How Is Technology Changing TV Narrative? | Idea Channel | PBS Digital Studios

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Watching our favorite TV shows is one of the most fundamental ways we entertain ourselves. And for most of TV history, these stories were simple and episodic: you could watch one episode when it aired, and it was a self-contained story. But now that we have the ability to find the whole back- catalogue of a show online, is it changing the way TV show are CREATED? Not only can people catch up without waiting for a DVD release, but entire seasons are released and consumed in a single weekend (thanks Netflix!) How might that be changing the types of stories we're being told? Watch the episode and find out!
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[@DavidMaldonadoA]

I find it is so appropriate that after a week of binging on Idea Channel (from the very first to todays, in order), I get caught up in time to comment on the changing TV narrative (e.g. the ability to binge on series). It is definitely happening and I for one welcome it. The ability to watch shows on my time has actually increased my productivity, allowing me to budget my time for work, play, vegging out, and "other".

[@natezabinski5615]

Idea Channel episodes are hit and miss, but this is definitely a hit. Your point was clearly defined, it wasn't a hint of uncertainty in your voice and you knew exactly what you were talking about.

[@PhilosophyTube]

I dunno if interconnected narratives are more of a thing in ALL television since time-shifting technology came in, maybe just the big Western shows. Lots of anime has big interconnected narratives: Dragonball Z was 1989 and that has story arcs that take years to get through. I remember watching Tenchi Muyo Ryo-Ohki, that came out in 1992, and if you missed ten minutes of that you were screwed for the rest of the series. Also, the episodic formula might actually be more to do with how TV shows are made: in the US a series of 20 or so episodes might get commissioned whereas here in the UK a standard series is only 6 episodes. So big American-made shows can afford to flex their story muscles a little more while British TV has less time to squeeze that sort of stuff in and ends up going for the safer bet of more standalone episodes.

[@ZontarDow]

I'd have to disagree with you on Dragonball Z. Though there was overarching plots which took years to finish, it was a show you could be dropped into the middle of with no information and still understand what is happening.

[@nowiecoche]

dave19941000 Yeah, Dragon Ball Z (DBZ) was like that. Maybe the stories are much simpler in DBZ than lots of the US TV shows that are serialized.

[@MirageMiM]

Mike, you should consider pronouncing Gif in every way possible to please/annoy everyone in an egalitarian manner >:)

[@pbsideachannel]

Next week maybe I will pronounce it /ˈbīsikəl/, then?

[@fabulermo3428]

PBS Idea Channel Please do!

[@Adamantium9001]

I was 100% with you until 5:09. Art has never been about explaining the world; that's science's job. Art is for deriving meaning from it. Science answers "what?" and "how?"; art answers "so what?"

[@JamesR624]

Exactly. This lecture on TV and storytelling, quickly turned into rambling about how art is so much better than science because of the good feelings it gives, while throwing in some HORRIBLY cherry-picked examples of how "bad science is".

[@heirofmind5508]

This channel allows us to go back and observe its OWN narrative. Just one example: when Mike jokingly addressed all the people who question his "jyfe" pronunciation, those who are invested in the channel can remember how the inside joke actually started.

[@MagusMarquillin]

What wonderful Irony that KZbin ate up a featured comment about how valueless keeping records of our presence really is! But so long as this video survives in some form, that idea and Johan's name will remain for the/a record.

[@k3lit0]

I am so glad 'serialized' shows are a thing these days. It's one of the main reasons I always liked anime, because there was a beginning/middle/end. American tv shows rarely did that until the last 5-10 years, and even though the longer-episode shows we started seeing in the last decade had season arcs the shows still never ended and had 'episodic' stories. You could watch any episode of House without seeing the rest and still get it, for example.

[@Corranhorn122]

lol I was going to say this but then figured someone else would say it for me. Thanks. :p

[@z-beeblebrox]

While not an anime fan, I am also extremely grateful for the rise of serialized shows. This was something I dreamed of happening when I was younger, and fed up with how repetitive TV programming was.

[@NadaCero]

I've definitely noticed in the past five years that many shows have been written with binge-watching in mind. This method has proven to be very successful because it is able to draw many more viewers into an hour long show every week since they can emotionally connect with the characters on screen. Even sitcoms like HIMYM require the viewer to be familiar with the premise of the show and the character's experiences. Let's be honest here, no one aside from a few geeks is going to obsessively tune in to CSI or 2 Broke Girls every single week. Shows like that are what people watch when they don't know what to watch.

[@Franticalmagic]

I'm loving all the "Portlandia" that keeps appearing in the show!

[@StrangePowers123]

I think the question "Who wants a plastic disc?" is way more interesting than you make it out to be! :) Cause I do want that,even though I keep my dvd's (and books for that matter) in an attic, so it can't be just so I can show off.

