History MediaNotes / Syndication

[[Main/ProfessionalWrestling Wrestling]] was often aired in syndication, and very early on. FCC regulations in the pre-Reagan years required a certain amount of local content on any "independent" station, and wrestling not only fit the bill, but generated ratings like crazy, and was cheap to boot. Most local territories would either offer the tape for free to the station or even pay a programming fee, and insert advertisements for their revenue-generating live events. When the Reagan administration deregulated the FCC, a regional wrestling promoter by the name of [[Wrestling/VinceMcMahon Vincent Kennedy [=McMahon=]]] was able to pay stations across the country to put [[{{Wrestling/WWE}} his show]] on the air instead of his competitors', creating a national empire. Until the rise of the Wrestling/MondayNightWars and the heavier emphasis on pay-per-view, syndicated programming was the "A-show" for WWE, as it sold the house show lineups while the cable shows established the characters. [=McMahon=]'s national competitors would follow his formula, and many now-defunct wrestling groups attempted to start with a syndication package.

* '''FirstRunSyndication''' is when each episode of a show is broadcast in syndication first. Most of this page is about this.
* '''Second-run syndication''', or off-network syndication, is when a show that has already run on a network has reruns aired in syndication.

There are some key differences between syndication and airing on a network. A network show is usually guaranteed to air on all the network's affiliates. There are, however, cases where network affiliates have refused to air a network show. Sometimes, this is due to concerns about offensive content, pressure from local MoralGuardians, or if a local station had a prior commitment to airing an event that was to serve its local audience, called preempting (such as airing of a local parade or a local political debate)[[note]]in the event of the latter, sometimes the preemted show will run later in the day on that station[[/note]]. However, it's usually because they feel that the network program simply isn't getting any good ratings, and that syndicated, or even local, programming airing instead is more profitable. An example of this would be when many Creator/{{NBC}} stations considered pulling ''The Jay Leno Show'' when its poor ratings started dragging down their nightly newscasts. It goes without saying that this tends to be a ''very'' bad omen for a network show's future. Network television also generally has the schedule consistent at the same time each week (although [[ScrewedByTheNetwork you]] [[TheFireflyEffect never]] [[Creator/{{Fox}} know]] [[Creator/TimMinear sometimes]]). Syndicated shows, meanwhile, are scheduled by each individual station as they wish. Usually, they follow [[UsefulNotes/ANSIStandardBroadcastTVSchedule a pattern]] when it comes to scheduling, but time slot shifts are common, and shows may be cut down to make room for more commercials.

[[TheEighties The mid-late '80s]] and [[TheNineties the '90s]] saw the rise of original, made-for-syndication American scripted series. Much of the live-action stuff consisted of ScienceFiction, {{fantasy}} and {{horror}} shows (including ''Series/{{Hercules|TheLegendaryJourneys}}'', ''Series/{{Xena|WarriorPrincess}}'' and [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration two]] ''Franchise/StarTrek'' [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine shows]]) that came to personify what Website/ThisVeryWiki once called the "'90s adventure show" (until that trope got too broad). The list of syndicated animated shows from this time, meanwhile, reads like a who's who of classic '80s cartoons: ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'', ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983'', ''Franchise/GIJoe'', ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'', ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats'', ''Anime/{{Voltron}}'', etc.; not surprisingly, these cartoons tended to be heavily MerchandiseDriven. Creator/{{PTEN}} and the Creator/ActionPack were both syndication packages that emerged in the '90s, attempting to bridge the gap between "syndication" and "network" by offering a group of shows to channels for them to schedule as they see fit. Neither package lasted very long, although the Creator/ActionPack was slightly more successful. More recently, Creator/MyNetworkTV has been attempting to move in this direction after failing to catch on as a traditional network, although its entire lineup has consisted of second-run programs (i.e. reruns) and movies since ''Wrestling/WWESmackDown'' moved to Creator/{{Syfy}} (and later Creator/USANetwork and Creator/{{Fox}}, the latter of which is where it currently lives).

