Previously on....

Serial narratives are viewed often because most people like the cliffhangers and the development of the characters. Shows that have open narrative structures attract me more than reality shows or sitcoms because I like seeing how the characters and settings change over time. It keeps the show more exciting and unpredictable. Each episode begins with “Previously on......." to keep the viewer up to date and refresh their memory from the previous episode. This definitely keeps the viewers more engaged and possibly convinces them to watch the new episode because they want to know what happens next.


Thinking back to political economy however, it seems like sitcoms or non-open narrative shows would be a smarter choice to produce because of re-runs. Most sitcoms can be viewed out of order and it is very easy to catch up even if the viewer has missed the first five to ten minutes. Some people don’t have time to watch certain shows at 8pm on Mondays so they end up watching sitcoms.

On a side note, I saw this article and thought it was interested how primetime television has changed.   http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/media_entertainment/10-years-of-primetime-the-rise-of-reality-and-sports-programming/