Serial vs episodic

[Bre]

I was reading this article, How Has the Culture of TV Changed? and they discuss different types of TV shows, and which are better, serial shows (novel-like, for example, Lost) or episodic shows (go by an episode by episode basis, for the most part).

So what do you guys think??

[Lizzie]

I voted episodic. I think I most prefer the serial shows that have episodic episodes.

[Bre]

Like which shows?

I'm not sure what to vote yet. My favorite show is Lost, which is probably the most serialized show ever, but I love some episodic series as well.

[James]

I agree with what Liz said. Like shows like Buffy and Firefly that have a big story happening but all episodes have their own story with ones that stand on their own. It mostly sitcoms and hospital or crime shows that only episodic without both. So I like a in between of those two

[shred]

I don't mind either really. But I'm so used to Serial-type shows that whenever I watch a episodic one, I always wonder, "What's the point to this season?"

Serial shows can be annoying 'cause if you miss an episode, it's going to be difficult to make sense of what is happening in the episode after.

[Nico]

I think I like a bit of both, with all of my shows I need the major storyline to keep me wondering "how will this thing turn out" and the episodic just to take a break from the main story, get in a humorous episode that has nothing to do with the main story.

One of my favourite shows Stargate is a good example, you have the main storyline with the big bad but they go threw a stargate to travel to other planets so it needs to have some episodic elements so that we see new planets and character development.

[Nina]

I like episodic shows because I miss a lot. I liked 24 hours but I had to stop watching when I missed a couple of episodes because it was hard to know what was happening lol