Quote:
Originally Posted by theducks
there is fine distinction between TV Serial and Series.
Some are equivalent to Short stories (eg CSI). Others are closer to Serials.
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Uh-huh.
But these days even police procedurals like CSI and CRIMINAL MINDS tend to run season-long arcs and multi-episode storylines.
The line between serial and series has been getting ever more blurred since the days of BUFFY and DS9 and there are very few shows left where there isn't some kind of ongoing plot thread running from week to week. Conversely, even the actual serials have learned to provide at least one complete narrative per episode. Weekly closure matters, too.
Right now the best example of how to combine a self-contained episode with multiple ongoing threads is the CW's ARROW with a five-year mystery unfolding via flashbacks in parallel to action-oriented weekly stories and a soap opera, all in the same show. And then they load up on easter eggs for comic book fans.