Short Season Series

[white avenger]

The TV channels seem to abound, usually on the cable or premium channels, these days with series that have a yearly run of 10 to 12 episodes, then go off for the rest of the year, returning the next year with the next season. Titles like:

Banshee
Falling Skies
Longmire
The Walking Dead
Under The Dome
Lost Girl
Grimm
Teen Wolf
Justified

just to name a few. Do you like these micro-series shows in general, and, if so, what are some of your favorites?

As for me, I like several of them, mostly the mysteries/cop shows, though I do wish that they were longer, like full seasons, and the tendency to end the season with a cliffhanger really leaves me frustrated and more than a little annoyed.

 

[Fuffy Baith]

Well the show Sherlock is only like 3 episodes, but they're like an hour and a half each. Umm, I like Doctor Who, those like 10-14 episodes each season. Dollhouse was short too. and American Horror Story. It doesn't really bother me too much. I guess it's easier on the actors and production maybe. As long as they tell the story well.

 

[thetopher]

I also tend to like tv shows with shorter seasons, like Sherlock (three films, I guess.), Dexter, GoT, that sort of thing.

Love Justified (I'm not sure love is strong enough a word actually...) and the Walking Dead, and I've been meaning to look into Falling Skies.


I've seen the first season of Banshee, and loathed it, sex, violence but not much else, like say, believability or likeable characters...

I read 'Under The Dome' and was surprised to see it got a tv series, I thought it was one of Stephen King's weaker offerings.

 

[Blaze]

I actually like this format much better. About 90% of the 24 episodes/season type shows get boring before the end because there's a lot of filler. Shorter seasons tend to be much more condensed and they flow better (of course there's still exceptions).

I also find that I look forward to each episode much more, and I tend to get really excited when the new season starts.

My favorite shows that are on at the moment are all 10-14 episodes shows:

Orange is the New Black
Skins (which ended last year)
Black Sails
American Horror Story
Hannibal

I think a factor to take in consideration is that those seasons are less mainstream, they are usually cheaper to produce and the result just seems to be of better quality (again, not true for all, but that's how a lot of them feel to me).

 

[white avenger]

Love Justified (I'm not sure love is strong enough a word actually...) and the Walking Dead, and I've been meaning to look into Falling Skies.

Yeah, I like "Justified" too, and I don't even have to be offended by the stereotypical red neck culture as it's portrayed because they are KENTUCKY red necks. We Georgia red necks are much more sophisticated.

 

[thetopher]

Yeah, I like "Justified" too, and I don't even have to be offended by the stereotypical red neck culture as it's portrayed because they are KENTUCKY red necks. We Georgia red necks are much more sophisticated.

They do have stereotypes, but they also characters to go along with them.
Boyd Crowder for example is fascinating to me, I never know which way he's gonna jump, yet his character is consistant.

Also, the US marshall in charge Art Mullen, the love interests Ava and Winona, even Raylan Givens himself as he revisits and remembers his Kentucky roots, all rich characters.

It's just a brilliant series. I love Elmore Leonard. 🙂

 

[Wild At Heart]

Certain shows work for a whole 22-23 episode season like The Vampire Diaries & Supernatural. I really love those shows & I prefer them because they are so good that I just want more lol but I also like Bates Motel & it only runs for 10-12 episodes every year which is okay I guess but by the time a whole year goes by, I'm not as excited about it. That's just me though. True Blood is the same way & I used to love that show but stopped watching because of that. Now I think next season is their last & it just doesn't feel like there were a lot of episodes. I love that between Buffy & Angel, there's over 200 episodes to get invested in & it keeps me interested even though I've seen them over & over again. That's how I feel now with The Vampire Diaries & The Originals...

 

[thetopher]

Certain shows work for a whole 22-23 episode season like The Vampire Diaries & Supernatural. I really love those shows & I prefer them because they are so good that I just want more lol but I also like Bates Motel & it only runs for 10-12 episodes every year which is okay I guess but by the time a whole year goes by, I'm not as excited about it. That's just me though. True Blood is the same way & I used to love that show but stopped watching because of that. Now I think next season is their last & it just doesn't feel like there were a lot of episodes. I love that between Buffy & Angel, there's over 200 episodes to get invested in & it keeps me interested even though I've seen them over & over again. That's how I feel now with The Vampire Diaries & The Originals...

That's a good point, its hard to get that epic feel with a 10-12 episode run, to get really invested in a series like that. 22 episode runs allows you to lose yourself in the world and the characters. Buffy and Angel are the perfect examples of this. They're made for binge-watching imo. 🙂

Still, some shows can manage it if the writing is good enough. Mad Med and GoT immediately spring to mind. Maybe Boardwalk Empire as well.

And if the writing is bad in a 20-22 episode run it can tend to drag,(I'm looking at you Elementary..) and so you just want the run over with.

 

[BuffyElevated]

I hate that so many shows are going to fewer episode runs per season. It really pisses me off when I have to wait almost an entire year for a show's return, such as with "Bates Motel" and "Being Human" (when it was still airing).

