time ▁crew ▁members ▁are ▁h ired , ▁and ▁work ▁begins ▁– ▁usually ▁during ▁the ▁late ▁spring ▁and ▁summer ▁before ▁the ▁fall ▁season - series ▁premier es ▁( sh ows ▁can ▁also ▁serve ▁as ▁a ▁mid season ▁replacement , ▁meaning ▁they ▁are ▁ordered ▁specifically ▁to ▁fill ▁holes ▁in ▁a ▁network ▁schedule ▁created ▁by ▁the ▁failure ▁and ▁can cellation ▁of ▁shows ▁that ▁premier ed ▁in ▁the ▁fall ; ▁Buff y ▁the ▁V amp ire ▁S layer ▁and ▁The ▁Office ▁are ▁examples ▁of ▁successful ▁mid season ▁rep lac ements ). ▁Un script ed ▁series ▁have ▁a ▁different ▁stage ▁of ▁development , ▁as ▁the ▁program ▁is ▁generally ▁pitch ed ▁only ▁as ▁a ▁concept , ▁often ▁without ▁a ▁pilot ▁being ▁ordered ▁or ▁already ▁produced . ▁ ▁The ▁standard ▁broadcast ▁television ▁season ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁consists ▁of ▁ 2 2 ▁episodes ▁( which ▁are ▁typically ▁broadcast ▁over ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁nine ▁months ▁from ▁September ▁to ▁May , ▁depending ▁on ▁the ▁date ▁on ▁which ▁the ▁program ▁begins ▁its ▁season ), ▁although ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁a ▁single ▁season ▁of ▁a ▁week ly ▁television ▁program ▁consisted ▁of ▁as ▁many ▁as ▁ 4 0 ▁episodes , ▁with ▁few ▁breaks ▁in ▁the ▁show ' s ▁air ing ▁schedule . ▁Sit com s ▁may ▁have ▁ 2 4 ▁or ▁more ; ▁animated ▁programs ▁may ▁have ▁more ▁( or ▁fewer ) ▁episodes ▁( some ▁are ▁broken ▁up ▁into ▁two ▁ 1 1 - min ute ▁short s , ▁often ▁with ▁separate ▁self - cont ained ▁story lines ,