In TheFifties and TheSixties, syndication was primarily a dumping ground for network {{rerun}}s (a practice invented by none other than Desi Arnaz with ''Series/ILoveLucy''), with only a few breakout original shows (such as ''Series/TheAdventuresOfSuperman'' and ''Series/MisterEd'') that were mostly produced by Ziv Television Programs. This changed in the late '60s, when the FCC started restricting what TV stations could show in the 7-8 PM "early fringe" hour just before UsefulNotes/PrimeTime (among other things, reruns were out) in the hopes that it would encourage the development of more local programming. What it caused instead was the rise of original syndicated programming in that coveted hour, particularly {{game show}}s (some of which made the jump to UsefulNotes/PrimeTime), {{talk show}}s, TV news magazines, and {{variety show}}s. A lot of British and Canadian imports, such as ''Series/{{UFO}}'', ''Series/Space1999'' and ''Series/TheStarlost'', also got American distribution through syndication. Finally, first-run syndication became an escape hatch for TV shows that [[{{Cancellation}} got the axe from the networks]].

[[TheEighties The mid-late '80s]] and [[TheNineties the '90s]] saw the rise of original, made-for-syndication American scripted series. Much of the live-action stuff consisted of ScienceFiction, {{fantasy}} and {{horror}} shows (including ''Series/{{Hercules|TheLegendaryJourneys}}'', ''Series/{{Xena|WarriorPrincess}}'' and [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration two]] ''Franchise/StarTrek'' [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine shows]]) that came to personify what Wiki/ThisVeryWiki once called the "'90s adventure show" (until that trope got too broad). The list of syndicated animated shows from this time, meanwhile, reads like a who's who of classic '80s cartoons: ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'', ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983'', ''Franchise/GIJoe'', ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'', ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats'', ''Anime/{{Voltron}}'', etc.; not surprisingly, these cartoons tended to be heavily MerchandiseDriven. Creator/{{PTEN}} and the Creator/ActionPack were both syndication packages that emerged in the '90s, attempting to bridge the gap between "syndication" and "network" by offering a group of shows to channels for them to schedule as they see fit. Neither package lasted very long, although the Creator/ActionPack was slightly more successful. More recently, Creator/MyNetworkTV has been attempting to move in this direction after failing to catch on as a traditional network, although its entire lineup has consisted of second-run programs (i.e. reruns) and movies since ''Wrestling/WWESmackDown'' moved to Creator/{{Syfy}} (and later Creator/USANetwork and Creator/{{Fox}}, the latter of which is where it currently lives).

Many production companies have actually banked off second-run syndication deals, selling their show to a network at a loss and making the money back through selling airing rights to other networks and local channels. It's often said in the American television industry that second-run syndication is where the real money is for TV producers, especially in the case of {{sitcom}}s. These deals are the reasoning behind a SixtyFiveEpisodeCartoon and the excitement over a 100 episode MilestoneCelebration, as those are considered the minimum requirements to be acceptable as a syndicated show (''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' actually surprised many by getting some syndication deals as, being an AcclaimedFlop, it fell way short of the normal count at 53 episodes before the revival).

[[TheEighties The mid-late '80s]] and [[TheNineties the '90s]] saw the rise of original, made-for-syndication American scripted series. Much of the live-action stuff consisted of ScienceFiction, {{fantasy}} and {{horror}} shows (including ''Series/{{Hercules|TheLegendaryJourneys}}'', ''Series/{{Xena|WarriorPrincess}}'' and [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration two]] ''Franchise/StarTrek'' [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine shows]]) that came to personify what Wiki/ThisVeryWiki once called the "'90s adventure show" (until that trope got too broad). The list of syndicated animated shows from this time, meanwhile, reads like a who's who of classic '80s cartoons: ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'', ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983'', ''Franchise/GIJoe'', ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'', ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats'', ''Anime/{{Voltron}}'', etc.; not surprisingly, these cartoons tended to be heavily MerchandiseDriven. Creator/{{PTEN}} and the Creator/ActionPack were both syndication packages that emerged in the '90s, attempting to bridge the gap between "syndication" and "network" by offering a group of shows to channels for them to schedule as they see fit. Neither package lasted very long, although the Creator/ActionPack was slightly more successful. More recently, Creator/MyNetworkTV has been attempting to move in this direction after failing to catch on as a traditional network, although its entire lineup has consisted of second-run programs (i.e. reruns) and movies since ''Wrestling/WWESmackDown'' moved to Creator/{{Syfy}} (and later Creator/USANetwork, where it currently lives).

