Variety, the showbiz publication, has so much slang that it maintains its own dictionary.
One of the words they use constantly is skein, meaning a tv series.
http://www.variety.com/VR1117980756.html
They don’t say what the derivation of the word is. The guesses I saw online were unlikely. (Skein = ball of yarn = series of yarn threads.)
Any ideas about origins?
Why is the skein –> yarn origin unlikely? Assuming this site is accurate, “yarn” has meant “tale” or “story” for close to 200 years.
The site I saw gave no cites, no history of use, nothing at all to back up skein. Yarn may equal tale, but it doesn’t follow that skein is a series of tales, and even less so that the use is limited to specifically television shows. It may be right or it may be just a wild guess trying to connect the two. I’d like to find a cite that is more solid.
Knowing how Variety works, it may refer to yarn.
However, in baseball, “skein” is often used to mean “streak.” For instance (italics mine):
With the phrase established in baseball as early as 1945, you can see how Variety might transfer it to TV series, which, like a batting streak, goes on for a length of time.
As for the reason for the usage, “skein” is shorter than “streak” in headlines.
YOu don’t really mean that as the reason, do you?
[Old joke]“How old Gar Wood?” “Old Gar Wood fine. How you?” [/old joke]
Hey, everybody tells that joke about Cary Grant. That’s probably because we’ve heard of Cary Grant. Gar Wood might make nice parquet flooring or a keg for beer.
Now hows about stopping mit the jokes and doing some research. Research ve need. Oy do ve need research.
I first read/heard that joke in about 1959. Earlier than I can research a hit on Google Books. I’m not sure where the Cary Grant connection comes in? Seriously.
The problem with trying to research Variety and “skein” is that it’s such a common word and Variety isn’t searchable unless you pay, IIRC.
Variety has a glossary of the slang they use.
ETA: They don’t explain the origins of the slang often though.
(Missed the edit window). L ooks like TV series are “skeins” unless they are shown daily, in which case they are “strips”.
:: shrug ::
I don’t know. A skein of wool is the string that goes on and on . That seems to fit okay for a series.
Skein is also used for a line (or string) of flying birds such as geese. Seems like the sense of “string (of something)” is fairly general.
Sure. “Skein” is 1 character shorter than “Streak,” which does make a difference to headline writers. Any excuse to save a character is a good one.
Thinking more about it, I’d say that “skein” is sportswriting is probably a fancy way of saying “string” (for streak). “A string of victories” is also common baseball parlance, the idea of the victories being strung together like beads. This became “string.” A skein of yarn is a very long string, so some sportswriter probably made the change (colorful writing was an ideal for sportswriting pre-WWII) and it caught on.
Variety is known for using fanciful puns.
I found over a thousand hits.
IMDb.
Did it happen? It’s usually called a “legendary” story. But it’s always about Cary Grant.
::sigh::Youngsters::
Sorry to continue the hijack, but the earliest you list is a 1962 Time article. I can find it in newspaper stories in 1958/60/61 attributed as “How old Gar Wood”
I also believe Grant denied later that he ever originated the thing.
Legendary things normally aren’t true. As in “Cecil’s accuracy is legendary.” 
My point is that you asked where the Cary Grant connection comes in. For the last 40 years the joke has always been about Cary Grant. I find exactly one hit using Gar Wood’s name.
You’re correct.
Right again. Most of the people who remember the original? joke are dead or can’t use a computer. 