 

[Black Eye Guy]

That's a good point, its hard to get that epic feel with a 10-12 episode run, to get really invested in a series like that. 22 episode runs allows you to lose yourself in the world and the characters. Buffy and Angel are the perfect examples of this. They're made for binge-watching imo. 🙂

Still, some shows can manage it if the writing is good enough. Mad Med and GoT immediately spring to mind. Maybe Boardwalk Empire as well.

And if the writing is bad in a 20-22 episode run it can tend to drag,(I'm looking at you Elementary..) and so you just want the run over with.

Totally, I think it's more to do with the writing than the episode order. If Buffy and Angel had been 12 episodes I think they'd have been just as epic and may have even been better as it would have been tighter and neater.
(More so Angel which would have been a phenomenal 12 episode darker series)

It's kinda like with movies, Star Wars was only 3 movies but created a massive world, went on to be 6 and whatever else is included in their canon, but originally the 3 movies were enough to create that world.

 

[EVIL UU]

[MENTION=5973]Black Eye Guy[/MENTION]

and whatever else is included in their canon

Nothing else. Since April 25 2014 everything that's not a movie is not considered canon anymore. TV series, books, video games, comics - down the drain it all went. Guess what will happen to the comics if BtVS ever makes a comeback like that....

 

[Silverspike]

Whedon has always made it plain that If Buffy was ever re-booted he wouldn't necessarily use the plot from the comics.

 

[thetopher]

[MENTION=5973]Black Eye Guy[/MENTION]


Nothing else. Since April 25 2014 everything that's not a movie is not considered canon anymore. TV series, books, video games, comics - down the drain it all went. Guess what will happen to the comics if BtVS ever makes a comeback like that....

That's a shame, since you look at the steaming pile the are the prequel movies and then look at some of the excellent Star Wars novels that have been releases, set post- 'Return Of The Jedi'. 🙁

And then there's also the fact that Joss Whedon isn't George Lucas, and there's no telling if he would make such a blanket proclamation.
George Lucas is well known as an egotistical control freak who has no real regard for other interpretations of the Star Wars universe.

Although Joss has said in the past that if the oportunity did come for a Buffy continuation in some other form (movie, mini-series, reboot) that the comics wouldn't be garenteed as canon.

 

[Black Eye Guy]

That's interesting about Star Wars, in not a fan of the series but I was aware of their huge canon library of works (don't/didn't they have a person who's job it was to keep track of canon)

BtVS is different as Joss is actively involved in the comics. I have a hard time picturing him throwing out the canon comics, but could see him ignoring them for a movie story it whatever. Like he did with IDWs comics


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[Silverspike]

Ah but how involved thats the question.

Considering how busy he must be with his Marvel work I suspect he's pretty much left the day to day running of the comics to DH, and only acts as a consultant from time to time.

 

[thetopher]

There's a big writers conference every year where they go over the direction of the series, pitch ideas for plot arcs and such. Joss is involved in them, he 'presides' over them apparently, just not the details, script-writing etc.

It's up to the issue writers to get the pacing right and to make the dialogue sparkle. Which is why I'm glad that Gage has the ability to do both of those things and Gischler isn't too bad either. Characterisation is important.



Also, back on topic, I do very much like the series that have an intermediate run- say about 16 episodes. Things like Burn Notice or Psych have a nice pacing to them, but aren't too flabby or slow moving.
(I really liked Burn Notice because it ended jat ust about the right time- which is rare for a show, and the writing was very strong throughout. Plus- Bruce Campbell. 🙂)

 

[Black Eye Guy]

Ah but how involved thats the question.

Not really. It's quite well know he has only executive produced for season 9 and 10 so far (can't remember but don't think he's written since season 8)

But he holds a writers conference and breaks the story with the writers. He still has final approval or designs the story.

So the stories are still on him.


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[white avenger]

Plus- Bruce Campbell. 🙂)

If you're a Campbell fan, have you ever seen the very VERY short lived series, "Jack Of All Trades?" He plays a former Revolutionary War spy currently trying to shut down the pirates operating in the Caribbean (I think. It's been a long time...) It's played more for comedy than action.

 

[thetopher]

I haven't. I'll have to look that up. 🙂

But I have seen him in probably the best 'weird western' show ever. Bruce Campbell actually starred in 'The Adventures Of Brisco County Jr.', it lasted for one season (27 glorious episodes) before being cancelled by Fox.

Fox tragically kills another good show. See, it doesn't just happen to Joss Whedon. 🙁

 

[fitz1980]

The TV channels.

I think it was HBO that really popularized the 10-13 episode season. I'd say that "Sex in the City" & "The Sopranos" were the shows that brought it to the mainstream. "The Walking Dead" & "The Shield" are two of my favorites that used the format.

As much as I would like to see more of my favorite shows I enjoy the fact that on those shorter seasons the writers can sketch out a long form storyline and follow it almost totally as written without as much filler and without as many real world problems, such as actor availability, that can cause problems for shows with 22-24 episode seasons.