[@dawnworthy6358]

i want the plastic disc and books as well... and the reason is because i always think that at 2 in the morning if i want to see/read a thing i can and i dont have to rely on anything else for it to be available... so if the streaming company that i use doesnt have the show that i want to see at 2 am i can go get it off of the shelf... having said that it rarely happens but when it does i feel good

[@martinzeller-jacques7069]

Matt Hills (2007: www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17400300601140167#.UzjtCvldWSo) has written about the way that the DVD boxed set provides (or promises to provide) a kind of bounded experience, akin to that of a printed book, which makes it a desirable object both in relation to its (complete) contents and as a declaration of something about its owner. Yet the 'boxed set' term is now being used to refer to downloadable or streamable television as well - suggesting that it's being more widely recognized as an experience or a viewing style rather than something linked to DVD technology. I wonder if this is partially because we are able to make personal claims about our relationship to shows via social media in a way which replaces the social function of owning prestigious objects like DVD boxed sets.

[@laurenstrickland188]

I want them as well - books and DVDs - out of fear of some sort of post-apocalyptic no-internet situation.

[@zakcuttitta4258]

I was writing my long post on the evolution of books and I realized that the ability to marathon at will is the TV's equivalent of the books movement from scroll to tome. It allows the material to be searchable and reference-able, allowing you to skip back and forth, and to tell one long complete story rather than several smaller stories (even if the smaller stories are all interconnected). As most people have never used a scroll, and why would they need/want to, it can also be likened to the advent of the CD when, all of a sudden, you could easily move between tracks. (For those too young to remember the life before CDs, I am sorry but there is nothing similar that I can reference)

[@ProtoMario]

I definitely think Technology is changing how Tv is. KZbin has a profound effect on TV, and early in it's life companies didn't even think twice and wrote off KZbin. Now they are learning that what KZbin is doing, is what they need to do.

[@JuiceJuffer]

Plus there is some half decent to even good short films on youtube as well as quality programs like this one... who knows what writer, actor, producer from here will be the next big thing on netflix, cable, hollywood, or network tv. Oh and damn you for taking the words right out of my mouth and beating me to the punch.

[@sushrutgokhale3857]

internet also has this effect on music,movi industryes

[@fergushalliday950]

As someone who has been studying narratives for the last two years, your definition gave me chills (in a good, validating ways).

[@jacobrogers4474]

Something you didn't point out is the use of cliffhangers and ongoing narrative to hook people. The best shows are not only designed for marathons in the sense that they no longer need to be episodic, but they're also designed to encourage marathons by always creating some aspect of the narrative left unanswered so that the urge to click that "next episode" button (or just sit there while Netflix loads it up for you" is overwhelming. I think this is important because it goes further than the ability to not need to make episodic content. It's actively helpful to make content that is incomplete or broken up among episodes so that the viewer never feels satisfied and capable of "putting down" the series until they get through the whole thing.

[@dylangergutierrez]

It's incredibly interesting coming back to these videos a decade later with the benefit of hindsight. Most of these hold up pretty well; good job, team!

[@andyarijs]

i am so glad that The Wire appeared. A man gotta have a code

[@AlexBermann]

It's a really interesting shift in culture. beginning with the printing press of Guttenberg, humanity was busy dividinng information in small pieces based on the idea that understanding the small pieces leads to understanding the world. This basically is what scientific thinking used to be about. Today, we are busy forming connections. We apply sociological theories to pop culture in online videos, form franchises which span over a single medium and develop a compexity you would not understand if you just looked at one medium without our various interactions with it. So yeah, the shift from episodic to serial structures in narratives is no coincidence, but I wouldnt say that was just a technoogical issue - it's part of our thinking and our culture. It's a culture shaped by the frustration with the modern world which gave us absolute truths by cuttin the world into small pieces. While most people do not deny we can learn something that way, we are more open for the idea to look at the greater picture and form theories. That's what I call postmodernism and since it is in our minds, it aso is expressed in our art. When we talk about how smart Cersei Lannister is, we are forming theories over the uncertainty connected information of a serial format provide. That's our Zeitgeist.

[@mason1490]

I have never thought about "time shifting technology" before but now that you mention it i think I'm going to start watching the second part of idea channel first so it matches up better with the previous episode.

[@MsDafiM]

This may be my favorite Idea channel episode ever. It describes the issue perfectly and beautifully. This is such an interesting discussion.

[@cainfft008]

This is probably the most well written idea channel vid I've seen. Well done, all. Like this one, very well said: "The simple but powerful interconnectedness of things is a given and whether that interconnectedness is the result of technology or not, its presence in our world causes us to view and construct all manner of fictional worlds on that foundation."

