- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
What is the ideal # of episodes for a season of a TV Drama?
Posted on 7/9/24 at 8:59 am
Posted on 7/9/24 at 8:59 am
I’ve been staying off this board because I’ve been watching House of the Dragon S2 and there were far too many a-hole retard nerds who spoiled season 1 because they wanted to let everyone know about their elite book knowledge. fricking losers.
Anyways, I just found out that there’s only 8 episodes in this season - we’re halfway done. Really disappointing and feels the gears are just now starting to turn.
Assuming 45-60 minute episode length, what is the ideal length of a season?
8 is way too short. Shows like Prison Break & Lost diluted the story by stretching to get 21-22 episodes. I think something like 12-13 episodes is the perfect amount.
Anyways, I just found out that there’s only 8 episodes in this season - we’re halfway done. Really disappointing and feels the gears are just now starting to turn.
Assuming 45-60 minute episode length, what is the ideal length of a season?
8 is way too short. Shows like Prison Break & Lost diluted the story by stretching to get 21-22 episodes. I think something like 12-13 episodes is the perfect amount.
This post was edited on 7/9/24 at 9:03 am
10
Posted on 7/9/24 at 9:02 am to diddlydawg7
US seems to be the only country that puts out shite over 22 episodes instead of quality over 6-8..
Posted on 7/9/24 at 9:04 am to diddlydawg7
8-10 is ideal for me.
Sherlock seasons were really short and it was great.
Sherlock seasons were really short and it was great.
Posted on 7/9/24 at 10:37 am to diddlydawg7
quote:
I think something like 12-13 episodes is the perfect amount.
Was going to say 10-12 seems to be the perfect amount to me. Too many over that and you find they have to put in a lot of fluff and filler to get to the end. While 8 can be perfect for few series, it can also feel a little rushed at the end for most of them.
Posted on 7/9/24 at 10:40 am to diddlydawg7
8-12 for me
Depending on the material
But that’s plenty of time to tell the story without a bunch of filler for programming hours
Depending on the material
But that’s plenty of time to tell the story without a bunch of filler for programming hours
Posted on 7/9/24 at 10:43 am to diddlydawg7
The problem for me isn’t the number of episodes in a season. It’s the extended break between seasons nowadays that can last more than a year or two and completely kills the momentum of a show.
Looking at you Stranger Things.
Looking at you Stranger Things.
Posted on 7/9/24 at 10:50 am to diddlydawg7
Peak TV for me was 20+ episodes. The format of monster, bad guy, crime etc of the week with over arcing story for the season pushed forward a little each week.
The 6-10 episode per season is just too short and in modern format, to me, everything is way too rushed and then you wait 10 months to 2 years for the following episodes.
But peak TV is over and the entire industry is failing.
The 6-10 episode per season is just too short and in modern format, to me, everything is way too rushed and then you wait 10 months to 2 years for the following episodes.
But peak TV is over and the entire industry is failing.
Posted on 7/9/24 at 10:57 am to Broken Coyote
quote:
Peak TV for me was 20+ episodes. The format of monster, bad guy, crime etc of the week with over arcing story for the season pushed forward a little each week.
I agree. I enjoyed the longer seasons. What people keep calling “filler”, I call world building (at least for the good shows). Not all of them are going to be bangers, but some of the greatest tv episodes of all time are episodes that didn’t really affect the main plot of the show.
Posted on 7/9/24 at 11:20 am to xenythx
quote:
The problem for me isn’t the number of episodes in a season. It’s the extended break between seasons nowadays that can last more than a year or two and completely kills the momentum of a show.
Looking at you Stranger Things.
Exactly. Season 1 of that was great at 8 episodes. Season 2 was only a little more than a year later. But the stretch between S2 and S3 was almost 2 years. Season 4 was almost a 3 year wait.
Something like Breaking Bad was done almost perfectly for the amount of episodes and time between seasons, but that was on cable and not a streaming service exclusively. The short first season, then the second through 4th were 13 episodes. Only around a year between seasons too. Except for the final season. And they ended it without too much filler.
