Note: the Library of Congress has begun issuing authority records for genre headings for film and television, but all of those on this list have not yet been issues. There are also more recent additions to the list, so it is now out of date. It will be left up for a while for historical reasons, but now the records for the 155 Genre headings in OCLC and/or Classification Web should be used as the source for genre headings. A current list is maintained at http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/units/cts/olac/capc/Genre-FormHeadingsList.doc, which has a link to the current SCM documentation.
| 3-D films | Samurai films |
| Actualities (Motion pictures) | Schulmädchen-Report films |
| Adventure films | Science fiction films |
| Adventure television programs | Science fiction television programs |
| Amateur films | Science films |
| Animal films | Science television programs |
| Animated films | Screwball comedy films |
| Animated television programs | Short films [less than 40 min.] |
| Anti-war films | Silent films |
| Anti-war television programs | Slasher films |
| Audience participation television programs | Snuff films |
| B films. | Soap operas |
| Baseball films | Social guidance films |
| Beach party films | Sound motion pictures |
| Bible films | Spaghetti Westerns |
| Biographical films | Sports films |
| Biographical television programs | Sports videos |
| Blaxploitation films | Spy films |
| Boxing films | Spy television programs |
| Caper films | Stock footage |
| Car-chase films | Street films |
| Children's films | Superhero films |
| Christmas films | Superhero television programs |
| Christmas television programs | Swashbuckler films |
| Cinéma vérité | Talk shows |
| City symphonies (Motion pictures) | Television comedies (collections only) |
| Clay animation films | Television commercial films |
| College life films | Television dance parties |
| Comedy films | Television mini-series |
| Comedy programs | Television musicals |
| Cop shows | Television pilot programs |
| Detective and mystery films | |
| Detective and mystery television programs | Television programs for people with visual disabilities |
| Disaster films | |
| Documentary films | Television programs for the hearing impaired |
| Documentary-style films | Television programs, Public service |
| Documentary television programs | Television serials |
| Educational films | Thrillers (Motion pictures, television, etc.) |
| Educational television programs | Travelogues (Motion pictures, television, etc.) |
| Epic films | Trick films |
| Erotic films | True crime television programs |
| Erotic videos | Unfinished animated films |
| Ethnographic films | Unfinished motion pictures |
| Ethnographic television programs | Vampire films |
| Experimental films | Variety shows (Television programs) |
| Experimental videos | Video art |
| Exploitation films | Video recordings for children |
| Fantasy films | Video recordings for the visually handicapped |
| Fantasy television programs | War films |
| Feature films | War television programs |
| Feminist motion pictures | Werewolf films |
| Film noir | Western films |
| Films by children | Western television programs |
| Films for the hearing impaired | Wildlife films |
| Films for people with visual disabilities | Wildlife television programs |
| Football films | Young adult films |
| Foreign films | Zombie films |
| Game shows | |
| Gangster films | Named Genres |
| Ghost television programs | |
| Haunted house films | Alien films |
| Haunted house television programs | Andy Hardy films |
| Heimatfilme | Angélique films |
| Historical films | Batman films |
| Historical television programs | Bowery Boys films |
| Hockey films | Charlie Chan films |
| Horror films | Carry On films |
| Horror television programs | Cisco Kid films |
| Hospital films | Doctor Mabuse films |
| Hospital television programs | Don Juan films |
| Industrial films | Dracula films |
| Instructional television programs | Frankenstein films |
| Jungle films | Godfather films |
| Jungle television programs | Godzilla films |
| Juvenile delinquency films | Hopalong Cassidy films |
| Live television programs | Indiana Jones films |
| Loop films | James Bond films |
| Lost films | Lone Ranger films |
| Lost television programs | Nightmare on Elm Street films |
| Low budget motion pictures | Niskavuori films |
| Low budget television programs | Our Gang films |
| Made-for-TV movies | Planet of the Apes films |
| Magazine format television programs | Scooby-Doo television programs |
| Martial arts films | Sherlock Holmes films |
| Motion picture remakes | Sherlock Holmes television programs |
| Motion picture sequels | Star Trek films |
| Motion picture serials | Star Trek television programs |
| Motorcycle films | Star Wars films |
| Mummy films | Superman films |
| Music videos | Tarzan films |
| Musical films | Three Stooges films |
| Nature films | Tom and Jerry films |
| Nature television programs | Torchy Blane films |
| Novelty films | Trapalhões films |
| New wave films | Zorro films |
| Newsreels | Zorro television programs |
| Outtakes | |
| Parody films | |
| Peplum films | |
| Police films | |
| Populist films | |
| Prison films | |
| Puppet films | |
| Puppet television programs | |
| Quiz shows | |
| Reality television programs | |
| Religious films | |
| Ride films | |
| Road films | |
| Rock films | |
| Romantic comedy film | |
| Rural comedies | |
| Rushes (Motion pictures) |
Note for Feature Films: Films about important historical subjects or events may be given subject headings of [Name]$vDrama, as may other important themes not covered in the Basic Genre List. Use sparingly. See also the list under Motion pictures in the LCSH.
Note for non-fictional films and television programs: Generally do not add genre headings except for the following cases:
- Programs where a topical heading would not be applicable (e.g. Television dance parties, Reality television programs, Variety television programs, etc.)
- Reinactments (e.g. True crime television programs)
- Fictitious documentaries (e.g. Documentary-style films)
- Films for which the intention is more artistic than informative (e.g. Experimental films, Experimental video, Video art)
Last modified: October 25, 2007