[@KennethLyVideography]

You are forgetting that serialised narrative has been much more popular outside of America for a much longer time. Especially in asia, Anime for example had mainly serialised narratives and to this age Japan still rely on tv broadcasting to watch tv-shows. I think that is something worth taking into consideration too.

[@AshleyMystey]

This episode was fantastic. Leave me be, as I ponder upon connections and my world.

[@falnica]

To me narrative has evolved with every new way to tell stories, from gathering around a fire with your friends, to reading books alone, to going to cinemas and theaters with lots of people, to gathering around the tv, it seems to me that we have completed a cycle.

[@dalegaliniak607]

I've never attributed the switch to serial television from episodic to time shifting, but to the Writers' Strike of 2007. Audiences, being forced to be separated from their shows for a whole year, learned which shows they watched because they enjoyed them, and which shows they watched out of habit. While some episodic shows were good enough to have a demand to be returned (I'm looking at you, Psych), the vast majority of shows where fans were the loudest to call for an end to the Writers' Strike were the shows where they had the most vested interest in figuring out *what happens next.* What happened was a separating of the wheat from the chaff, and serial shows like Dexter, Breaking Bad, Battlestar Galactica, Lost, and even How I Met Your Mother, were returned, while a lot more episodic shows were just never brought back.

[@dalegaliniak607]

P.S. I'm glad that youTube still supports markup characters, even if Google Chat no longer does...

[@drakechandler9014]

I think you just answered my question as to why I've watched anime for so long. Animation or not, they were often serialized stories and I really got behind that. But lately more western televised stories having been sucking me in. They're the serialized stories I always wanted: something long, complex, and deep; all the meanwhile it's a big breath of fresh air to get out of the common anime tropes for a while.

[@FortunaMajorACappella]

I think this may be in part due to many anime shows being based on manga, which were a serialized form of print publication. It's pretty clear that some of the popular serialized television producers draw inspiration from comic books and manga, so it makes sense that newer, serial programming is drawing you in!

[@sn0wflake]

I totally agree. I just realized while watching this video that the reason I've been so thrown off watching SAO is because it's very episodic, and I just don't expect that from anime.

[@solarblitzX]

In Japan, the majority of animated series are serialized (afaik). It might be interesting to find out why or how that came to be, and compare that to the reasons we began producing serialized shows.

[@gheistlich]

I was surprised you didn't mention one of the smaller ways in which time shifters have already started to influence script writing, especially in comedies. They say "comedy is all about timing," and script writers historically had to account for audience laughter and reaction time, letting jokes "breathe," so to speak. Now, many sitcoms don't bother with this, since most people can just replay if they missed anything. The action seems more naturally timed, and they can fit more into each episode. "New Girl" and "Community" have both adopted this, to the point where it annoys my parents to watch those shows, because they don't want to replay anything - it's unnatural to them.

[@nerdgirl7363]

I also would have loved to hear you talk about how shows are even escaping from the TV into social media. When the Lizzie Bennett Diaries were made it wasn't just weekly videos on KZbin but each character had several social media accounts and side characters had their own videos. They turned a TV show into an entire world that was incredibly believable.

[@orphanblack]

Thanks for the love PBS Idea Channel!

[@Jebbtube]

I watched reviews for Kill la Kill for over a month before I finally broke down and actually watched the series. It took me a week to catch up to the current episode.

[@blablabubles]

And i think the first tv show to do this was Dr. Who, with its amazing intertwined 5 part episodes in the 60's

[@JaWz6]

that kurt vonnegut quote gives a new meaning to "dropping science"

[@myu2k2]

The DVR really changed the way I watched TV. I usually can't get to watching a episode until a few days later, and being able to get to it when I am able to makes it so much easier. I remember watching B5 on TNT when I was a kid, I was at the TV nearly every night to watch it because I didn't want to miss anything. Now, I'm lucky just to remember what day of the week it is, let alone keep track of when a show comes on. (thank you for answering my prattling.)

[@smatthewaf]

Another thing that should account for the rise in serialization of north american television would be that networks are in fiercer competition for our attention these days and episodic television doesn't necessarily lend itself to continued viewing. If you can tune in and start watching anywhere then it also doesn't matter when you stop watching. Serialized shows lend themselves more to the "I have to find out what happened" mentality of viewing, in which some people (myself included) may continue watching a show regardless of their level of enjoyment of it just to see how the stories they are invested in are resolved.

[@NekoMouser]

That's true. Serialized shows become "event" shows if they are successful.

[@Vigilantius]

I like the last little bit of the video, we had a little time-shifted conversation, I felt like a part of it all.

