science

Omnibus (broadcast)

Omnibus (broadcast) is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Omnibus (broadcast) rather than just read about it. In short: An omnibus (or omnibus edition) is a compilation of several television or radio episodes into a single instalment. An omnibus is similar to, but distinct from, what is called a marathon in other countries; In an omnibus, individual episodes are edited together (with the first episode having its closing credits removed, the final episode having the opening credits removed, and each episode in between lacking any cred…

Key takeaways

Omnibus (broadcast) belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Omnibus (broadcast) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Omnibus (broadcast) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

An omnibus (or omnibus edition) is a compilation of several television or radio episodes into a single instalment. An omnibus is similar to, but distinct from, what is called a marathon in other countries; In an omnibus, individual episodes are edited together (with the first episode having its closing credits removed, the final episode having the opening credits removed, and each episode in between lacking any credits whatsoever) into a single programme, whereas in a marathon the episodes are aired separately but in sequence. The term has been most frequently used in the United Kingdom, though it has also been used in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Brookside was the first television soap to have what was called an omnibus edition, in 1982; it continued until the series stopped showing the weekly prime time episodes in 2002 and the series moved to what was the omnibus slot to become extended episodes before ending a year later. EastEnders introduced the equivalent of an omnibus edition starting in 1985, but the term "omnibus" was not used until the 1990s.

United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, many soap operas have been regularly repeated in omnibus format; For example, both EastEnders and Hollyoaks air on weekends in an omnibus edition that compiles episodes previously aired during the week. Serials such as The Sarah Jane Adventures and Dead Set have been presented as complete storylines in this format. Omnibus formatting has also been used on home video; for example, the first home video releases of Doctor Who from BBC Studios Distribution re-formatted each serial into a "feature-length adventure". Programmes that are or have been transmitted in omnibus format in the UK include: Television:

Radio:

Internet:

EastEnders: E20 (January 2010 on BBC Red Button and BBC iPlayer; April 2010 – October 2011 on BBC Three)

Other countries The Bill (from 1987 to 1999 on ABC Television (Australia) Coronation Street on CBC Television (Canada) Shortland Street on TV2 (New Zealand) Isidingo on SABC 3 (South Africa) Generations on SABC 1 (South Africa) 7de Laan on SABC 2 (South Africa)

United States SoapNet in the United States also utilized the omnibus format for weekend re-airings of their major soap operas until its December 2013 demise; however, the term used in that case is as a marathon (the more common term for omnibus used by North American broadcasters) as all five weekday programmes aired by a soap per week were aired consecutively without editing them together. As all four current American soaps also carry their episodes either via Hulu or through network websites, omnibuses and marathons are no longer maintained for the format on any cable or broadcast network. In the 2006–07 television season, the new network MyNetworkTV launched with four telenovelas, formatted with five episodes airing each weekday (two in the fall, two in the winter), then a 'highlights', or 'recap' omnibus episode on Saturday evenings. However, the entire debut format flopped, and by the time the network started its third cycle of telenovelas, they were reduced to weekly episodes, negating the need for an omnibus episode altogether.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Omnibus (broadcast)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Omnibus (broadcast) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Omnibus (broadcast) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Omnibus (broadcast) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Omnibus (broadcast)

In research: Omnibus (broadcast) appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Omnibus (broadcast) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Omnibus (broadcast) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Television programming blocks, Television terminology, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Omnibus (broadcast) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Omnibus (broadcast) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Omnibus (broadcast) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Omnibus (broadcast) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Omnibus (broadcast) in simple terms?

Why does Omnibus (broadcast) matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Omnibus (broadcast)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Omnibus (broadcast).