392:, both websites acquired through NBCUniversal and its subsidiaries. NBCUniversal had tried to shop the site around, and find ways to monetize its content better, but could not find a way to make the site viable in that then-current environment. Initially, the site's archives were to have been stored electronically and not available to the public, but by demand, NBCUniversal affirmed it would make the recaps and archives of the forums available after the site's closure. The archives were eventually hosted under the
320:, and Bunting said that this had caught their attention because "insidious, sexist, lazy writing had us apoplectic, not least because we're supposed to identify with a character who, on his best day, is an obnoxious, self-absorbed twit." Their activities included writing recaps of each episode intermixed with their criticism, establishing the use of sarcastic criticism or "snark" within these recaps. Though they did not believe they had a direct impact on
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and others preferring the more humorous ones, which can be equally (or more) enjoyable to those who also watched the episode. Beginning in 2007, TWoP introduced "weecaps" – initially presented as single-page television series reviews written in real time. The abbreviated recap style – first used for coverage of
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and reality TV shows along with discussion forums. These recaps were written with sarcastic criticism and opinion alongside a retelling of an episode's events, which the site referred to as "snark". Their official motto is "Spare the snark, spoil the networks," a takeoff on "spare the rod, spoil the
434:
Recaps differ in styles: some of the recappers write shorter, more concise recaps while others write more comically, inserting references to their personal life. Naturally, each style attracts different readers, with some preferring to use the site as information for episodes that they have missed,
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During its height and after its closure, TWoP was a jumping-off point for writers about television and popular culture. The sites' founders started a new website, Previously.tv, that provided a similar style of recapping and forums, as well as writing for various media outlets. Jessica Morgan and
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is credited with popularizing the format of television episode recaps intermixed with running commentary. The site was also known to be used by television show producers, directors, and writers to gain more immediate feedback for their works and take in the constructive criticism for their future
537:
The forum for each active show includes threads for each episode of a show, a speculation thread, spoiler information, media references to the show, character/contestant-specific threads, and a general "meet market" for forum users. The forums are heavily moderated by staff to avoid significant
485:
edition was brought back for coverage. Shows placed into permanent hiatus will generally have their forum threads readable but locked, and given a single dedicated thread in the appropriate miscellaneous forum categories; the recaps remain available on the site, though in the "Permanent hiatus"
419:
site was updated with a teaser image with
Tubeelzebub and the text "Something wicked this way comes... returning in 2017". However, the relaunch plans were scrapped by Tribune Media April 2017, alongside other cost-cutting measures, including layoffs and shuttering of new editorial content at
361:
was expected to run independently under this acquisition, with
Bunting and Ariano remaining in full editorial control of the site. Bravo had anticipated using the site's two million unique visitors at the time to enhance revenues from online advertising, recognizing that most visitors to
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At times, the site may offer a charity auction for "Tubey's Kids", whereby the person with the largest donation can request a recap of a specific episode or show (no longer than one hour) by any specific recapper. The results of these recaps are posted as "Mondo Extras" on the site.
287:, who had announced plans in 2016 for a relaunch, but this was scrapped among other cost-cutting measures at Tribune in April 2017. The site's recap and forum archives remained available at the BrilliantButCancelled website until the archives went down in late 2021.
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during the spring – was later employed for a larger slate of summer replacement series, with eventual reconfiguring into multi-page entries. Shows with weecaps also gain dedicated forums with topic areas as with regularly recapped shows. The
American version of
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in April 2016, Tribune Media said they were in plans to relaunch the brand and were "working with some of the industry's favorite talent, influencers and strategic partners on a relaunch". The
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recapped several reality TV shows at TWoP as he was transitioning from movie screenwriting to television, and since has become a producer for several television shows, including
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also returned to the active list in April 2007, with its recapping format switched to a shorter, real-time commentary; and while the site decided after the sixth edition of
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was expunged before even one recap, due to incredibly low viewer response in the forums. The shows covered are almost exclusively
American, with the exceptions of
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coverage was put into permanent hiatus after the 2nd season; Glark commented on the action of moving the show to permanent hiatus that "If you want to know what
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website, which operated without issues until June 2021, when the archives vanished entirely from the
Internet and have not (as of October 2022) returned.