[@phabelgreene7875]

A little off-topic here: There's a growing number of people who subscribe to the idea that fictitious narrative is meant as a means of escape. I, however, disagree. The purpose of "narrative logic" is to allow us to understand the more abstract side of our world. Morals, emotions, violence, philosophy, and meaning are all very real aspects of our lives that science can't necessarily account for or explain, and a narrative is fundamentally flawed if its sole purpose is escapism with no link back to reality.

[@emmeline-tyler]

I had this conversation with a friend a couple of years ago, I argued it will change the narrative structure. She said that it's only us uni students that binge-watch whole series. But I think it's catching on. the other day a 58-year-old lady who I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't even have a tv, told me she watched all of season 1 of Downton Abbey in two days. I hope it does change

[@keif_mn]

I can't believe you didn't mention The X-Files. They managed to combine serialized and episodic TV. The only trouble is you never really knew which type of episode you were going to get that week.

[@brycenerdstrom567]

This guy is really smart. This is what smart people should be doing, asking questions rather than pretending to have answers.

[@BelloLongstrider]

This whole thing made me wonder if what is occurring with tv show narratives, because of technology, also happened with novels when well stocked book stores became more available to people. Did authors chose to write stand alone stories more often back in the day because they knew it would be harder for most people to find a whole series of books?

[@harrisonheaps]

I have never managed to follow along to the end of a single episode of yours but i enjoy trying

[@Swinnex]

This is all very true in terms of American TV series but as British and spending all my time in this country i would say that the series with its drawn out story line across episodes with complicated character development and back story has existed far longer than the phenomenon of streaming sites and recording boxes. Shows like East Enders, Coronation Street, Doctor Who, Casualty and many other of our comedy's and drama have been running for years (Dr Who as long as 50 and all the rest of the mentioned 20+) and all use long running stories through out series to convey a larger narrative instead of the self contained episode structure. Although we also have many shows that do the same as traditional American ones i don't believe that by looking at these shows we can say that it is down to a technology shift that longer story line series is the case as the UK companies have been doing it for years while technology shifted around it seemingly not effecting this style. Brilliant episode as usual though, been watching for a good year now and it taught me some much and made me explore even more as well :) keep up the good work guys

[@pippinnuthak4472]

I love this idea, and it actually struck me about two weeks before this video was posted. I was binge-watching a particular show because I had missed a few episodes (which show it was, I will not say for fear of being judged, though I will say it features the impeccable acting of a Mr. James Spader), and I noticed that one episode would pick up on a plot thread seemingly abandoned five episodes ago. Back when I watched Lost, this would have annoyed me to no end, wondering how the writers could expect us to follow information only briefly touched upon half a season earlier. Now, however, I marveled at the genius. The writers were definitely aware that people would watch a season of their show in a few sittings, and designed the season accordingly. Each episode is indeed "complete" as you mentioned earlier in your video, but each episode is also a piece. It reminded me of an episode of Extra Credits in which they discussed how a video game should be paced. You've seen plot graphs of narratives, I assume, and know that a well-written piece of fiction has exposition, rising action, a climax, falling action, and resolution. What Extra Credits said, however, that within this curve are several other microcosms of the same curve, where every major event in a narrative also contains exposition, rising action, a climax, falling action, and a resolution, so that the overall graph isn't a few lines connecting at vertices, but a jagged curve gradually reaching upwards where each event with its own narrative becomes more and more "intense" as it reaches the overall climax. And this is how television shows are starting to be written today. When writers are aware that their episodes will be viewed in rapid succession, they can actually focus on the series as a whole and make each episode self contained with its own story arc, but also be a part in a much bigger curve, as a stepping stone to the climax of the season. I love this, and I hope it gets to the point where seasons of shows are being written much in the same way episodes have begun to be written, as part of a much larger story. As a side note, I have a request. Please do an episode on Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves. Tie it into whatever you like, whether it be meta-narrative, the role of the audience in narrative, whether some narratives can only be fully expressed as novels. I have a passion for this book, and I believe everyone should read it, and if you haven't, Mike, get started on it. Immediately.

[@shishkarobb]

I think that streaming and DVR's have contributed to serialized programs becoming more popular. If the storyline in the episodes are interconnected, people are more likely to binge watch, especially if that next episode is just a click away. Whereas with episodic programs, there's a definitive "stopping place." I don't, however, think that episodic programming will ever disappear. Serialized shows demand a commitment. Sometimes you just want a one night stand.

[@stewdippin]

I don't think the narrative complexities of television is changing because of time shifting technologies, but I do think that because of time shifting technologies we have more access to television with narrative complexities. Before Netflix and Hulu the only way you could watch a show is if you watched it when it aired, and if you missed it you had to catch it on re-runs. If your friends didn't watch the show chances are they just, never did. But now not only are you able to watch shows on your own time, but it's easier for you to get your friends into it, which to me make the show watching experience richer.

