As discussed in Mr.Tait's lecture, a television sitcom usually falls in one of two categories: episodic or serial. Episodic shows tend to have a central theme or problem in every episode, the plot rotates around the issue until the end brings about a resolution. Each episode shows little progression or construction between each other, they simply have a common set of characters and settings but there is not a turning point within the series itself. Many cartoons serve as examples of the episodic category, for example, The Simpsons, Phineas and Ferb, and Scooby Doo each depict characters that do not grow old or come about any major changes. Since it is possible to make a cartoon character remain twelve years old for a decade, creating this sort of story line is not such a difficult feat. On the other end there is the serial category that depicts an ever advancing plot with characters who grow and change when presented with issues, unlike their episodic counterparts who go back to an auto state of being at the beginning of every episode. This type of T.V. show is not so predictable or lesson centered, but rather complex and constructive. Many dramas on television today illustrate this concept very well, for example the medical drama House, Desperate Housewives, and Grey's Anatomy. There are also several shows which could fall into both categories, namely The Big Bang Theory, Friends, and The Fresh Prince of Bellaire. While they all have episodes which have a central issue or theme, it would be quite difficult to watch one episode for the first time and understand everything that is taking place because there are also deep running story lines that may go on for seasons. For example, Penny and Leonard's strange relationship in The Big Bang Theory and the infamous Ross and Rachel "will they, won't they" dilemma in Friends. The plus side for each category is this, if you want to simply sit and enjoy a show that you have never seen before without feeling lost or confused and episodic type is perfect. But when you want to pencil in a show to follow at a specific time every week and become partially obsessed with the ever changing and oh so interesting drama that unrealistically consumes the lives of the poor people of that show then a serial type is perfect! We all have our interests and preferences when it comes to how we spend our time, the good part is that we have a plethora of options to choose from and numerous amounts of real and fiction lives to follow weekly.
The show that I followed daily when it was still being shot was Gilmore Girls, on of my favorite T.V. shows of all time. Gilmore Girls took place in Connecticut in a tiny colonial town named Stars Hollow and it followed the lives of Lorelei and Rory Gilmore, a single mother and her teenage daughter. The show starts roughly when Rory is 16 and goes on until she is about to graduate from Yale University. This is a prime example of a serial sitcom. If someone were to sit down and watch an episode without ever having seen it before they would more than likely find themselves quite lost and maybe even a little irritated by the witty and constant banter between the mother and daughter. While each episode has a certain issue addressed, they build off of each other rapidly and thoroughly in and out of every relationship and conflict amongst the Gilmore family.
Season Seven Promo of Gilmore Girls:
No comments:
Post a Comment