When it comes to TV drama series in this day and age, there seems to be two schools of thought. Some people believe that in order for a series to be great, each episode should be able to stand on its own. Others prefer to look at a series as a whole and gage their opinion based on the overall story arc. They might grade each episode later but their main opinion of the show is based on the entire show or in some cases, each season of the show. I am of the latter group. I watch my fair share of stand-alone series but the majority of the shows set to record every week in my TiVo are serial dramas.
While a stand-alone series lives episode to episode (eg. ‘House,’ ‘CSI,’ and ‘Bones’) with no central story arc driving the show forward, a serial drama (eg. ‘Lost,’ ‘Heroes’ and ‘Battlestar Galactica’) tells one big story over the course of a season or in some cases, over the course of the whole series. There might be some stand-alone episodes scattered throughout any given season of a serial drama but for the most part, each episode is a chapter in the story being told. This is not to say that there aren’t ongoing plots or character developments in stand-alone series but they do tend to move much slower in those types of shows, making it easier for new or casual viewers to watch an episode of the show without feeling left out.
Serial dramas don’t work that way. It takes a certain amount of commitment and loyalty on the viewers’ part in order to really appreciate a good serial drama. In return, the writers must deliver a quality story arc that will give the viewers a reason to commit to the show. As loyal viewers, we want a story that keeps us guessing, but at the same time, delivers satisfying resolutions and likable characters. While most serial dramas don’t manage to out-rate the stand-alone series on the Nielsen ratings chart each week, they do often have the biggest hype surrounding them and the most loyal fans supporting them.
The major flaw with these types of programs is that they usually don’t have many windows of opportunity for new viewers to get on board with the show. For example, when I first started watching ‘Battlestar Galactica,’ it was the beginning of the third season. My husband had been trying to get me to watch it for months and I finally gave in when Season 3 first started airing.
After a few episodes, I realized I had no idea what was going on. “Who are these people? Why are they being held prisoner? Who are the bad guys? Those people are robots? What?” The quality of the writing stood out despite the fact that I was virtually in the dark about almost everything. Basically, I knew I was watching a good show but if I wanted to really enjoy it, I was going to have to go back and watch it from the beginning, starting with the miniseries.
This is where TV-on-DVD becomes necessary. Without alternative ways for us to get caught up on serial dramas, it would be nearly impossible for new viewers to get into the show later on in the series. Downloading the missed episodes off of itunes or viewing them streaming from the networks’ websites has also become a popular way for people to catch up on shows like ‘Lost’ and ‘Battlestar Galactica.’ If a viewer isn’t willing to put the time and in many cases, money into watching the seasons they missed, it would be very difficult for them to really enjoy the show and chances are, they’ll eventually give up on it.
The networks have done clip-episodes that are meant to catch viewers up if they’ve missed one or more seasons. ‘Battlestar Galactica’ did “The Story So Far” which was a great recap of the miniseries and first two seasons… if you’d already seen the show and just needed to brush up on your ‘BSG’ history. These special clip episodes usually aren’t enough to really get someone caught up on a series. If they do serve one purpose though, it is to entice new viewers to want to rent, buy or download previous seasons.
Because serial dramas have a hard time building ratings after the first season has aired, it is crucial for them to keep the viewers they have. Once ratings start to slip for a serial drama, it seems like it’s impossible for them to rebuild. The writers might try switching the format of the show to try and draw in new viewers but that usually only serves to disappoint loyal fans who don’t want stand-alone episodes.
Networks often aren’t willing to give a new serial drama more than a few episodes to build up in the ratings. Oftentimes, if it’s not an instant hit, they yank it. This happened as recently as last week. Reports starting flying around that Fox was pulling its new series ‘Drive’ from the schedule after only four episodes. Many viewers, myself included, were disappointed to hear this news, to say the least. The show was really getting good and I would’ve loved to see how things were going to turn out.