There are some key differences between syndication and airing on a network. A network show is usually guaranteed to air on all the network's affiliates. There are, however, cases where network affiliates have refused to air a network show. Sometimes, this is due to concerns about offensive content, or pressure from local MoralGuardians, though it's usually because they feel that the network program simply isn't getting any good ratings, and that syndicated, or even local, programming airing instead is more profitable. An example of this would be when many Creator/{{NBC}} stations considered pulling ''The Jay Leno Show'' when its poor ratings started dragging down their nightly newscasts. It goes without saying that this tends to be a ''very'' bad omen for a network show's future. Network television also generally has the schedule consistent at the same time each week (although [[ScrewedByTheNetwork you]] [[TheFireflyEffect never]] [[Creator/{{Fox}} know]] [[Creator/TimMinear sometimes]]). Syndicated shows, meanwhile, are scheduled by each individual station as they wish. Usually, they follow [[UsefulNotes/ANSIStandardBroadcastTVSchedule a pattern]] when it comes to scheduling, but time slot shifts are common, and shows may be cut down to make room for more commercials.

Not every TV series has a network home. Syndication is when a show, rather than being exclusive to a single {{network|s}} and [[UsefulNotes/ANSIStandardBroadcastTVSchedule shown at a particular time]], is sold to individual stations for them to do with as they wish. Syndication is primarily (although not entirely) an American trope, thanks to the way that television is run in the United States: television networks are not allowed to have their owned-and-operated (or O&O) stations reach more than 39%[[note]]Without considering the "UHF discount"[[/note]] of the population, and so they have to deal with a lot of independent affiliates to reach the other 61%. [[note]]For example, [[FunWithAcronyms KCUF]], a non-O&O in the city of, oh, [[IncrediblyLamePun Hana, Montana]], may carry the programming of Creator/{{NBC}}, but it is technically independent of the NBC structure, owned by another company or even by a single person or family.[[/note]] These affiliates are able to air whatever they want in times when they're not showing network programming, without asking the network or the other affiliates. In addition, there exist many TV stations that aren't affiliates of any network, and must rely on outside programming in order to fill their schedule with more than just {{infomercial}}s and poorly-made community access shows. Finally, even [=O&Os=] usually have some hours left over to fill with non-network programming, and as the network's flagship stations, they don't want to get caught showing dead air or crappy, locally-produced shows.

[[TheEighties The mid-late '80s]] and [[TheNineties the '90s]] saw the rise of original, made-for-syndication American scripted series. Much of the live-action stuff consisted of ScienceFiction, {{fantasy}} and {{horror}} shows (including ''Series/{{Hercules|TheLegendaryJourneys}}'', ''Series/{{Xena|WarriorPrincess}}'' and [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration two]] ''Franchise/StarTrek'' [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine shows]]) that came to personify what Wiki/ThisVeryWiki once called the "'90s adventure show" (until that trope got too broad). The list of syndicated animated shows from this time, meanwhile, reads like a who's who of classic '80s cartoons: ''The {{Transformers|Generation1}}'', ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983'', ''Franchise/GIJoe'', ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'', ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats'', ''Anime/{{Voltron}}'', etc.; not surprisingly, these cartoons tended to be heavily MerchandiseDriven. Creator/{{PTEN}} and the Creator/ActionPack were both syndication packages that emerged in the '90s, attempting to bridge the gap between "syndication" and "network" by offering a group of shows to channels for them to schedule as they see fit. Neither package lasted very long, although the Creator/ActionPack was slightly more successful. More recently, Creator/MyNetworkTV has been attempting to move in this direction after failing to catch on as a traditional network, although its entire lineup has consisted of second-run programs (i.e. reruns) and movies since ''Wrestling/WWESmackDown'' moved to Creator/{{Syfy}} (and later Creator/USANetwork, where it currently lives).