[@katiejohnson6212]

I think narrative complexities have also been strengthened by the internet, through mediums like forums. Now you can discuss subtle nuances in your favorite shows with people around the world, and prove to networks that large groups are fascinated by complex stories that merit in-depth analysis. My favorite current example is Once Upon A Time, which is all about narrative complexities (as one would expect from the creators of Lost).

[@IvanRSaldias]

Are you sure that the creators of Lost are make complex narrations? Complicated, Yes! But complex?

[@fantasticmisterpig]

I genuinely think we've reached a point where the return-to-state-zero show is so well recognised that it's ready for parody: Space Dandy has huge elements of this parody. The episodes do not end in such a way that returning to state zero is logical (episodes often end with Dandy dying) but the next episode starts at state zero anyway. And I think this kind of parody allows a sort of meta-narrative to emerge: there is a very clear sense in which the story is being actively told to you, rather than being conveyed entirely through its medium; the inconsistencies are on the part of the story teller.

[@Futurexnews]

It would be great if we could get more narrative content on KZbin. Everything is built for quick consumption.

[@LadyGaffigan]

I think the audience is as much an influence of this change in media as technology is. Back when our grandparents were kids, media technology was pretty new, and while it was novel, the aversion to change was still as relevant as it is today. They were more likely to go out and play, treating television and movies more as an occasion than as a hobby. This meant that television wouldn't put too much thought into it's episodes, placing more importance on the plot than the character development, if any could be had. Our generation, on the other hand, has grown up with these technologies. In a way, we are more emotionally attached to them than our parents and grandparents ever will. A great deal of our mental stimulation comes from TV episodes and KZbin videos, even though we might still contribute the same amount of time to activities outside the media. I don't know if everyone else feels this way when it comes to watching shows, but because of this greater mental stimulation, I want to watch something that is worth my brain cells. I want something that challenges me to think, that challenges me to understand the characters and their motivations. Perhaps others feel the same way?

[@EsShinkai02]

Interesting thing. The serialized type of tv show is actually older than you might first guess. The first publication of Le Comte de Monte Cristo was in the periodical Journal des Debats (there's an accent over the 'e' but I can't type it). Apparently it was such a hit that people would talk about it in much the way we talk about shows like Breaking Bad.

[@iwontliveinfear]

I think it is really important to thank the great Mr. Fred Rogers. If not for Mr. Rogers media time shifting technologies might very well have been banned in the United States to protect the bottom line of the movie and television studios. May the King of Children's Television, and the savior of the VCR rest in peace.

[@Mercutio879]

TV has been trying to break free of the episodic format for a long, long time. You mentioned Soap Operas, with have been serialized from the start. Quantum Leap was semi serialized, the leap at the end informed a bit of the next episode. The stories weren't interconnected, but the episodes were. Oh boy.

[@CravenTHC85]

2:22 I find this bit particularly funny since I just spent two full days, minus sleep, bathroom, and cooking times, watching three full seasons of Game of Thrones. Over 30 hours of content absorbed in one weekend, but oh SO worth it.

[@DutchAver]

Am I the only one who reads your twitter handle consistently as 'PB Side A Channel'?

[@skeleninja]

I don't think most shows are written and designed specifically to be marathoned, they just are marathoned when people get invested in a show. It's just the way the show was written, especially when an episode ends in a cliffhanger, that people can't help but marathon it anyway, because the content of the episode was so compelling that to not marathon it is like psychological torture.

[@only20frickinletters]

I really have to wait to watch these until a school vacation.

[@kunairuto]

Japan has been pumping out non-episodic shows for decades.

[@zepherspinner]

It's interesting that you bring this up, thinking primarily about TV in the US. If you look at the tradition of anime over in Japan, they've been doing full(er) narratives since its inception, at least as far as I understand it. And they've been doing it without timeshifting technology until the same time that it hit US TV. It's interesting, because the whole culture began by sustaining itself (and to some degree still does) through disc sales.

[@elthion22]

Yeah at least as far back as Space Battleship Yamato in 1974 and maybe even further back you've got the kind of serialized narratives that wouldn't show up in the US until much later. It's also interesting to look at the differences between western comics and manga in this regard as for the most part manga have always been mostly serialized as well whereas a lot of western comics still had episodic elements.

[@Dvinven]

Babylon 5 mentioned, oh yeah!

[@iamaproboss]

The first few episodes of A:TLA I ever watched were from the late third season, which is what got me interested, and then I watched the whole series.

[@-cosmicrogue-]

Mike, how can I be mad at you when I get to stare at David Bowie's lovely face right behind your head every episode.