Network shows were great back in the day, but stuff like Lost, 24, Prison Break, all seemed to drag on too long at times. Lost could have been 4 great seasons, instead it stretched out to 6. Prison Break should have stopped after season 2.
Give me 12-16 hour long episodes and run it for 4-5 seasons and it hits that sweet spot of not being too drawn out.
Posted on 7/9/24 at 11:28 am to diddlydawg7
There shouldn't be a standard. Tell the damn story in how many episodes it takes. Stretching and shrinking to a planned number of episodes is why we get shite tv. Some stories can be told best in 8 hours while others may need 20.
In the same way, some movies can best be shown in 90 minutes and others need 3+ hours.
We have a bad habit of letting time dictate the story rather than the story dictating the time.
That's why mini-series/limited series are often the best.
In the same way, some movies can best be shown in 90 minutes and others need 3+ hours.
We have a bad habit of letting time dictate the story rather than the story dictating the time.
That's why mini-series/limited series are often the best.
This post was edited on 7/9/24 at 11:29 am
Posted on 7/9/24 at 11:40 am to GrammarKnotsi
quote:totaly agree. its so hard to pick up on an older US tv series because there's like 78 episodes in 3 seasons.
US seems to be the only country that puts out shite over 22 episodes instead of quality over 6-8..
i personally loved UK Sherlock because they killed it in 6 episodes (or was it 5?) and same with Office, UK. We have eleventy billion episodes in the US version but what..15..? in the UK version which makes the show better IMO.
so i'm in the 6-10 ep camp. anymore than that and it becomes a chore to go through a season later on.
eta great topic
This post was edited on 7/9/24 at 11:41 am
Posted on 7/9/24 at 11:42 am to Broken Coyote
quote:
Peak TV for me was 20+ episodes. The format of monster, bad guy, crime etc of the week with over arcing story for the season pushed forward a little each week.
i would argue Sherlock (UK) did this AMAZINGLY well in only like 6 episodes.
Posted on 7/9/24 at 11:53 am to Weekend Warrior79
quote:
Was going to say 10-12
Posted on 7/9/24 at 8:17 pm to Major Dutch Schaefer
I like 10 to 15.
If it is under 10 it often seems rushed and like there isn't enough time to develop threads before things need to wrap up.
Over 15, like most old school network shows was too much. Too much filler and if you aren't with it from the start it is too much to want to start.
For me 10-15 is the Goldilocks zone. Sopranos, Game of Thrones and Succession generally followed they l that format and it hits right for me.
If it is under 10 it often seems rushed and like there isn't enough time to develop threads before things need to wrap up.
Over 15, like most old school network shows was too much. Too much filler and if you aren't with it from the start it is too much to want to start.
For me 10-15 is the Goldilocks zone. Sopranos, Game of Thrones and Succession generally followed they l that format and it hits right for me.
Posted on 7/9/24 at 8:22 pm to diddlydawg7
10-13
Screw those series that do 6 or 8 episodes, it’s terrible.
Screw those series that do 6 or 8 episodes, it’s terrible.
Posted on 7/9/24 at 8:32 pm to diddlydawg7
I depends on the series. I streamed Jericho for the 1st time a couple of years ago. Really got into it and loved the 23 episode 1st season. It sucked that the next season only had six or seven episodes. When I looked at the dates of the 2nd season's release, I saw a year was actually skipped. Then this board answered my question of why it got skipped, and why the season was so short. One of the big writers strikes killed the 2nd season, and different writers just wrote a quick ending. It feels like as we turned from FB, to twitter, to tik tok, our minds can't handle 20+ episodes anymore. That's pretty sad.
Posted on 7/9/24 at 8:34 pm to diddlydawg7
Either 5 seasons of 10 episodes
OR
1 season of 7-10 episodes
I think miniseries is the best medium for storytelling
OR
1 season of 7-10 episodes
I think miniseries is the best medium for storytelling
Page 1 of 1
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News