[[TheEighties The mid-late '80s]] and [[TheNineties the '90s]] saw the rise of original, made-for-syndication American scripted series. Much of the live-action stuff consisted of ScienceFiction, {{fantasy}} and {{horror}} shows (including ''Series/{{Hercules|TheLegendaryJourneys}}'', ''Series/{{Xena|WarriorPrincess}}'' and [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration two]] ''Franchise/StarTrek'' [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine shows]]) that came to personify what ThisVeryWiki once called the "'90s adventure show" (until that trope got too broad). The list of syndicated animated shows from this time, meanwhile, reads like a who's who of classic '80s cartoons: ''The {{Transformers|Generation1}}'', ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983'', ''Franchise/GIJoe'', ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'', ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats'', ''Anime/{{Voltron}}'', etc.; not surprisingly, these cartoons tended to be heavily MerchandiseDriven. Creator/{{PTEN}} and the Creator/ActionPack were both syndication packages that emerged in the '90s, attempting to bridge the gap between "syndication" and "network" by offering a group of shows to channels for them to schedule as they see fit. Neither package lasted very long, although the Creator/ActionPack was slightly more successful. More recently, Creator/MyNetworkTV has been attempting to move in this direction after failing to catch on as a traditional network, although its entire lineup has consisted of second-run programs (i.e. reruns) and movies since ''Wrestling/WWESmackDown'' moved to Creator/{{Syfy}} (and later Creator/USANetwork, where it currently lives).

There are some key differences between syndication and airing on a network. A network show is usually guaranteed to air on all the network's affiliates. There are, however, cases where network affiliates have refused to air a network show. Sometimes, this is due to concerns about offensive content, or pressure from local MoralGuardians, though it's usually because they feel that the network program simply isn't getting any good ratings, and that syndicated, or even local, programming airing instead is more profitable. An example of this would be when many Creator/{{NBC}} stations considered pulling ''The Jay Leno Show'' when its poor ratings started dragging down their nightly newscasts. It goes without saying that this tends to be a ''very'' bad omen for a network show's future. Network television also generally has the schedule consistent at the same time each week (although [[ScrewedByTheNetwork you]] [[TheFireflyEffect never]] [[Creator/{{Fox}} know]] [[TimMinear sometimes]]). Syndicated shows, meanwhile, are scheduled by each individual station as they wish. Usually, they follow [[UsefulNotes/ANSIStandardBroadcastTVSchedule a pattern]] when it comes to scheduling, but time slot shifts are common, and shows may be cut down to make room for more commercials.

There are some key differences between syndication and airing on a network. A network show is usually guaranteed to air on all the network's affiliates There are, however, cases where network affiliates have refused to air a network show. Sometimes, this is due to concerns about offensive content, or pressure from local MoralGuardians, though it's usually because they feel that the network program simply isn't getting any good ratings, and that syndicated, or even local, programming airing instead is more profitable. An example of this would be when many Creator/{{NBC}} stations considered pulling ''The Jay Leno Show'' when its poor ratings started dragging down their nightly newscasts. It goes without saying that this tends to be a ''very'' bad omen for a network show's future. Network television also generally has the schedule consistent at the same time each week (although [[ScrewedByTheNetwork you]] [[TheFireflyEffect never]] [[Creator/{{Fox}} know]] [[TimMinear sometimes]]). Syndicated shows, meanwhile, are scheduled by each individual station as they wish. Usually, they follow [[UsefulNotes/ANSIStandardBroadcastTVSchedule a pattern]] when it comes to scheduling, but time slot shifts are common, and shows may be cut down to make room for more commercials.

