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For Sale Mar 30, 2026 at 1:08 PM

Were TV series from 90s and 2000s shot in film or digital?

Posted by Hot-Load7525

Which format did they use it for film the TV shows also?
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longjumpingtote Mar 30, 2026 +14
It depends. It's analog video, film, or digital video. Many BBC scripted productions during that time were analog video. Most US scripted *drama* productions were shot on film bypassing analog video until digital video came about. Honestly I can't think of a single US scripted one-hour prime-time drama shot on SD analog video. Daytime soap operas were shot on video though. Many US sitcoms were shot on analog video until they transitioned to digital video, but some were shot on film (like Seinfeld). The Bernie Mac Show in 2001 wasn't the first to use digital video, but it was the most significant jump forward. Keep in mind that analog video is SD, digital video can be SD, 720p, HD, 2K, 4K, 6K, etc. (which, yes, are HD too). I don't think there was analog 720p. I could go on, but it's a mix and depends on year, content type, budget, and region.
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SharkFart86 Mar 30, 2026 +5
Friends also shot on film. That’s why it was so easy for them to release HD versions of the show. Other shows that shot on video either haven’t been updated to HD, or were done so by upscaling.
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longjumpingtote Mar 30, 2026 +6
You had to shoot on film and also for 16:9 with 4:3 protection. TNG shot on film, but didn't compose for 16:9, so (aside from the VFX issues) their HD remasters were 4:3. The first show I remember that was doing 16:9 was Lois & Clark back in 1993. Video can't really be updated to HD, it's all upscaling. Another factor is if the show was mastered on video or on film. Shows that kept a film workflow were easier. First show to be shot on film but edited on video was probably Newhart in 1982. The *last* show to be shot on film and edited on film was Murder, She Wrote which ended in 1996. I remember when editing on video was this wild crazy thing that seemed impossible. Now, editing television shows on film seems nuts.
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BattleHall Mar 30, 2026 +1
> Honestly I can't think of a single US scripted one-hour prime-time drama shot on SD analog video. One thing to note is that around the time of the transition, for effects heavy shows (usually sci-fi/fantasy), they were usually shot on actual film (so very high definition), but post-production and FX were done to SD video for final. This has been an issue with remastering shows like Star Trek: Deep Space 9, since it basically would involve recreating and reintegrating all of the special effects shots, though recently there are some AI upscaling approaches that are pretty impressive.
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sirhecsivart Mar 30, 2026 -3
ER shot on video for the first few seasons.
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ShutterBun Mar 30, 2026 +2
Uh…what? [This is clearly film](https://youtu.be/1Dk8EW8EacE?si=Dr057n9liSMGZq3n)
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sirhecsivart Mar 31, 2026 +1
I am mistaken. On Pop, the first few seasons of ER looked like pan and scanned video.
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MagicBoyUK Mar 30, 2026 +2
No.
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otcconan Mar 30, 2026 +5
If you watch NCIS from the beginning, the first three seasons were analog. The change to digital is stark.
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ShutterBun Mar 30, 2026 +3
It’s more accurate (and clearer) to say they were shot on film, as opposed to video. Simply saying “analog” could mean they were shot on analog video, which is not the case.
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otcconan Mar 31, 2026 +1
You are correct.
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MagicBoyUK Mar 30, 2026 +2
It depends. Shows with effects and big budget productions were often shot on film. Most swapped to digital when they went widescreen.
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I_Do_Not_Abbreviate Mar 31, 2026 +2
It was a time of transition from film to digital. 1990-2009 encompasses so much: from the finale of *Charles in Charge* to the premiere of *Modern Family* From the finale of *Alf* to the premiere of *Stargate Universe* From Ken Burns' *The Civil War* to the premiere of *Jersey Shore*
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_PM_ME_PANGOLINS_ Mar 30, 2026 +1
Neither, mostly. They were shot on video tape, an analogue format.
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KTOWNTHROWAWAY9001 Mar 30, 2026 +1
Sons of Anarchy - Digital
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hart37 Mar 31, 2026 +1
For Stargate it was both. The first two seasons of Stargate SG-1 were shot on 16mm film. Seasons three to seven were then shot on 35mm film and the final three seasons were digital. Atlantis started the same time SG-1 switched over and was also digital. Universe coming later also was digital
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