation b…
Pay television (premium television) Pay television Pay television refers to subscription-based services that provide encrypted or premium channels, pay-per-view and on-demand content delivered by cable, satellite, terrestrial or in…
Pay-per-view (PPV): live broadcasts, history, uses and business model Pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a model for buying access to single live or scheduled broadcasts. This article explains how PPV works, its origins, common uses, business impact and how it di…
Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) — United States public television network PBS PBS is a nonprofit public television network in the United States that distributes educational, cultural and news programming through local member stations and public funding.
PBS Kids — the educational children's programming brand of PBS PBS Kids PBS Kids is PBS’s non-commercial brand of curriculum-driven television and digital content for children ages roughly 2–8, focused on literacy, math, science, social skills and prob…
PBS Kids Bookworm Bunch A three-hour weekend programming block on PBS (2000–2004) that presented animated series tied to children's literature and promoted early reading and literacy among young viewers.
PBS Kids Go! — weekday educational block for older children PBS Kids Go! PBS Kids Go! was PBS’s daytime educational programming brand (2004–2013) aimed at school-age children, offering animated and live-action shows, online activities, and classroom res…
PBS NewsHour — American nightly public television newscast PBS NewsHour PBS NewsHour is a long-form nightly news program on public television known for in-depth reporting, interviews, and analysis; produced mainly by WETA in Washington and airing on PB…
Peep and the Big Wide World Children's animated series blending simple curiosity-driven stories with live-action science segments; inspired by National Film Board short films and used widely in early-2000s pu…
Peep Show (British television sitcom) Peep Show (TV series) British sitcom Peep Show follows two flatmates, Mark and Jeremy, known for its internal monologues, distinctive POV filming and dark, awkward humour. It aired from 2003 to 2015 and…
Peg + Cat — children's animated series teaching early math Peg + Cat Animated American-Canadian series starring Peg and her talking cat; uses stories, songs and viewer interaction to introduce preschool math skills like counting, patterns, measureme…
Peppa Pig: British preschool animated series and cultural phenomenon Peppa Pig Peppa Pig is a British animated preschool series (premiered 2004) featuring short episodes, simple visuals and family-centred stories. It became a global children’s brand with wide…
Peter Griffin (Family Guy character) Peter Griffin Peter Griffin is the principal character of the animated sitcom Family Guy, created and voiced by Seth MacFarlane. He is an impulsive, often crude Rhode Island father whose actions…
Peter Potamus 1960s Hanna‑Barbera cartoon about a friendly purple hippopotamus and his monkey companion who journey in a time‑traveling hot‑air balloon, famous for the 'Hippo Hurricane Holler'.
Petticoat Junction American rural sitcom (1963–1970) set at the Shady Rest Hotel, created by Paul Henning; known for country humor, generational family dynamics, and its connection to other 1960s rur…
Peyton Place (TV series) American prime-time serialized drama that ran on ABC from 1964–1969, adapting Grace Metalious's novel into a long-running half-hour soap that launched many careers and stirred publ…
Phil of the Future: American children's science‑fiction comedy series Phil of the Future Phil of the Future is a mid‑2000s Disney Channel children's sci‑fi comedy about the Diffy family from 2121 stranded in the present; it follows teen Phil Diffy as he tries to fit in…
Phineas and Ferb Animated comedy series (2007–2015) about inventive stepbrothers, their pet spy platypus, and a mix of musical numbers, running gags and family humor that spawned spin-offs and film…
Phoebe Buffay Phoebe Buffay is a fictional, eccentric character from the American sitcom Friends, known for quirky humor, oddball songs, a difficult childhood, and her role as a musician and mas…
Piers Morgan Live CNN primetime interview series (2011–2014) hosted by Piers Morgan, successor to Larry King Live, featuring one-on-one interviews with politicians, celebrities and members of the pu…
Pig Goat Banana Cricket An offbeat Nickelodeon animated series (2015–2018) about four mismatched friends. Known for surreal humor, split-story episodes, and creators Dave Cooper and Johnny Ryan.
Pingu — stop-motion children's series about a young penguin Pingu Pingu is a stop-motion clay-animated children’s series about a mischievous young penguin whose stories use expressive sounds instead of spoken language, giving it broad internation…
Pinoy Idol — Philippine televised singing competition Pinoy Idol Pinoy Idol is a Filipino television singing-competition format that showcases amateur and aspiring singers through auditions, live shows and public voting, broadcast by GMA Network…
