In the United States, the Golden Age of Television (also known as Peak TV or Prestige TV) is a period widely regarded for its high number of “high quality”, internationally acclaimed television programs. Named in reference to the original Golden Age of Television of the 1950s,the period has also been referred to as the “New“, “Second“, or “Third Golden Age of Television“
The various names reflect disagreement over whether shows of the 1980s and early-mid 1990s belong to a since-concluded golden era or to the current one.The contemporary period is generally identified as beginning in 1999 with The Sopranos,with debate as to whether the age ended (or “peaked”) in the mid-late 2010s or early 2020s (to the point of calling its replacement
“Trough TV”),or remains ongoing. Multichannel linear television, such as cable and digital satellite, reached its peak in 2014 and has declined in viewers, reach and new content rapidly since then;overall new series creation peaked in the early 2020s,
following a several years-long competitive period known as the streaming wars, cresting shortly before the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes.
It is believed to have resulted from advances in media distribution technology,digital TV technology (including HDTV, online video platforms, TV streaming, video-on-demand, and web TV) and a large increase in the number of hours of available television, which has prompted a major wave of content creation.
