Burning off (television)

Burning off is a term usually connected with television programming. It refers to shows or series that have been produced and paid for, but have not aired for various reasons and will not be continued in the future. "Burning off" this programming allows networks to fill air time (usually in the summer) while still getting some sort of return on their investment.

Until the 1990s, this often meant the airing of pilots for shows that were not going to be picked up, such as "The Art of Being Nick", "Seinfeld" and "Barney Miller". In the latter 2 cases, the pilot proved popular enough that a series was eventually commissioned.

Since the late 1990s, networks have often burned off episodes of long-running shows that are no longer hits and have been taken off the schedule (a recent example being "The Drew Carey Show"). Instead of airing the episodes during the regular season, they are held back and presented in summer to fulfill the network's obligation to air them, and to produce a return on their investment.