A broadcast program recording overrun and underrun scheduling system provides a system for adjusting the start and end times of a broadcast program's recording schedule that has a predetermined start and end broadcast time. An on screen program guide is displayed to the viewer via a monitor or television and lists the predetermined scheduled broadcast times and channels of a plurality of broadcast programs. The viewer selects a particular broadcast program to record from the program guide using a remote input device. The invention schedules the broadcast program to be recorded by inserting the program's information such as program identifier, start and end times, and storage duration into a recording schedule database. The invention allows the viewer to adjust the scheduled start and/or end recording times for a broadcast program by specifying the time increment to add or subtract from the start and/or end recording times of a specific program or series of programs. The invention adjusts the recording schedule to the viewer's modifications. Broadcast programs are recorded onto a persistent storage device when the recording schedule indicates that it is time to do so. The viewer is allowed to adjust the end recording time of a program while the program is being recorded. The viewer can randomly access the recorded programs on the persistent storage device for play back.