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grew from this type of approach, and social media is used heavily by television networks and fans alike to discuss shows as they occur in real time.
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was known to have established the use of recapping with commentary as a viable genre of criticism alongside a social space as to talk about shows.
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itself, they felt that by the end of the show's run, they had seen a change in the show's writing that seemed to take the show's critics to heart.
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Some television actors, directors, writers, and producers have been known to visit the website. The site's founders refer to a point in 2000 when
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posted in the forums, at one point upset over the snark in one of the show's recaps. His experience is believed to have inspired the episode "
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in 2007, which continued to operate it until it was shuttered in April 2014. Sometime after this point, the site and branding was acquired by
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fansite and is vehemently attacked by members of the forum for his beliefs and his violation of the forum rules. However, most others saw
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threaded forum was retained though moved into the Sci-Fi show category, and remains fully active with moderation. The 2005 remake of
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holds the record for the shortest run on TWoP, having been put on
Permanent Hiatus after only one recap, although the 2005 series
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and editor of NPR's pop culture and entertainment blog (formerly known as Monkey See), got her writing start with recaps of
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For the past several years, posters at the site have organized "TARCon" in New York City which is a viewing party for the
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format was popular, and by 1999, they expanded to include other shows with a similar approach, rebranding the site as
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returned to coverage in June 2006 when its All-Stars season began for the first time since its third season;
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and Tara Ariano, with technical support from David Cole, as an online forum driven by discussion of the show
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Shows canceled by the network (or deemed to be unpopular with the readers of TWoP) are considered to be in
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A year after Bravo's acquisition, founders
Bunting, Ariano, and Cole all announced they were departing
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on April 4, with the forums remaining open until May 31; this closure was announced alongside that of
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959:"Tribune Layoffs: Screener TV to Shut Down, Television Without Pity Relaunch Scrapped (Exclusive)"
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but full recaps returned with that edition's 7th episode and have remained in place since then.
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1062:"From Game of Thrones to The Bachelor, How Sports Fandom Changed the Way We Watch TV"
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In 2006, Ariano and
Bunting published a Television Without Pity spinoff book, called
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872:"Television Without Pity's demise forces a generation to face the snark reality"
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24:
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Television
Without Pity: 752 Things We Love To Hate (and Hate To Love) About TV
258:– "Tubey" for short), a devilish television set with horns and a pointed tail.
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516:
382:
251:
520:, which is a British import to US television, and the original UK version of
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241:) was a website that provided detailed recaps of select television dramas,
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Online collection of television series recaps and related discussion forums
1140:"How the Creator of You're the Worst Went From Recapping TV to Making It"
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316:. Their commentary specifically focused on the show's central character
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off-topic discussion, unprotected spoiler information, and flame wars.
1117:"10 Absolutely True Stories About Writing For Television Without Pity"
841:"NBCUniversal Shuts Down DailyCandy, Television Without Pity Websites"
812:
931:"Television Without Pity has new owners and a relaunch in the works"
526:, which was a British import to Canadian television. Both shows are
335:. Around 2002, the site continued to expand and rebranded itself as
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NBCUniversal announced on March 27, 2014, that it would close down
757:"'Television without pity' laughs at conventions of small screen"
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18:
1090:"Bartlet4America News Archive: Revolt With a Remote"
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49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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582:White House Deputy Chief of Staff Joshua Lyman's
401:At some point following the site's closure, the
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808:"And This Is Why Corporations Don't Buy Blogs"
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349:In March 2007 the site was purchased by the
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1205:2017 disestablishments in the United States
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615:to judge how to approach and market shows.
591:s recaps and forums to be useful feedback.
1195:Internet properties disestablished in 2017
450:used weecap coverage for the start of its
141:s logo, including its mascot "Tubeelzebub"
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1092:. B4a.healthyinterest.net. Archived from
275:name by 2002. The site was bought by the
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
1200:1998 establishments in the United States
246:child" and its mascot is Tubeelzebub (a
1190:Internet properties established in 1998
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1034:"The End of 'Television Without Pity'"
405:branding and website were acquired by
1138:Weber, Lindsay (September 18, 2014).
