Is there a difference? And if there isnt, which do you prefer to use when referring to an episodic tv show?

I have a feeling there isnt any difference, but I guess itd make sense if there was. I mean, it seems some shows run for 6 episodes, when others, like Fringe and 24, run for 20+. Itd make sense to call the shorter ones Series, and the long ones seasons?

Is there a difference? And if there isnt, which do you prefer to use when referring to an episodic tv show?

I have a feeling there isnt any difference, but I guess itd make sense if there was. I mean, it seems some shows run for 6 episodes, when others, like Fringe and 24, run for 20+. Itd make sense to call the shorter ones Series, and the long ones seasons?

Your right, and Mini-Series to fit in there too but Americans just seem to call anything Season most of the time.

As far as I understand it, and ill use 24 as an example here

24 is a series, and 24 day 1 is a season

Is not just an American thing?

The American TV stations have seasons for everthing, like "pilot season" those one of shows that hope to get picked up as series/seasons.

"The New series of 24 is starting next week" is just the same as "the new season of 24 is starting next" is it not?

As long as I can remember its always been series, until the big shows from the US (24, Heroes, Lost etc) came along and started calling them seasons.

Wiki has some answers:

A television series that is intended to be broadcast a finite number of episodes is usually called a miniseries or serial (although the latter term also has other meanings). North Americans call a short run lasting less than a year a season; People of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland call this a series. This season or series usually consists of 6–26 installments in the USA, but in the UK there is no defined length. U.S. industry practice tends to favor longer seasons than those of some other countries.

A single instance of a program is called an episode, although particularly in the USA this is sometimes also called a "show" or "program", and in the UK/Éire a "programme". A one-off broadcast may, again particularly in the USA and USA-influenced countries, be called a "special", or particularly in the UK a "special episode". A television movie or in the UK a television film ("made-for-TV" movie) is a film that is initially broadcast on television rather than being released in cinemas or direct-to-video, although many successful television movies are later released on DVD.

It seems Sam was correct and its mostly an Anglo/American difference.

Having gotten all these replies, the one that makes the most sense, regardless if it is correct or not, is that a season would be a "plot series" whilst a series is the actual thing, such as the 24 analogy. 24 is the series, and Day 7 is the season etc.

Having gotten all these replies, the one that makes the most sense, regardless if it is correct or not, is that a season would be a "plot series" whilst a series is the actual thing, such as the 24 analogy. 24 is the series, and Day 7 is the season etc.

Id just say that series is a UK expression and season is a US expression since they are used interchangeably. Theres no great mystery about their meanings.