List of TV shows shot on film vs tape? - Blu-ray Forum

libertyeagle20 · 04-08-2022, 02:58 PM

Is there a list that has which tv shows were shot on film vs video? Its my understanding shows shot on film could be remastered for HD while shows on tape may look about as good as they ever will on DVD. Ive heard married with children was shot on tape. What about roseanne?

RossyG · 04-09-2022, 04:11 PM

Roseanne and Married With Children we’re both taped shows.

libertyeagle20 · 06-20-2022, 11:59 PM

Anyone know if the show Home Improvement was taped or shot on film?

IndyMLVC · 06-21-2022, 12:30 AM

I can't find the quote but I'm almost positive that there was a mandate from NBC (might have been from Warren Littlefield) that all of their shows be shot on film instead of videotape. from a certain point going forward. I know that all of the Law & Order incarnations were shot on film and they started in 1990 but Golden Girls was definitely on video.

If you're that curious, you could always look for behind the scenes shots of shows and see what they're using to film. That'd be the easiest way. However, of course, that might not discern between different seasons.

libertyeagle20 · 06-23-2022, 08:29 PM

Thanks for the tip, thats a good idea. The reason I ask is because there are certain shows from the 80s and 90s that I want to own. Ideally I want them on Blu Ray but I will settle on DVD if they were taped and the quality on DVD is about the best we will see.

A Sith Lord? · 06-23-2022, 09:21 PM

Fresh Prince was on tape.

I want to say Family Matters looks like it was shot on film.

pigmanjoe · 06-24-2022, 01:22 AM

IMDB users have been pretty good over the years at adding this information.

If you don't trust them, the credits to the shows often hold clues to how the shows were shot and edited, if not flat out stating the format.

darin1234 · 06-24-2022, 01:58 AM

You can pretty much tell just by watching. If it's smooth motion (60Hz - the "soap opera effect") it's taped and if not it's most likely on film with rare exceptions (early seasons of Always Sunny were taped on miniDV at 24 fps). Trouble with some filmed shows starting in the late 80s is they were filmed, transferred to tape then edited on video. They can still remaster them but it takes much more effort as they need to rescan the films then piece the whole show together again. It's been done for shows like Star Trek: TNG, Seinfeld, and Friends, generally shows where they'll get a return on their investment for remastering. And Home Improvement was shot on video tape.

A Sith Lord? · 06-24-2022, 02:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darin1234

You can pretty much tell just by watching. If it's smooth motion (60Hz - the "soap opera effect") it's taped and if not it's most likely on film with rare exceptions (early seasons of Always Sunny were taped on miniDV at 24 fps). Trouble with some filmed shows starting in the late 80s is they were filmed, transferred to tape then edited on video. They can still remaster them but it takes much more effort as they need to rescan the films then piece the whole show together again. It's been done for shows like Star Trek: TNG, Seinfeld, and Friends, generally shows where they'll get a return on their investment for remastering. And Home Improvement was shot on video tape.

Anything that looks like Alf or Married with Childen is taped.

Anything else is likely on film.

Moviefan2k4 · 05-23-2025, 01:26 AM

This was being discussed again, in the thread for the upcoming 4K release of the original Knight Rider series. So I did some research, and came up with this list. Many of the entries actually surprised me.

TV Shows From 1981 to 1999 Shot on Film

3rd Rock From the Sun
Ally McBeal
Angel
The A-Team
Batman: The Animated Series
Baywatch / Baywatch Hawaii
Becker
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Cagney & Lacey
Charles in Charge
Cheers
Chicago Hope
Coach
The Cosby Show
C.S.I. (original, Miami, NY)
Cybill
Dallas (original)
Dawson's Creek
Designing Women
Diagnosis: Murder
Different Strokes
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
Doogie Howser, M.D.
The Drew Carey Show
The Dukes of Hazzard
Dynasty
Early Edition
Ellen
Empty Nest
ER
Evening Shade
Everybody Loves Raymond
The Facts of Life
Falcon Crest
The Fall Guy (original)
Family Matters
Family Ties
Father Dowling Mysteries
The Flash (1990)
Forever Knight
Frasier
Friends
Growing Pains
Hardcastle & McCormick
Head of the Class
Highway to Heaven
Hill Street Blues
Homicide: Life on the Street
Hunter
In the Heat of the Night
J.A.G.
The Jeffersons
Just Shoot Me!
Knots Landing
L.A. Law
Law & Order (original, SVU, Trial by Jury
MacGyver (original)
Mad About You
Magnum, P.I. (original)
Malcolm in the Middle
M*A*S*H*
Matlock
Miami Vice
Moonlighting
Murphy Brown
Nash Bridges
Newhart (Season 2 forward)
Northern Exposure
NYPD Blue
The Practice
Promised Land
Quantum Leap (original)
Roswell (original)
Scarecrow & Mrs. King
Simon & Simon
The Simpsons (first 13 seasons edited on SD video)
Smallville
Small Wonder
Spin City
Step By Step
Superman: The Animated Series
T.J. Hooker
Touched by an Angel
Trapper John, M.D.
Twin Peaks
Veronica's Closet
Walker, Texas Ranger
Who's The Boss?
The Wonder Years (original)
The X-Files