Another potential flaw for any serial drama is that there is always a chance that the writers will go too far with a story arc or take it in the wrong direction. A good example of this would be ‘Alias.’ I was a huge ‘Alias’ fan but felt the story lost its way by the end of the second season. Mid-way through the second season, one of the main aspects of the story arc was resolved. Sydney and the CIA took down SD-6 and she was no longer a double agent. Her friends learned that she didn’t just work in a bank and that she was in fact, a CIA agent. Once these two issues were resolved, that element of the show was lost, leaving the writers to focus on the Rambaldi story arc. I felt the Rambaldi story got tedious and oftentimes, wasn’t able to suspend my disbelief enough to follow it. I wasn’t able to enjoy the show nearly as much as I did in the first two seasons. ‘Lost’ is another show (which, like ‘Alias,’ was created by J.J. Abrams) that seemed to lose its way a bit (at least from many viewers’ points of view) in its second season. I haven’t given up on ‘Lost’ just yet and do believe its getting back on track since the third season resumed this year but I do know many people who have dropped the show from their TV viewing schedule.
Getting involved in a serial drama takes a fair amount of commitment and there is the risk that the story will get derailed or that the show will get cancelled before the story arc is completed. Despite all of that, I still prefer serial dramas to the stand-alone series. A good serial drama is like reading a really great novel. Each chapter makes the story more enjoyable. In the end, it comes down to commitment. For the people who watch TV as a way to unwind and don’t really want to have to commit to a TV schedule, stand-alone dramas would most likely be their preference. I might catch the occasional episode of ‘House’ (which I do think is an excellent show) but the bulk of the shows I make a point to watch week after week are the ones that deliver a quality story arc with cliffhanger endings and great character development. And that, my friends, is why I prefer serial dramas, despite some of their flaws.
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’Desperate Housewives’ (ABC) 9:00 pm
Gossip (New!)– Susan has to decide between Mike and Ian. Gaby has an engagement party to celebrate her impulsive decision to marry the politician guy.
’Enoutrage’ (HBO) 10:00 pm
Gotcha! (New!)– Drama is the target of fellow B-list celeb-pal, Pauly Shore’s celebrity prank show. Will Eric find out about Vince and Amanda?
’24’ (Fox) 9:00 pm
1:00 am – 2:00 am- (New!) –Anyone still watching? CTU thinks there might be a leak either in their own organization or at the White House.
’Heroes’ (NBC) 9:00 pm
String Theory - (New!) – Hiro takes a closer look at what the world will be like five years in the future. Things aren’t going so well.
’American Idol’ (Fox) 8:00 pm
(New!) – Bon Jovi coaches the final six contestants.
’Veronica Mars’ (CW) 9:00 pm
Un-American Graffiti (New!) – ‘Mars’ is back in the first of a handful of stand-alone episodes that will finish off what could be the last season of the series (no!!). Keith investigates under-aged drinking at some local bars. Logan invites Veronica to a birthday party for Parker. What a tool.
’American Idol’ (FOX) 9:00 pm
(New!) – Since no one was eliminated last week, the votes from last week’s performances will be added to the votes from this weeks and two Idols will be eliminated this week.
”Lost” (ABC) 10:00 pm
The Brig (New!) – Locke “escapes” from Camp Others and tries to convince Sawyer to kill someone.
’Ugly Betty’ (ABC) 8:00 pm
Secretaries Day (New!) – Daniel thinks Betty might be right about his sex-addiction issue. Betty’s got her hands full trying to plan a big fashion event and keep her dad from being deported.
’The Office’ (NBC) 8:36 pm
Women’s Appreciation (New!) – A flasher shows his stuff to Phyllis. While Dwight and Andy team up to catch the pervert, Michael takes the woman of Dunder Mifflin Scranton on a Women’s Appreciation trip.
’Grey’s Anatomy’ (ABC) 9:00 pm
The Other Side Of This Life (The Big 2-hour episode!) –Addison takes some personal time and heads to Santa Monica to visit some old friends. While she considers leaving Seattle Grace, Cristina gets more involved with her wedding plans. Ava needs emergency surgery and Meredith bonds with her stepmother.
Painkiller Jane (Scifi) 10:00 pm
Catch Me If You Can (New!) – A psychic tells Jane that people from her team will die when they try to come arrest him.
The Breakup (HBO) 8:00 pm
Jennifer Anniston and Vince Vaughn star in this movie about a couple who break up but continue sharing their condo.
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