User:The JPS/tense

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It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints.

Although it is tempting to describe television shows that are no longer being produced or broadcast in the past tense, this is usually incorrect.

The vast majority of television programmes still exist. Many nostalgic shows exist on DVD or video, or languish on the dusty shelves in an archive. Since they exist, the present tense should be used. For instance, an anonymous user changed the introduction of Cathy Come Home to read in the past tense. If it was a television drama, what is it now? What is it that is currently sitting in many VHS or DVD collections, or in the archive in Bradford? Cathy Come Home is and will always be a television drama.

This rule-of-thumb may be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Some programmes, usually from early in the medium's history, have been wiped and no longer exist (e.g. United!), or were broadcast live with no recording being kept (e.g. Starlight). It may be acceptable to refer to them in the past tense.

The lead can be phrased to highlight that the show is no longer in production.

"Grandstand is a British television sport programme. Broadcast between 1958 and 2007, it is one of the BBC's longest running sports shows, alongside BBC Sports Personality of the Year."

"Van der Valk is a British television series that was produced by Thames Television for the ITV network."

"The Madhouse on Castle Street was a British television play, broadcast by BBC Television on the evening of January 13 1963, as part of the Sunday-Night Play anthology strand." [Note that the article asserts that no copies of the televised play are in existence.]

Additionally, the WP:MOS says that we should avoid splitting links when there is an article for the entire term.

N '''''Z-Cars'''' was a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[television]] ...
Y '''''Z-Cars'''' is a [[British television]] ...

See also[edit]