Syndication offers more creative freedom and less censorship than airing a show on a network. Without a network to answer to, syndicated shows have a general sense of ProtectionFromEditors in the same sense of independent films having more freedom from studio interference, not in terms of not being EditedForSyndication, making the format appealing for the types of shows that usually wouldn't last long on a network (SpeculativeFiction and action-heavy shows in particular seem to be attracted to syndication). In addition, you don't have to deal with an organized [[MediaWatchdog Standards and Practices]] department, as most individual stations don't have such a thing. (Could ''Series/{{Baywatch}}'' have survived more than a few seasons of Creator/{{NBC}}'s {{Media Watchdog}}s, or could ''{{Xena|WarriorPrincess}}'' have gotten away with all of its [[HoYay Les Yay]]?) The only censorship you face is from the FCC, and any campaign by MoralGuardians to get your show yanked from the air or {{bowdlerise}}d would have to not only influence dozens, if not hundreds, of TV stations instead of just targeting the network, but would have to defame the show so badly that another station isn't interested in picking it up instead.

In TheFifties and TheSixties, syndication was primarily a dumping ground for network {{rerun}}s (a practice invented by none other than Desi Arnaz with ''Series/ILoveLucy''), with only a few breakout original shows (such as ''Series/TheAdventuresOfSuperman'' and ''Series/MisterEd'') that were mostly produced by Ziv Television Programs. This changed in the late '60s, when the FCC started restricting what TV stations could show in the 7-8 PM "early fringe" hour just before UsefulNotes/PrimeTime (among other things, reruns were out) in the hopes that it would encourage the development of more local programming. What it caused instead was the rise of original syndicated programming in that coveted hour, particularly {{game show}}s (some of which made the jump to UsefulNotes/PrimeTime), {{talk show}}s, TV news magazines, and {{variety show}}s. A lot of British and Canadian imports, such as ''{{UFO}}'', ''{{Space 1999}}'' and ''Series/TheStarlost'', also got American distribution through syndication. Finally, first-run syndication became an escape hatch for TV shows that [[{{Cancellation}} got the axe from the networks]].

In TheFifties and TheSixties, syndication was primarily a dumping ground for network {{rerun}}s (a practice invented by none other than Desi Arnaz with ''ILoveLucy''), with only a few breakout original shows (such as ''TheAdventuresOfSuperman'' and ''Series/MisterEd'') that were mostly produced by Ziv Television Programs. This changed in the late '60s, when the FCC started restricting what TV stations could show in the 7-8 PM "early fringe" hour just before UsefulNotes/PrimeTime (among other things, reruns were out) in the hopes that it would encourage the development of more local programming. What it caused instead was the rise of original syndicated programming in that coveted hour, particularly {{game show}}s (some of which made the jump to UsefulNotes/PrimeTime), {{talk show}}s, TV news magazines, and {{variety show}}s. A lot of British and Canadian imports, such as ''{{UFO}}'', ''{{Space 1999}}'' and ''Series/TheStarlost'', also got American distribution through syndication. Finally, first-run syndication became an escape hatch for TV shows that [[{{Cancellation}} got the axe from the networks]].

[[TheEighties The mid-late '80s]] and [[TheNineties the '90s]] saw the rise of original, made-for-syndication American scripted series. Much of the live-action stuff consisted of ScienceFiction, {{fantasy}} and {{horror}} shows (including ''{{Hercules|TheLegendaryJourneys}}'', ''{{Xena|WarriorPrincess}}'' and [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration two]] ''Franchise/StarTrek'' [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine shows]]) that came to personify what ThisVeryWiki once called the "'90s adventure show" (until that trope got too broad). The list of syndicated animated shows from this time, meanwhile, reads like a who's who of classic '80s cartoons: ''The {{Transformers|Generation1}}'', ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983'', ''Franchise/GIJoe'', ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'', ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats'', ''Anime/{{Voltron}}'', etc.; not surprisingly, these cartoons tended to be heavily MerchandiseDriven. Creator/{{PTEN}} and the Creator/ActionPack were both syndication packages that emerged in the '90s, attempting to bridge the gap between "syndication" and "network" by offering a group of shows to channels for them to schedule as they see fit. Neither package lasted very long, although the Creator/ActionPack was slightly more successful. More recently, Creator/MyNetworkTV has been attempting to move in this direction after failing to catch on as a traditional network, although its entire lineup has consisted of second-run programs (i.e. reruns) and movies since ''Wrestling/WWESmackDown'' moved to Creator/{{Syfy}} (and later Creator/USANetwork, where it currently lives).

