Serial offenders? Defining the boundaries of series and serial TV for screenwriting practice and theory
Files
Date
2021
Authors
Ianniello, M.
Batty, C.
Editors
Advisors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type:
Journal article
Citation
Journal of Screenwriting, 2021; 12(1):55-74
Statement of Responsibility
Conference Name
Abstract
Serial storytelling dominates the international TV landscape, yet the terms used to describe this form as distinct from 'series' vary across industry, scholarship and popular media. While many scholars have observed the series/serial 'divide', none of them have done so from the vantage point of screenwriting practice. This article argues there is both the scope and a need to provide clearer definitions for discussion of TV drama screenwriting, particularly as it intersects with extant notions such as 'complex' and 'quality' TV. In this article, we consolidate the literature on the series/serial and provide our own terms to describe contemporary trends in serial storytelling - finite, infinite and franchise - terms that we hope speak more directly to the screenwriter and screenwriting scholar.
School/Discipline
Dissertation Note
Provenance
Description
Data source: Supplementary information, https://doi.org/10.1386/josc_00048_1
Access Status
Rights
Copyright 2021 Intellect. Marco Ianniello and Craig Batty have asserted their right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the authors of this work in the format that was submitted to Intellect.
Access Condition Notes: Accepted manuscript available after 1 April 2022.