What I really enjoyed about the TV sitcom lecture by Colin Tait was the two major types of television shows that you continue to see today. Episodic and Serial. Which is why my 7th RTF post is named as such. Episodic is quite the opposite of Serial of which has more comedic qualities than the other which is why it fits in the sitcom genre.
Serial Television shows are shows that have a progression in the storyline with every episode while Episodic has different plots and situations with no overall plot. Episodic usually have episodes that last only a half-hour because they are so sweet and simple. You don't have to worry about missing an episode and being left out on serious plot points because episodic shows don't truly have a storyline.The characters go through some crazy shenanigans within that time period and end up coming out of them with no aftermath that would lead to a continuation of the story. These Episodic shows have more comedy than drama which has gives the characters a small arc of growth. Not too much time to spent on the problem as the plot must move on to finish within those 30 minutes.
One episodic show that I used to watch awhile back was "Viva La Bam" which had some of the cast from the comedy show "Jackass". The show was basically about Bam Margera and his crazy and unusually life that involved his friends and his parents that are unfortunately caught in the middle. From the start of an episode, Bam and his crew would either confront something that they must get past or come up with an idea that would put the family through more insanity. Throughout the episodes, he would either have a goal to reach, a game to play, or an obstacle to eliminate. At the end whether he fails or succeeds, the story doesn't really continue on that would be considered a sequel. Every episode is quite predictable and has the same pranks, quotes, and unusual family living.
In one episode, Bam's father and uncle said, "Anybody can be a Rockstar". Disgusted by this, Bam bets $1000 that they wouldn't pass that test which he calls, "Rockstar Training". In the end after all the tests, they pass and Bam gives them $1000 with the catch that their money paid for most the expenses for providing the tests. Here's a clip of the show revealing there's not too much seriousness to create a real storyline.
Original Link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hpp0yW10NUE
Overall, Episodic is more casual than Serial because it's not so structured and doesn't have as much effort as a Serial show like "Lost" would have. Every episode has different situations and plots while Serial has episodes that progressed through the overall storyline.
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