* '''Second-run syndication''', or off-network syndication, is when a show that has already run on a network has reruns aired in syndication. Many production companies have relied on this, selling their show to a network at a loss and making the money back through syndicated reruns. It's often said in the American television industry that second-run syndication is where the real money is for TV producers, especially in the case of {{sitcom}}s.

There are some key differences between syndication and airing on a network. A network show is usually guaranteed to air on all the network's affiliates [[note]] There are, however, cases where network affiliates have refused to air a network show. Sometimes, this is due to concerns about offensive content, or pressure from local MoralGuardians, though it's usually because they feel that the network program simply isn't getting any good ratings, and that syndicated, or even local, programming airing instead is more profitable. (The most recent example of this would be when many Creator/{{NBC}} stations considered pulling ''The Jay Leno Show'' when its poor ratings started dragging down their nightly newscasts.) It goes without saying that this tends to be a ''very'' bad omen for a network show's future.[[/note]], at the same time each week (although [[ScrewedByTheNetwork you]] [[TheFireflyEffect never]] [[Creator/{{Fox}} know]] [[TimMinear sometimes]]). Syndicated shows, meanwhile, are scheduled by each individual station as they wish. Usually, they follow [[UsefulNotes/ANSIStandardBroadcastTVSchedule a pattern]] when it comes to scheduling, but time slot shifts are common, and shows may be cut down to make room for more commercials.

Syndication offers more creative freedom and less censorship than airing a show on a network. Without a network to answer to, syndicated shows generally have ProtectionFromEditors [[note]] In terms of what they're allowed to do, not in terms of not being EditedForSyndication[[/note]], making the format appealing for the types of shows that usually wouldn't last long on a network (SpeculativeFiction and action-heavy shows in particular seem to be attracted to syndication). In addition, you don't have to deal with an organized [[MediaWatchdog Standards and Practices]] department, as most individual stations don't have such a thing. (Could ''Series/{{Baywatch}}'' have survived more than a few seasons of Creator/{{NBC}}'s {{Media Watchdog}}s, or could ''{{Xena|WarriorPrincess}}'' have gotten away with all of its [[HoYay Les Yay]]?) The only censorship you face is from the FCC, and any campaign by MoralGuardians to get your show yanked from the air or {{bowdlerise}}d would have to go through dozens, if not hundreds, of TV stations instead of just targeting the network.

Originally, syndicated programs were generally "bicycled", meaning that a station would receive a master copy of that week's show, air it, then send that tape to the next station. Shows that were distributed in this manner tended to air well out of production order, including programs that distributed by five-show weeks. September 1984 introduced the current "satellite" method of syndication, whereby the affiliates receive the episodes at the same time in a specific order determined by the production company...which sometimes ends up being out-of-order anyway (even if, in the case of game shows, they use returning champions or change their format several times in a season).

!!Notable shows that were in first-run syndication in the US:

* ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog''
* ''Series/TheAdventuresOfSuperman''
* ''Series/AmericanGladiators'' (1989-96)
* ''Series/BabylonFive'' (until it got picked up by TNT in 1998)
* ''Series/{{Baywatch}}'' (canned by Creator/{{NBC}} after Season 1, then went on to [[LongRunners run for another ten seasons]])
* ''Series/BeakmansWorld'' (Season 1, which also ran on Creator/{{TLC}}; picked up by Creator/{{CBS}} for three more seasons)
* ''CardSharks'' (1986-87, 2001)
* ''Series/CharlesInCharge'' (canned by CBS in 1985, entered syndication in '87)
* ''Series/TheCrossWits'' (1975-80, 1986-87)
* ''Series/DCFollies''
* ''Series/DealOrNoDeal'' (2008-10)
* ''WesternAnimation/TheDisneyAfternoon''
* ''Series/DoctorPhil''
* ''Anime/DragonBall'' (1995)
* ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' (1996-1998. When Saban left the show it was withdrawn from syndication, later finding fame on Creator/CartoonNetwork)
* ''Series/EarthFinalConflict''
* ''Series/EntertainmentTonight''
* ''Series/FamilyFeud'' (1977-85, 1988-95, 1999-)
* ''Series/FreddysNightmares''
* ''Series/FridayThe13thTheSeries''
* ''WesternAnimation/GIJoeARealAmericanHero''
* ''Series/TheGongShow'' (1976-80, 1988-89)
* ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983''
* ''Series/HeeHaw'' (after "UsefulNotes/TheRuralPurge" of 1971 on CBS)
* ''Series/HerculesTheLegendaryJourneys''
* ''Series/TheHollywoodSquares'' (1971-81, 1986-89, 1998-2004)
* ''Series/HoneyIShrunkTheKids: [[RecycledTheSeries The TV Show]]''
* ''Series/{{Jackpot}}'' (1989-90)
* ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'' (1974-75, 1984-)
* ''Series/TheJerrySpringerShow''
* ''Series/TheJokersWild'' (1977-86, 1990-91; a spinoff, ''Joker! Joker! Joker!'', aired from 1979-81)
* ''Series/JudgeJudy''
* ''Series/{{Lassie}}'' (another victim of CBS' "rural purge")
* ''Series/LegendOfTheSeeker''
* ''Series/LetsMakeADeal'' (1971-77, 1980-81, 1984-86)
* ''Series/MamasFamily'' (canned by NBC in 1984, entered syndication in '86)
* ''WesternAnimation/TheMarvelSuperHeroes''
* ''Series/MatchGame'' (1975-81 as the weekly ''Match Game PM''; 1979-82 and 1998-99 as daily shows)
* ''Series/{{Maury}}''
* ''Series/MervGriffinsCrosswords'' (2007-08)
* ''Series/MisterEd''
* ''WesternAnimation/MrBogus''
* ''Series/TheMuppetShow'' (in the U.S.; it ran on Creator/{{ITV}} in the UK)
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyAndFriends''
* ''Series/NameThatTune''
* ''TheNewMonkees''
* ''Series/TheNewlywedGame'' (1977-80, 1985-89, 1996-99)
* ''Series/TheOprahWinfreyShow''
* ''Series/ThePeoplesCourt''
* ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' (Season 1; was later picked up by Creator/KidsWB)
* ''Series/ThePriceIsRight'' (1972-80, 1985-86, 1994-95)
* ''Series/PunkyBrewster'' (after getting canned by NBC in 1986)
* ''Series/{{Pyramid}}''
* ''Series/RelicHunter''
* ''Anime/SailorMoon'' (canned after 65 episodes in 1995, moved to Creator/CartoonNetwork in '98)
* ''Series/{{SCTV}}'' (got picked up by NBC in Season 4, and Creator/{{Cinemax}} in Season 6)
* ''Series/SheSpies'' (the first four episodes premiered on NBC, and the show was distributed through its syndication arm)
* ''Series/SilverSpoons'' (after getting canned by NBC in 1986)
* ''Series/SmallWonder''
* ''Series/SoulTrain''
* ''Series/{{Space 1999}}''
* ''Series/StarSearch''
* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration''
* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''
* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' (in markets that did not have {{UPN}})
* ''Series/TheStarlost''
* ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats''
* ''Series/TicTacDough'' (1978-86, 1990)
* ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'' (Seasons 1-2)
* ''Series/ToTellTheTruth'' (1969-78, 1980-81, 2000-02)
* ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers''
** ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' (US only, YTV in Canada)
* ''Series/{{UFO}}''
* ''Series/{{VIP}}''
* ''Anime/{{Voltron}}''
* ''Series/WarOfTheWorlds''
* ''Series/WhatsMyLine'' (1968-75)
* ''Series/WheelOfFortune'' (1983-)
* ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire'' (2002-)
* ''WesternAnimation/WidgetTheWorldWatcher''
* ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess''
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[[TheEighties The mid-late '80s]] and [[TheNineties the '90s]] saw the rise of original, made-for-syndication American scripted series. Much of the live-action stuff consisted of ScienceFiction, {{fantasy}} and {{horror}} shows (including ''{{Hercules|TheLegendaryJourneys}}'', ''{{Xena|WarriorPrincess}}'' and [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration two]] ''Franchise/StarTrek'' [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine shows]]) that came to personify what ThisVeryWiki once called the "'90s adventure show" (until that trope got too broad). The list of syndicated animated shows from this time, meanwhile, reads like a who's who of classic '80s cartoons: ''The {{Transformers|Generation1}}'', ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983'', ''Franchise/GIJoe'', ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'', ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats'', ''Anime/{{Voltron}}'', etc.; not surprisingly, these cartoons tended to be heavily MerchandiseDriven. Creator/{{PTEN}} and the Creator/ActionPack were both syndication packages that emerged in the '90s, attempting to bridge the gap between "syndication" and "network" by offering a group of shows to channels for them to schedule as they see fit. Neither package lasted very long, although the Creator/ActionPack was slightly more successful. More recently, Creator/MyNetworkTV has been attempting to move in this direction after failing to catch on as a traditional network, although its entire lineup consists of second-run programs (i.e. reruns) and movies now that ''Wrestling/WWESmackDown'' has moved to SyFy.