[@dudeomfgstfux]

I think the way Season 4 of Arrested Development was made is so people can watch it a second time and make sense of all the connections and crossovers better.

[@ZontarDow]

A problem with the rise of serialised television is that it has also produced shows which have far outstayed their welcome. Shows like "The Event" or "Revolution" took twice as long for people to realize just how bad they where then a conventional show would because it wasn't until half a season was over that we could even tell if the show was worth watching. So instead of being cancelled a few episodes into their series, the shows outstayed their welcome and wasted the time of both the audience and the networks.

[@mikefrollo]

On the other hand, serialization allows shows like Revolution (which has improved to an unbelievable degree) to grow, change, and find their voice organically rather than being locked into a format from week one.

[@ivo3185]

1:26 I LOVE "The Nanny"!

[@112steinway]

I think time shift technology represents a stage in the evolution of television as a story telling medium that allows it to be as established and respected as books or movies, maybe even more so. Each narrative medium has its inherent strengths that allow it to tell a certain type of story better than everything else. Books are very good at delivering a personal experience and showing internal conflict (movies can do this too but it requires things like clunky voice overs or subtitles). Conversely, movies are very good at delivering spectacle and action where as books need to devote a considerable amount of descriptive dialogue to tell the audience what's going on (and even then there is no guarantee each reader will imagine the same thing). Television, especially episodic television made popular and possible through time shift tech, allows artists to deliver an epic author specific vision while leaving plenty of time to show internal conflict and drama. Personally though, I think comic books are the greatest form of narrative medium around.

[@PyroSwardsman]

TV and technology ARE changing, but I think this correlation is more coincidence than causation. Yes, we can now watch episodes and pause them when we need to, but think about what other reasons TV shows are changing. They are becoming much deeper and psychological to fill a need, not just because audiences are now ready to accept them due to advances in technology. TV is now more of a way to relate to your neighbor, friend, or acquaintance because you can relate your feelings towards the story with other people. We need this because our cultural in-group values have changed and many people no longer have the tight family and friend ties that were more common in eras where TV was not a serious social aspect.

[@billwilson5834]

I don't know why I love this show. Maybe because it's awesome.

[@jacobwestman9508]

You (Idea channel) remind me of what someone said about the economist Robin Hanson. "When others tell me about their ideas, I say "yeah, maybe", then i forget about it. When you/Hanson tell me about their idea I say "No way, impossible", then think about it for years.

[@watergod321]

I would bring up the arching narrative from Avatar: TLA and how it both held a long term arching plot and an episodic nature where on the majority you could catch any one episode and be introduced to what was happening, as long as you knew that not everything would be explained to you. I would bring this up, but then you got half way through the episode and completely lost what I thought you were talking about and I lost any kind of understanding to where you went.

[@shadowsun69]

Yeah Avatar did lot of things right. It had a story arc but most of the episodes were one offs so you weren't always frustrated when they didn't progress the main plot.

[@watergod321]

Exactly

[@milestogomilestogo]

I definitely think the movement of popular TV shows towards more serial narrative structures (which, yeah, may or may not be linked to the increased inter-connectedness of the modern experience because of new technologies) provides a really interesting opportunity to look at fanbases-- which didn't really exist back in the episodic era as they do now. If big studios were right about complex, overarching narratives shutting out potential new viewers, and if this same phenomenon still occurs today, think about what effect these kinds of structure have on how old viewers see themselves, and on the new viewers that do stay with a show after joining it half-way through or choose to go all the way back to the start of Season 1. These narrative structures are creating more than simply audiences united around a particular circumstance or setting (ala Friends or Cheers), but groups of individuals who recognise themselves as at a certain point in a journey (GoT or Sherlock), and as having a 'shared past' of sorts. And I think that's part of what enables people to use certain shows as such strong identity-markers. It's not that serial TV show audience-groups are more exclusive and inward-looking (though that might be true too), but that because the narratives being experienced or consumed have changed, they can now be more easily be used to identify oneself. Can this feeling of involvement really only come from serial narrative structures? Could episodic shows become just as strong parts of their viewers' identities? I don't know how to end this, I just put those questions there and didn't know whether or not to try and answer them. Goodbye.

[@gomezpovina]

This episode actually made me think about last week's episode. I remember that the first serialized series I watched was Robotech, which was only available on someone's VHS, recorded and compiled from the TV by someone with awareness of that piece of media being worth recording. I also remember that some Doctor Who serials are now lost forever (I'm sorry, but Doctor Who was not broadcast in South America, back in the day, so I know little about the subject). Which makes me think if the internet is becoming an archive for a previously ephemeral media, television.

