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There are two problems with how TV dramas are segmented into
episodes. For
example, a police procedural 'whodunnit?' crime drama might be a
series of eight
one-hour shows, and this structure makes the narrative predictable.
The first
problem is at the level of the episode; if the episode
has been going
for 50 minutes,
and nothing much is happening, then you can be absolutely sure
something very
dramatic is about to happen in the last 10 minutes to create a 'cliff-
hanger' for the
next episode. The second problem is similar and is at the 'series' level;
if you're
watching episode 4 out of 8, you know that they're not going to get
close to solving
the case in that episode and that anything that looks like that will be a
false trail.
You also know that in episode 7 of 8 the protagonists will encounter
some terrible
setback or mortal peril, in order for that to be neatly resolved in the
final episode.
Thus, this idea is to add unpredictability for the viewer both
to the length
of each episode, and also to the number of episodes in the series. By
varying the
episode length between 20 and 90 minutes, viewers will be less able
to predict
when the episode is nearing its conclusion. Likewise, by varying the
number of
episodes in the series between 1 and 15, the viewer will be less aware
of an obvious
narrative arc plodding its way towards a conclusion. It goes without
saying that neither the length of the episode nor the number of
episodes in the series should be revealed to the viewer.
Any
extra space this
creates in the TV schedules can be filled with documentary-style
background
material on the story, or a history of cheese.
Tim Rogers on spoilers
https://www.youtube...watch?v=KSRWJMM98pM
[calum, May 12 2021]
Les Murray
https://www.poetryl...dneck-poems-0569000
A redneck with a sense of irony. For [xenzag], I particularly recommend "The Bohemian Occupation". [pertinax, May 13 2021]
There's "rednecks" and there's "Rednecks"
https://www.google....PCWgQ4dUDCAc&uact=5
Depends on context... [neutrinos_shadow, May 13 2021]
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I can imagine scheduling difficulties etc but the idea is great. |
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"While angry from Manchester writes to complain about
All the repeats on T.V." - Del Amitri |
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Excellent, though I think that the upper and lower bounds
are lacking in ambition. For example, episode two of the
inevitable new series of the UK's smotheringly mannered
naughty policemen programme "Line of Duty" could
(perhaps should) consist of just twenty-three seconds of
the pre-interview tape beep, episode three is five hours
and eleven minutes of variations on "...for the benefit of
the tape item ee aitch thirteen is a photograph of said
canal boat registered in the name of..." and episode four
is seventy-six seconds of policemen staring at each other
with unconcealed contempt. |
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Yes, I look forward to the next series of 'Line of Duty',
confident that they'll see the wisdom of adopting your
approach, [calum].
Looking at how this applies
to ordinary crime drama series, I'm guessing that in
actual police-work most crimes are solved really
quickly, or take ages to solve, or are never solved at
all. This
would result in the crime drama series being either
just a single 30-second episode, or around 50 episodes
of between 45 and 180 minutes. I suppose it's OK for
the people who make crime dramas to choose not to
dramatize this kind of crime, but only those which take
a reasonable, but not too long time, to solve. |
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[bigsleep] so you’re agreeing with me but voting against the idea? |
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Maybe - you're disagreeing with a different idea to the
one I posted though |
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I'm with Hippo on this. A variable cadence of the
format of a TV series is inventive and would add
entertainment value. Bigsleep is just very grumpy
today and may have stubbed his toe when he was
out getting his daily tyre kicking session. [aside -
idea for a Redneck gym... tyres to kick, riot shields
to headbutt, a "roaring chamber" to shout into,
swamp room sauna, purple with rage grimacing
mirrors, tarpaulin wrangling machine.. etc.] |
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Having thought about this some more, I see a direct
parallel between hippo's awareness of unelapsed episode
duration and Tim Rogers's analysis of what constitutes a
spoiler (the linked video is by itself more than enough to
render the youtube platform a net good and, as you'd
imagine with that sort of quality, definitely worth
watching if you are at a loose end). |
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//You either enjoy watching something or you don't. If
you start creating a meta-narrative about timing you're
probably no longer enjoying it. Have you tried films
?//
Films have the same problem and additionally
tend
to have a slightly worse but slightly different form of the
same problem - the three act structure, which gives the
attentive viewer a pretty good shot at estimating (a) how
long is left of the film or or indeed and (b) what is going
to happen next. In capitulating to the three act
structure, the film sows the seeds of its own in film
spoilerisation (cf. Tim Rogers). TV programmes don't
have to adhere to that structure - soaps for instance are,
when taken as a whole, as at least as digressive as a
motherfucker. hippo's idea is to remove the
predictability, which is laudable. |
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A print based solution would be to have a book that
releases a poison gas if you peek ahead to discover how
long you have of each chapter. |
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There is a limit, however. If the storyline doesn't have
any foreshadowing or near-predictability, people are
going to just stare blankly and think the plot doesn't
make any sense. The three acts sortof create
themselves. We have to get to know the characters
and be emotiomally connected. They have to do
something that challenges them and us by
extension. Otherwise it's just like watching paint dry. |
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Indeed [calum], and I enjoyed that video - an
excellent blend of paranoia and obsession!
One issue with books is that the bulk of book in
your right hand as you're reading it gives you a clue
as to how close you're getting to the climax of the
plot. This can be solved in a similar fashion to the TV
drama series, by padding out the end of books with
anything between 0 and 200 pages of a history of
cheese. |
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//One issue with books is that the bulk of book in your right
hand as you're reading it gives you a clue as to how close
you're getting to the climax of the plot. This can be solved
in a similar fashion to the TV drama series, by padding out
the end of books with anything between 0 and 200 pages of
a history of cheese.// |
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A superior option for book version is described in some
detail in the book Godel, Escher, Bach- an eternal golden
braid. |
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Ooh, an Escher plotline that ends right back at the
start again... |
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//idea for a Redneck gym/ |
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[xenzag], a redneck is any Caucasian who works out of doors
in a hot country. Please dial down the lazy sterotypes. Also,
see the poetry of Les Murray (linked). |
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[Loris] Can you remind me? It’s some decades since I read that
book! |
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The variable segments could be packed with a selection from one of the wide range of clever shorts currently available. |
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<checks out link > [a1] I think your idea might be a bit restrictive -
you need to think outside the box… |
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// a redneck is any Caucasian who works out of
doors in a hot country//Thanks for the
suggestion..... adds on an outside area to Redneck
gym idea, where there are giant tractor tyres
hanging up that can be pounded with various
implements under under a scorching sun. |
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Oooh, I can't wait for the clever actual race shorts. Personally tailored for sizes and, of course, need. |
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