The broadcast season of American dramas does have the characteristics of a "season". Each season of autumn dramas has 22 episodes, usually from September to May of the following year. The first half of each season is usually 10 episodes. -13 episodes, with a winter break after three months of broadcasting. During the Hiatus period, TV station executives can obtain ratings survey data and audience feedback to evaluate the value of new dramas. Whether to renew or cancel the drama depends on the November data. The gap in the middle will be filled by some mid-season replacements and reruns of old dramas. "Grey's Anatomy" was actually the first mid-season drama of "Boston Legal" and was developed because of its high ratings. The pre-ordered episodes will return in January-February and end in April-May, which is close to the length of a season.
Screenwriters in American TV dramas occupy a central position. Well-known American TV drama screenwriters usually form a team, with one or two core screenwriters in the team who are also producers. This integrated identity often works well to ensure script quality and continuity. Under normal circumstances, the screenwriter can get 10% of the income of the series. When he is also the producer, the income proportion is quite high. For example, the income of a season of American TV series to producers and screenwriters usually exceeds 10 million US dollars. Every time the show is re-broadcast, the screenwriters can also receive very high royalties. Typically, A-list screenwriters earn more in a year than most A-list film actors. The screenwriter has a lot of money and a relatively long time, so he has enough time to prepare his own drama.
The division of labor among each member of the screenwriting team is also different. Plots, dialogues, scenes, etc. are all written by full-time screenwriters. For example, "CSI" (Chris Carter, 2000) has a screenwriting team of more than 20 people, and "24" (director: Stephen Hopkins, 2001) has 16 screenwriters. In addition to their professional drama writing abilities, these screenwriters also have profound professional qualities. For example, the screenwriter who wrote "The Color of Lawyers" (director: David E. Kelly, 1997) was a lawyer; the screenwriter who wrote "The Story of the Emergency Room" (director: Christopher Chulek, 1994) graduated from Harvard Medical School.
In addition, most American dramas have their own "script doctors" who check the professional knowledge involved in the dramas. The existence of these factors ensures the credibility and quality of American dramas. As a result, the broadcast time will be extended, so most American dramas are broadcast in a "season" manner.