# Media and prepositions

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/media-and-prepositions/568558>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 22, 2011, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/media-and-prepositions/568558 "2011-01-22T13:18:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![heathen\_earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@heathen\_earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heathen_earthling)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/media-and-prepositions/568558/1 "2011-01-22T13:18:52Z")

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Why do we speak of something happening “in” a movie, but “on” a TV show?

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**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/media-and-prepositions/568558/2 "2011-01-22T13:21:28Z")

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> [@heathen\_earthling](#):
>
> Why do we speak of something happening “in” a movie, but “on” a TV show?

I frequently refer to things happening “in” a TV show, but I’m familiar with the “on” usage as well and have always figured it’s a something to do with how television shows are viewed _on_ a Television but movies are viewed _in_ a Cinema, at least traditionally.

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**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/media-and-prepositions/568558/3 "2011-01-22T13:43:44Z")

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The usgage of “in films” sounds like it carried over from the legit stage and Vaudeville.

Everyone was “in Vaudeville” and they are “in a play”

Of course an actor acts “on stage” so there is overlap there.

Another thing may be a TV is small enough so that “in” could mean physically “in” the TV.

But when someone is “in film” you know there’s no way something could be “in” the film itself.

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/media-and-prepositions/568558/4 "2011-01-22T16:06:56Z")

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Because that is how people decided to use the phrase. Things like that just happen in language, without any real reason other than “it sounds right.”

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**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/media-and-prepositions/568558/5 "2011-01-22T19:32:58Z")

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“What’s that on the television then?”  
“Looks like a penguin.”  
We talk about things happening in movies, in novels, in plays, in stories, in songs… so that seems to be the standard. But we talk about things happening on TV or on the radio. Why? I hadn’t really thought about it before, but I can offer a couple of WAGs:

It may be related to the fact that televisions and radios are things that you **turn on** in order to use. (“The TV’s on.” “What’s on?” “_The Simpsons_ is on.” “What’s happening on _The Simpsons_?”)

Or it may be related to “ **on the air** ” (i.e. being broadcast). (“_The Simpsons_ is on (the air).”)