727:Stella, Marshall (October 20, 2002).
7:
494:is, ask a Doctor Who fan". The full
486:section. There are some exceptions;
386:, and a few months after closure of
47:adding citations to reliable sources
1060:Bukowski, Peter (August 17, 2017).
437:The Real World/Road Rules Challenge
929:Chavez, Danette (April 13, 2016).
14:
1032:Lapidos, Juliet (April 4, 2014).
870:Mulaney, Andrea (April 3, 2014).
839:Spangler, Todd (March 27, 2014).
777:Adalian, Josef (March 13, 2007).
580:", in which a character posts on
1115:Holmes, Linda (March 31, 2014).
779:"Bravo nabs popular TV Web site"
755:McManis, Sam (24 October 2006).
641:, met while recapping for TWoP.
603:in developing their shows. Both
23:
1220:American entertainment websites
898:Swisher, Kara (April 1, 2014).
470:Real World/Road Rules Challenge
302:The site began in late 1998 by
267:, the site changed its name to
34:needs additional citations for
759:. Scripps News. Archived from
637:Heather Cocks, co-founders of
1:
1215:2016 mergers and acquisitions
1210:2007 mergers and acquisitions
957:Hod, Itay (April 12, 2017).
599:have spoken to the value of
190:David T. Cole, Tara Ariano,
212:; 26 years ago
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1088:MorganG (April 27, 2002).
164:; 7 years ago
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58:"Television Without Pity"
729:"The Remote Controllers"
357:for an undisclosed sum.
985:"Doctor Who sent to PH"
666:Orange is the New Black
613:Television Without Pity
601:Television Without Pity
586:Television Without Pity
553:predated the growth of
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547:Television Without Pity
507:Sex, Love & Secrets
417:Television Without Pity
403:Television Without Pity
395:Brilliant But Cancelled
378:Television Without Pity
371:Television Without Pity
364:Television Without Pity
359:Television Without Pity
337:Television Without Pity
291:Television Without Pity
273:Television Without Pity
235:Television Without Pity
136:Television Without Pity
124:Television Without Pity
983:Glark (July 4, 2007).
651:Pop Culture Happy Hour
578:The U.S. Poet Laureate
441:Dancing with the Stars
430:Show recaps and forums
194:, various contributors
1096:on September 27, 2011
991:on September 29, 2007
611:executives have used
763:on 25 February 2012.
482:Celebrity Apprentice
479:to stop recaps, the
409:. In a statement to
43:improve this article
1235:Nexstar Media Group
1225:Television websites
237:(often abbreviated
225:Current status
181:Nexstar Media Group
125:
1039:The New York Times
734:The New York Times
243:situation comedies
1021:on June 14, 2007.
820:on March 10, 2008
806:(March 7, 2008).
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1151:November 28,
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883:November 28,
881:. Retrieved
877:The Guardian
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852:November 27,
850:. Retrieved
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818:the original
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804:Denton, Nick
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788:November 29,
786:. Retrieved
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761:the original
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740:November 27,
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1123:January 22,
492:Bit Torrent
464:Big Brother
329:DawsonsWrap
314:DawsonsWrap
248:portmanteau
1184:Categories
701:References
677:showrunner
593:John Wells
517:Doctor Who
496:Doctor Who
488:Doctor Who
383:DailyCandy
199:Commercial
69:newspapers
1119:. NPR.org
256:Beelzebub
158:Dissolved
824:June 28,
689:See also
649:podcast
572:creator
447:Survivor
423:Screener
389:iVillage
353:unit of
207:Launched
1172:at the
1170:Archive
1145:Vulture
963:TheWrap
905:Re/code
846:Variety
783:Variety
695:BuddyTV
298:History
294:works.
279:within
228:Defunct
215: (
169:2017-04
167: (
83:scholar
1176:(2014)
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76:books
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1102:2011
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1015:TWoP
997:2007
970:2017
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885:2017
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826:2024
790:2011
742:2017
669:and
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327:The
254:and
252:tube
239:TWoP
217:1998
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62:news
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647:NPR
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