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Multiple Threaded, Long-Form Television Serial Scripts
Over the past 15 years, some of the most interesting screen-based drama has been on long-form television serials that use a multiple threaded story structure. In his book Everything Bad Is Good for You, Steven Johnson discusses how multiple threaded, long-form television (TV) serials expand viewers’ cognitive perceptions by opening spaces in the narrative.
Narratives that require that their viewers fill in crucial elements take that complexity to a more demanding level. To follow the narrative, you aren’t just asked to remember. You’re asked to analyze. This is the difference between intelligent shows, and shows that force you to be intelligent.1
While I agree with Johnson’s argument regarding ...
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