PhysicalMediaMaestro · 05-30-2025, 04:17 AM

The original sitcom version of "The Addams Family" which aired from 1964 to 1966 was shot on film. But in some instances, shows switch formats. The first four seasons of "Gilmore Girls" were ahot using 35mm film, but in Season 5 they switched to digital.

Since you're into collecting TV shows on Blu-Ray and 4K Blu-Ray, how would you feel if it was possible to store an entire TV series on a single disc in 4K resolution? There are now 10 terabyte (10,000 gigabyte) optical discs that can hold 200 hours of 4K video. That's enough to hold all the episodes of "The Addams Family" on one disc, or all the episodes of "Gilmore Girls" on one disc.

https://www.techradar.com/pro/forget...ities-for-usd1

steel_breeze · 05-30-2025, 04:27 AM

Family Ties was NOT shot on film. Wish it had been. Videotape all the way.

8traxrule · 05-30-2025, 04:00 PM

That list is so wrong, I don’t have time to list all of them.

deet · 05-30-2025, 09:22 PM

LMAO at that list. Small Wonder would've been filmed on VHS by North Korean slave labor if the producers had thought of it first.

Juan de Internet · 05-30-2025, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deet

LMAO at that list. Small Wonder would've been filmed on VHS by North Korean slave labor if the producers had thought of it first.

It wasn't? I could've sworn it was written by AI. That show was way ahead of its time.

04-08-2022, 02:58 PM	#1
libertyeagle20 Active Member Member since:Oct 2020	List of TV shows shot on film vs tape? Is there a list that has which tv shows were shot on film vs video? Its my understanding shows shot on film could be remastered for HD while shows on tape may look about as good as they ever will on DVD. Ive heard married with children was shot on tape. What about roseanne?

04-09-2022, 04:11 PM	#2
RossyG Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Sep 2016 Location:Brighton, UK	Roseanne and Married With Children we’re both taped shows.

06-20-2022, 11:59 PM	#3
libertyeagle20 Active Member Member since:Oct 2020	Anyone know if the show Home Improvement was taped or shot on film?

06-21-2022, 12:30 AM	#4
IndyMLVC Blu-ray Duke Top contributor Member since:Oct 2010 Location:New York City, NY 4K collection:296 Blu-ray collection:738 DVD collection:58 Digital collection:754 iTunes collection:2 Trading Score:62	I can't find the quote but I'm almost positive that there was a mandate from NBC (might have been from Warren Littlefield) that all of their shows be shot on film instead of videotape. from a certain point going forward. I know that all of the Law & Order incarnations were shot on film and they started in 1990 but Golden Girls was definitely on video. If you're that curious, you could always look for behind the scenes shots of shows and see what they're using to film. That'd be the easiest way. However, of course, that might not discern between different seasons.

06-23-2022, 08:29 PM	#5
libertyeagle20 Active Member Member since:Oct 2020	Thanks for the tip, thats a good idea. The reason I ask is because there are certain shows from the 80s and 90s that I want to own. Ideally I want them on Blu Ray but I will settle on DVD if they were taped and the quality on DVD is about the best we will see.

06-23-2022, 09:21 PM	#6
A Sith Lord? Blu-ray Knight Top contributor Member since:Dec 2012 4K collection:1 Blu-ray collection:575 DVD collection:30 Digital collection:1 iTunes collection:1272 Trading Score:49	Fresh Prince was on tape. I want to say Family Matters looks like it was shot on film.