[@RodrigoLopezandfriends]

This is very similar to the constant struggle between single issue buyers and trade paperback buyers in comics. One group buys each issue as it comes out, the other waits for the "marathon". The comic book industry, though, has been pretty bad about dealing with this distinction, often cancelling books because the single issues weren't selling well, only to hear outcry from the community that was sitting patiently waiting for the next full volume trade to come out. TV, at least, seems to be in the process of accommodating both groups, with the main issue being "marathoners" running out of the room with their hands on their ears when spoilers start flying.

[@AmericanPunxXx]

i would love you guys forever if you put an Operation Ivy record on your wall

[@OKRolling]

I could have watched Game of Thrones on HBO, or illegally online like 90% of it's viewers, but instead I bought the boxset. Partially because the show follows my favorite book series, and partially because I wanted to watch the commentaries and special features; but also because there's something intrinsically better about watching a show free from buffering or internet mishaps which I just prefer to online viewing.

[@GregOughton]

I like shows which strike a good balance between episodic and serial, like you can jump in at any point and enjoy it, but if you watched the first season, skip season 2 then try again at season 3 you'd be lost, or the throwbacks to old episodes which turn a innocuous line into comic gold. My favorite example of this is HIMYM, but it also applies to Friends, and Futurama etc.

[@friedzombie4]

Archer is also the same way; some of the throwback jokes to other episodes are funny in their own right but have some extra value if you can understand the reference.

[@xanderps210]

Bionicle is the ultimate definition of a serialized story. From 2001 to 2008 it used comics, books, games, online serials, and movies to tell a continuous story. If you missed one part, you might not understand what was happening in another. Bionicle was text book definition multimedia. It got so complicated that it had to "reboot" for 2009 so that it would be easier for new people to get into the franchise. I hope you guys do an episode on Bionicle soon.

[@Rednetthall2]

Hey guys here is an idea Spoilers are hated because of how we wish to perceive time via fantasy and how it actrually is.

[@jillpigott7959]

Another thing that the new technology allows is the analyzing of television shows in the way that books and full length films could be analyzed in the past. Because it is possible to watch an episode multiple times, writers, animators, set designers, and costumers can add touches that fans will notice, but maybe only after viewing for the third time.

[@MorRobots]

The thing I notice the most now is the fading use of "Previously on..."

[@OneUpdateataTime]

I like to think that you imagine image macros/gifs near your head at all times not just during filming so during conversations you suddenly stop and silently stare right ahead at the person in front of you with this blank half-expectant look before continuing your thought.

[@fireaza]

I'm just glad that America is finally starting to come around to an idea that it seems Japan has known for years. That a TV series allows you the necessary time to tell a long, complex story. In addition, if based on an existing property, it also allows you to adapt the source material in all it's entirely, as there's no one and a half hour limit as in film. It's one thing to try to get to know a character and be touched by their struggles in the short course of a film. It's quite another when you've known them for months and have been along with them for the entire time.

[@abbyrose9408]

one thing, in this episode, you did not mention when shows have both serial and episodic narratives, like doctor who. you can watch an episode like "Girl in the Fireplace" or " Vincent and The Doctor" without knowing anything about the show, while and episode like "Doomsday" or "Angels in Manhattan" leave you clueless. on this note of narrative, where do shows like this stand?

[@donaldboner9274]

Abby Rose

[@donaldboner9274]

Abby Rose .

[@zetsumeinaito]

I would say yes, Technology did enable long narratives in TV shows. Another example would be anime. In the 80s when VHS and Betamax came out, those shows started to be created into long narrative format. Now most anime isdesigned that way. In twenty years, I could see most TV worldwide being as such.

[@bascrd]

Professional Wresting takes a really unique twist on the narrative because it is a fictional story where everything that happens in wrestling takes place in real time.

[@Corland44]

Speaking of which, I'm very impressed by the folks who kept the plots and symbolism of Twin Peaks straight when they had to watch it episodically. I have enough trouble with it on Netflix.

[@Ibelle14]

THE LIZZIE BENNET DIARIES! I'm freaking out so much right now.

[@ProsyStrangers]

This is interesting to me because back in the day, weren't there a lot of serial radio programs? And that led to things like how, in classic Doctor Who, the stories were also serialized, in 4-6 (on average) thirty minute episodes, that you sort of needed to tune in to all of them for it to make sense. And if you missed one you couldn't go back and see it; it might be gone forever. But the serials were pretty self-contained, not having much to do with each other, kind of like the bottle episodes of sitcoms. You were just investing in several weeks instead of just one for the whole story.

[@LordCHull]

3:04 Is exactly how I have been for the last two weeks with Battlestar Galactica . . . I have no regrets.

