As it happens, I just saw a regency (1795 to 1837) play bill, discussed on an English TV program. It wasn’t a repeating bill, but it was continuous, with the major dramatic play on at “peak viewing time”, plus a “B movie” equivalent, filled out with some shorts and some musical numbers, giving something like a 5 hour program. Wander in, settle down for a night in front of the … stage … go on home when you get sleepy.
They probably ran ad’s between some of the items …