Show clock

A show clock is a large, shared timer that tells a live production where it is against the plan. Depending on the moment it shows time into the current segment, time remaining, a countdown to a hard out (a break, hand-off or the top of the hour), or the actual time of day.

Its value is that everyone reads the same clock — presenter, director and gallery — so the whole crew is on the same second rather than timing the show on separate watches. Tied to the running order, a show clock can follow the current item automatically and count down to each out, which is where back-timing comes in.