[@SuperSockMonkey12345]

Lol, I know, right XD

[@GladeKeichikuro]

It's cool how there are actually a lot of Japanese animation (anime) based shows that have been running complex stories for years such as naruto or bleach.

[@Mark1990ish]

I had to pause after "now that we have computers we can write about computers, Yeah!". That needs to be used in later episodes!

[@Chaoticburn]

As a die hard Browncoat, this episode made me sad. Mainly because seeing this makes me think that if Firefly had been 10 years later it would have thrived. The downside of this is that it ended perfectly. If it would have continued it could have ended on a low note or on a lull as many shows have. Lost and other shows started off great but ended on a point which leave it mocked and laughed at. In hindsight, Firefly was released too soon, but at the same time was perfectly timed. Great episode.

[@kareydwyer9088]

Serial television is a reason that I started watching foreign television. Watching k-dramas, you know that they were written with an end in mind. There is an entire sorry progression in sixteen or twenty or a set number of episodes. I am able to connect further with the characters knowing that there will be an upcoming conclusion.

[@winj3r]

By allowing a sequential story across various episodes, a TV series of today can develop it's universe and characters much more deeply. Technology by allowing us to view every episode at our own leisure, creates the possibility that a character can evolve and change with each episode. This in turn allows each character to seem more real and creating a deeper relation and feeling with each person. A character, either being the good or the bad, will have more impact on the viewer. So where previously, characters would have a limit to their complexity as to not confuse the new viewer, now they can go through a lot more, feel a lot more and do a lot more, at the same time that they grow with the audience.

[@joshbrown8756]

Animated "Graphics Interchange Formats." Screw what the creator says, it's not peanut butter.

[@KJR42391]

I love Joss Whedon shows, but I feel sometimes like his serialized style of television, as twisted and brilliant as it is, has proven repeatedly to be too complex for conventional, network broadcasting. I tried watching Agents of SHIELD from the very beginning, and unlike everyone else, I really liked it, but at some point I got behind, was unable to catch up, and resigned to wait for the DVD, because I knew that if I started from halfway through the season, I would be SO LOST! I am currently catching up on plastic disks and am thoroughly enjoying it. His shows demand time shifting technologies.

[@DERP0CALYPSE]

Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey!

[@TheJakeHarrington]

I like to think of TV as visual novels. Not everyone wants to read a long book, that's why Game Of Thrones is so great.

[@LankyKid180]

I attribute a good percentage of this flip of acclaim from "digestible" TV shows to more complex serialized shows to the inevitable death of the laugh track. Shows like 'Seinfeld' or 'The Big Bang Theory' rely so heavily on canned laughter telling us where the punch lines are that it comes off as not only annoying or irritating, but condescending. It's treating us like Pavlov's dog. Even if we may not find a joke funny, it is conditioning us to place laughter where they want us to hear it. Canned laughter can be is auditory pollution. Which is why sitcoms like The Office were such a breathe of fresh air, because it showed that you can be one of the funniest things on TV without crowding the air. It felt cleaner, lighter, healthier even. It's almost as if we think of those that only watch sitcoms with the toxic canned laughter as lower, or (for lack of a better word) dumber, than if you enjoy a serialized series. You know, ones that don't shout at you shattering the fourth wall every time something important happens like "HEY SEE WHAT WE DID THERE!!??" "OH HEY CATCH THAT!? THAT WAS IMPORTANT" "THAT LINE WAS CLEVER AND HILARIOUS YOU SHOULD LAUGH NOW". As technology has grown, so has everything else involved in the process of making a TV show. The manners in which you create have all been getting better, getting smarter, getting deeper, meaning that the audiences have been adapting along with it. Because of this, and as the storytelling in TV shows is changing, the need for a tool such as canned laughter is fading as the creators and writers are finding ways to extract the necessary emotions from the audience without it. Here's a fun story: I have a friend who looooooves 'How I Met Your Mother'. I pointed out to her that despite the incredible story and lovable characters, that the laugh track was killing me and therefor preventing me from watching the show seriously. She laughed at me, said it was not a big deal and that I'm clearly exaggerating and went on with her day. About a week later I run in to this friend again and she tells me that I have "ruined" the show for her, by pointing out the laugh track. Why is this my fault!? I asked. It was always there. You've loved this show for years but somehow never noticed it? Or you knew it was there but didn't consciously think about it? And if so why would being consciously aware of it now change how you feel about the show? The dialogue didn't change, Marshall and Lily are still in love as ever, so why now is the show "ruined"? I found this very interesting. I'm not sure how potent this is in the greater discussion of technology affecting narratives, but I found it at least worth considering.

[@guilleaume64]

In the XIXth century, novels like The three musketeers were publish in a serial form in newpapers. But you could catch up the story in it's novel form for reading marathons :D