* '''First-run syndication''' is when each episode of a show is broadcast in syndication first. Most of this page is about this.

[[TheEighties The mid-late '80s]] and [[TheNineties the '90s]] saw the rise of original, made-for-syndication American scripted series. Much of the live-action stuff consisted of ScienceFiction, {{fantasy}} and {{horror}} shows (including ''{{Hercules|TheLegendaryJourneys}}'', ''{{Xena|WarriorPrincess}}'' and [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration two]] ''Franchise/StarTrek'' [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine shows]]) that came to personify what ThisVeryWiki once called the "'90s adventure show" (until that trope got too broad). The list of syndicated animated shows from this time, meanwhile, reads like a who's who of classic '80s cartoons: ''The {{Transformers|Generation1}}'', ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983'', ''Franchise/GIJoe'', ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'', ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats'', ''Anime/{{Voltron}}'', etc. Creator/{{PTEN}} and the Creator/ActionPack were both syndication packages that emerged in the '90s, attempting to bridge the gap between "syndication" and "network" by offering a group of shows to channels for them to schedule as they see fit. Neither package lasted very long, although the Creator/ActionPack was slightly more successful. More recently, Creator/MyNetworkTV has been attempting to move in this direction after failing to catch on as a traditional network, although its entire lineup consists of second-run programs (i.e. reruns) and movies now that ''Wrestling/WWESmackDown'' has moved to SyFy.

Usually, when syndicating a show, the production or distribution company attempts to distribute it to only one station in each media market. There is a logic to this: if multiple stations air a show, they will split the {{ratings}} and collect little in advertising revenue (some may cancel it if ratings get too low), while if one station has exclusive rights to a syndicated show, they will have much higher ratings for it and be able to charge much higher rates to advertisers. Therefore, it's in every station's best interest to get exclusive broadcast rights, and the ensuing competition allows the distributor to charge more for syndication.

In TheFifties and TheSixties, syndication was primarily a dumping ground for network {{rerun}}s (a practice invented by none other than Desi Arnaz with ''ILoveLucy''), with only a few breakout original shows (such as ''TheAdventuresOfSuperman'' and ''Series/MisterEd'') that were mostly produced by Ziv Television Programs. This changed in the late '60s, when the FCC started restricting what TV stations could show in the 7-8 PM "early fringe" hour just before PrimeTime (among other things, reruns were out) in the hopes that it would encourage the development of more local programming. What it caused instead was the rise of original syndicated programming in that coveted hour, particularly {{game show}}s (some of which made the jump to PrimeTime), {{talk show}}s, TV news magazines, and {{variety show}}s. A lot of British and Canadian imports, such as ''{{UFO}}'', ''{{Space 1999}}'' and ''Series/TheStarlost'', also got American distribution through syndication. Finally, first-run syndication became an escape hatch for TV shows that [[{{Cancellation}} got the axe from the networks]].

* ''Anime/DragonBall'' and ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' (1995-1998 only. When Saban left the show it was withdrawn from syndication, later finding fame on Creator/CartoonNetwork)