When did tv shows go from shooting on film to digital?

[Nico Darko]

It's all in the title. I think most shows transitioned between 2008 and 2012, I've listed a few examples, but I'm curious to know if you have others? Thanks.

2004
Stargate SG1 (season 8)

2008
Supernatural (season 4)
Smallville (season 8)

2009
Ugly Betty (season 4)
Bones (season 6)
Dollhouse (season 2)

2010
House MD (season 7)
Brothers & Sisters (season 5)
NCIS (season 8)

2011
Desperate Housewives (season 8)
Fringe (season 4)

2012
One Tree Hill (season 9)
Mad Men (season 5)

2013
Castle (season 6)
Grey's Anatomy (season 10)
Glee (season 6) (not sure about that one?)

[ToEhrIsHuman]

2009 LOST (season 5, I believe. previous seasons were 35mm 3-perf)

[chip75]

I think there was a big shift after the 2000s, when Hollywood started using the HDCAM and HDCAM SR:

At NAB Sony introduced a new line of HDCAM equipment called the HDCAM S series, which includes a new camera and VTR.

In the area of the new XDCAM product family of professional optical media standard-definition equipment, Sony said more than 1500 units have been shipped to customers and dealers around the world, with 500 in the U.S. Customers such as CNN, NBC, WFLD-TV and WLS-TV, and rental houses Bexel and Wexler Video, have all embraced the new XDCAM gear. It was also stated that NBC will use the XDCAM camera on a trial basis at the Summer Olympic Games in Athens.

Sony said that 42 of the 44 television shows produced in Hollywood were being shot on HDCAM equipment. Peter Schindler, co-executive Producer of “Joan of Arc, ” one of the shows shot on HDCAM, said the format has saved them at least $35,000 per episode when compared with film production. He said digital production was the way of the future.

[TheWildWhelk]

I think that Star Trek Enterprise switched from film to digital in Season 3 back in 2003. There's no discernible difference as far as i can tell.

[Nico Darko]

Originally Posted by TheWildWhelk

I think that Star Trek Enterprise switched from film to digital in Season 3 back in 2003. There's no discernible difference as far as i can tell.

Thanks. According to Imdb the switch happened with season 4. And looking at the screencaps that seems right.

Originally Posted by ToEhrIsHuman

2009 LOST (season 5, I believe. previous seasons were 35mm 3-perf)

I'm pretty sure all 6 seasons were shot on 35mm, they sure look that way at least.

[TheWildWhelk]

Originally Posted by Nico Darko

Thanks. According to Imdb the switch happened with season 4. And looking at the screencaps that seems right.

The spectre of cancellation was hanging over Enterprise after Season 3, so they took the budget from $1.7m to $800k per episode starting with season 4. That's ludicrous, that's lower than Babylon 5 from a couple of years before!

[ionsi]

2017
Twin Peaks (Season 3)

[Nico Darko]

Originally Posted by ionsi

2017
Twin Peaks (Season 3)

I didn't include it because there was a long break between the seasons.
It's the same thing for The X-Files, Will & Grace, Gilmore Girls, Veronica Mars, Prison Break... All shot on film for their original run, but went digital for their revival, which all happened after 2015 when shooting on film had become very rare at that point.