Each season was distinct from the others in that the overall structure of the show changed between them, and the cast of characters on the show's primary set (the "studio") decreased with each season as it focused more on content purportedly generated outside of the studio (e.g. "alien television programs"). In the third season, only "Cowboy Slim" is left, and in the final season, even he has left the studio — leaving in his place an "Automatic Telepathic Interface" that supposedly "reads the minds of the viewers" to choose what to show next — using an almost reductio ad absurdum minimalism as a means of deconstructing the television program as a medium of popular culture. The stylistic device of television programs within television programs was used to stave off heavy repetition and overt formulaism by allowing the producers the freedom to insert near-random material into the individual shows. Heavy reliance was made throughout the production on short segments of other "shows" and "commercials" — all written, directed, and produced by the "Cowboy Who?" team, and featuring the primary set of performers, as well as performers brought in specifically to do the segments. Season one has a strong plotline that runs throughout the shows, and season two has three sub-plots that each run for most of the shows. Seasons three and four dispense with overarching plots, and use a premise to provide an almost variety show format — where season three has a host ("Cowboy Slim"), and season four features an "Automatic Telepathic Interface" that purportedly "allows the viewers to choose from a list of available programs by their thoughts".