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At first glance, the freshman TV series “Sirens,” “The Bondsman,” “Adolescence,” and “The Four Seasons” might seem unrelated. However, they are all significant representatives of a recent shift in television towards brevity. This change is evident in their compact episode counts (only four for “Adolescence” and five for “Sirens”) or short runtime (episodes of “The Bondsman” rarely surpass 30 minutes, while “The Four Seasons” maxes out at 35 minutes). This departure from the culture that often advises, “The show doesn’t really get good until the eighth episode,” which then leads to the question, “How much time do you think I have to watch all these shows?!?”, is a welcome change.

The positive aspect is that the brief moments are intensifying the story’s impact, reaching greater peaks and gracefully exiting when the enjoyable phase concludes.

Netflix’s “Sirens” might serve as the perfect illustration. The plot – a woman trying to rescue her sister from a suspected cult led by an affluent family – is drawn out across numerous episodes, focusing on its lighter aspects and abandoning any trace of realism to prolong the enigmas. The series resembles a weekend at a high-end New England resort: Indulge in pleasure but depart before the charm fades and you start blending into the local community. The plot twists come rapidly, leaving you content, offering a taste of life among the wealthy and eccentric.

In a different way than escaping mentally, ‘The Four Seasons’ TV show gives us a more real-life experience of holidays. Each season is divided into two episodes, and this structure keeps things interesting by allowing for time jumps that bring about changes between holidays. So no character comes off as too petty or pathetic because the relationships among the Tina Fey-led cast change before the next trip. This ensures that the emotional storytelling stays nicely balanced.

Title Character “Hub” (Kevin Bacon), a bounty hunter, finds himself in an unusual predicament: after being killed, he’s granted a chance to return to Earth, provided he uses his skills to eliminate rogue demons. The brief episodes on Prime Video align neatly with the “weekly monster” format, and the show strategically reveals details about Hub’s history when necessary. As time unfolds, we uncover aspects of Hub’s past, his family, adversaries, and even the administrative system in hell.

Regarding the show “Adolescence,” it’s beautifully performed and strikingly real, but spending too much time in the world of a possibly malevolent British child becomes overwhelming – even with the wandering camera creating an unsettling feeling that places the viewer up close to a gruesome murder. Adding even one more episode might shift the story from bold and impactful to emotionally draining and uncomfortable.

Title suggestion for the Innovative Storytelling in Short Dramas: Lessons from “The Twilight Zone”

The concept of a short drama isn’t novel; one of the greatest television series ever produced, “The Twilight Zone,” demonstrated the ability to convey a self-contained narrative within a 30-minute prime-time TV slot, even with commercial breaks.

The distinct feeling of contemporary times stems from the excessive content allowed by rule-free streamers. To put it simply, we’re light years away from the 22-episode seasons typical of network programming. However, this gradual pace has been significantly altered by the streaming model, which often erroneously assumes that more equals better, leading to marathon viewing sessions that can leave you with numb buttocks.

The revelation that the final episodes in “Stranger Things” Season 4 would mirror the lengths of ’80s blockbuster movies sparked a sense that all prior guidelines had been discarded. This is because, after all, wasn’t the season finale – originally running around 50 minutes – now extending to an unprecedented two hours and 22 minutes?

In creating “The Bondsman,” the showrunner, Erik Oleson, faced a challenging situation where the need for brevity turned out to be like pressure shaping diamonds. He stated that because each episode was brief, he had to make difficult decisions in order to effectively tell the story within the allotted time frame.

He expresses his strong belief that each character on his shows should be capable of leading their own series. He never writes shallow or poorly developed characters, so providing ample opportunities for every talented actor to shine was one of the toughest tasks a showrunner might encounter, particularly in a half-hour format where it becomes even more challenging.

Oleson’s tenacity and drive enabled him to guide a series rich in character development, humor, and suspenseful moments. The content was streamlined, focusing on the fundamentals so viewers could grasp everything without delving too deeply into the creative team’s intricate thoughts. At times, a story about a quick-witted demon hunter can simply be what it is, without needing to be anything more elaborate.

Furthermore, brief runtime periods promote visual storytelling by emphasizing on-screen communication of vital details instead of lengthy dialogue that might slow down the narrative flow.

In the series “Sirens,” Meghann Fahy’s character Devon is introduced through her outfits, a mix of punk attire and combat boots, storming into a Lilly Pulitzer-inspired fantasy. The continuous cinematography in “Adolescence” swiftly establishes the setting for viewers, capturing overheard conversations that advance the storyline while the shifting perspectives from high above the community to ground level help set the scene.

In “The Four Seasons,” what happens out of sight is just as crucial as what’s depicted on screen, considering significant events occur off-camera, allowing for distinctive responses and aftermath to unfold.

There’s a good explanation behind why one of Shakespeare’s famous quotes, “Brevity is the essence of cleverness,” resonates so much in writing. (Even though Polonius, a character from Shakespeare’s longest play, “Hamlet,” actually said it somewhat sarcastically.) So, let’s cheer for the short TV series – but remember to keep it brief, I still have lots more shows to catch up on!

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2025-06-09 21:47