06-24-2022, 01:22 AM	#7
pigmanjoe Active Member Member since:Jul 2013 Location:Space Coast, FL 4K collection:87 Blu-ray collection:1028 DVD collection:291	IMDB users have been pretty good over the years at adding this information. If you don't trust them, the credits to the shows often hold clues to how the shows were shot and edited, if not flat out stating the format.

06-24-2022, 01:58 AM	#8
darin1234 Junior Member Member since:Aug 2012	You can pretty much tell just by watching. If it's smooth motion (60Hz - the "soap opera effect") it's taped and if not it's most likely on film with rare exceptions (early seasons of Always Sunny were taped on miniDV at 24 fps). Trouble with some filmed shows starting in the late 80s is they were filmed, transferred to tape then edited on video. They can still remaster them but it takes much more effort as they need to rescan the films then piece the whole show together again. It's been done for shows like Star Trek: TNG, Seinfeld, and Friends, generally shows where they'll get a return on their investment for remastering. And Home Improvement was shot on video tape.

05-23-2025, 01:26 AM	#10
Moviefan2k4 Banned Member since:Mar 2010 Location:Montgomery, TX 4K collection:44 Blu-ray collection:317 Blu-ray reviews:5 Trading Score:2	This was being discussed again, in the thread for the upcoming 4K release of the original Knight Rider series. So I did some research, and came up with this list. Many of the entries actually surprised me. TV Shows From 1981 to 1999 Shot on Film 3rd Rock From the Sun Ally McBeal Angel The A-Team Batman: The Animated Series Baywatch / Baywatch Hawaii Becker Buffy the Vampire Slayer Cagney & Lacey Charles in Charge Cheers Chicago Hope Coach The Cosby Show C.S.I. (original, Miami, NY) Cybill Dallas (original) Dawson's Creek Designing Women Diagnosis: Murder Different Strokes Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman Doogie Howser, M.D. The Drew Carey Show The Dukes of Hazzard Dynasty Early Edition Ellen Empty Nest ER Evening Shade Everybody Loves Raymond The Facts of Life Falcon Crest The Fall Guy (original) Family Matters Family Ties Father Dowling Mysteries The Flash (1990) Forever Knight Frasier Friends Growing Pains Hardcastle & McCormick Head of the Class Highway to Heaven Hill Street Blues Homicide: Life on the Street Hunter In the Heat of the Night J.A.G. The Jeffersons Just Shoot Me! Knots Landing L.A. Law Law & Order (original, SVU, Trial by Jury MacGyver (original) Mad About You Magnum, P.I. (original) Malcolm in the Middle MASH Matlock Miami Vice Moonlighting Murphy Brown Nash Bridges Newhart (Season 2 forward) Northern Exposure NYPD Blue The Practice Promised Land Quantum Leap (original) Roswell (original) Scarecrow & Mrs. King Simon & Simon The Simpsons (first 13 seasons edited on SD video) Smallville Small Wonder Spin City Step By Step Superman: The Animated Series T.J. Hooker Touched by an Angel Trapper John, M.D. Twin Peaks Veronica's Closet Walker, Texas Ranger Who's The Boss? The Wonder Years (original) The X-Files

05-30-2025, 04:17 AM	#11
PhysicalMediaMaestro Expert Member Member since:May 2025	The original sitcom version of "The Addams Family" which aired from 1964 to 1966 was shot on film. But in some instances, shows switch formats. The first four seasons of "Gilmore Girls" were ahot using 35mm film, but in Season 5 they switched to digital. Since you're into collecting TV shows on Blu-Ray and 4K Blu-Ray, how would you feel if it was possible to store an entire TV series on a single disc in 4K resolution? There are now 10 terabyte (10,000 gigabyte) optical discs that can hold 200 hours of 4K video. That's enough to hold all the episodes of "The Addams Family" on one disc, or all the episodes of "Gilmore Girls" on one disc. https://www.techradar.com/pro/forget...ities-for-usd1

05-30-2025, 04:27 AM	#12
steel_breeze Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Feb 2012 Location:Los Angeles 4K collection:72 Blu-ray collection:256	Family Ties was NOT shot on film. Wish it had been. Videotape all the way.

05-30-2025, 04:00 PM	#13
8traxrule Power Member Member since:Jul 2009 Blu-ray collection:1	That list is so wrong, I don’t have time to list all of them.

05-30-2025, 09:22 PM	#14
deet Senior Member Member since:May 2011 Trading Score:7	LMAO at that list. Small Wonder would've been filmed on VHS by North Korean slave labor if the producers had thought of it first.

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