Cliffhangers, a staple of primetime TV in the salad days of “Dallas” and “Dynasty,” are captivating viewers again amid a resurgence in serialized dramas.
The trend in shows with continuing story lines, from “The West Wing” to “24,” has mushroomed, thanks to the success of last season’s biggest new hits, “Desperate Housewives,” “Lost” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” That has left plenty of dangling plotlines this fall as fans eagerly await answers to last May’s burning questions.
And fall ushers in new serials, including “Reunion,” a murder mystery with each episode reflecting a year in the life of six high school classmates; “Commander in Chief,” with Geena Davis as the first female president; and “Prison Break,” about a man who has himself sent to prison so he can bust out his wrongfully accused brother.
Several sci-fi or supernatural-themed series – CBS’ “Threshold,” NBC’s “Surface,” ABC’s “Invasion” and WB’s “Supernatural” – promise to slowly unravel their complex mysteries. Fans will be teased but rewarded for their patience, if the shows aren’t canceled first.
It’s a marked change from a glut of crime dramas, many of which remain successful and are embraced by the networks: They’re self-contained, can be viewed in any order and are far more durable in reruns.
But even comedies such as “Friends” showed that viewers become more invested in characters that evolve week to week, as they rooted for Ross and Rachel to end up together.
Networks relish such fans.
“The average regular viewer watches about half the episodes of series, but with serialized dramas, it can be as high as 70 percent,” says CBS research chief David Poltrack. “When you get one that’s successful, you’re going to get people there every week.”
WB has long trafficked in continuing sagas, from “7th Heaven” to “Dawson’s Creek” and “Smallville.” Fox is extending a strategy that has moved from “Beverly Hills, 90210” to “The O.C.” and “24.” “The loyal audiences those shows breed gave us a lot of confidence when it came to stepping up on ‘Prison Break’ and ‘Reunion,’ ” says Fox entertainment chief Peter Liguori.
But network chiefs say a strong, well-written series is more important than its format. “It truly was us falling in love with those shows, and recognizing there was an opportunity to counterprogram what other networks were doing” with crime stories, says ABC programmer Francie Calfo.
“The success of ‘Desperate Housewives’ does not mean people are looking for another soap opera,” says analyst Steve Sternberg of ad firm Magna Global USA. What do they crave? “Good characters that they look forward to seeing week after week.”
