The Rise of Serial Television

Gone are the days of purely episodic television. Now serial TV shows with intricate, interweaving storylines dominate the airwaves. Well, not quite, but we're getting there.

Television of the past was meant to appeal to the masses. People would casually turn on the tube and watch whatever was on, and then turn it off when they got bored. It was more background entertainment than a legitimate storytelling medium like a movie or novel. In the past decade, however, shows have been created to appeal to a specific, more dedicated audience.

The most extreme example of this is HBO's serial shows, the most popular being The Sopranos. Instead of creating shows that one can just jump right into, HBO shows generally require the viewer to start from the beginning, and if you miss an episode you better find a way to watch it quickly.

Network TV has also recently jumped on this bandwagon, the most recognizable example being Lost on ABC. Other favorites are Prison Break and Heroes. All of these shows have had high ratings, proving the popularity of the serial format.

There are many advantages to telling a story through a TV show as opposed to a movie, most of them revolving around the length. Writers have as much time as they need to develop a character, and have the chance to make their story truly "epic." They can also utilize the season finale to increase viewers' anticipation for next season's opener.

There are, of course, disadvantages, such as budget. Since the creators need to spread their money out over many episodes, they cannot afford to spend nearly as much on an hour and a half of TV as an hour and a half summer blockbuster. They also need more incentive to get people to watch their show. With a movie, once someone starts watching, they (usually) stay for the whole thing. With a TV show, they can easily just flip the channel if it's not catching their interest.

This has also made waves in the DVD market. Many prefer to watch a whole season uninterrupted on DVD rather than try to catch each episode as it airs. This means that while a show may fail on live TV, it can thrive on DVD. Unfortunately, this often means that a show is cut short, leaving viewers wanting more.

There's no denying that television is changing. It has transformed from entertainment to an actual art form. If things keep progressing at this rate, we will probably see some fantastic things in the next decade.