Complex TVMain MenuIntroductionVideos for IntroductionComplexity in ContextAuthorshipCharactersComprehensionEvaluationSerial MelodramaOrienting ParatextsTransmedia StorytellingEndsVideo GalleryTable of ContentsJason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945deNew York University Press
Beginnings
12015-03-11T14:28:19-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945de135012Videos for Chapter 2structured_gallery1297582015-03-18T11:03:15-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945deAlthough long-form television serials are notably marked by their potentially eternal narrative middles, they all must start somewhere; this chapter explores how serials are launched with television pilots, considering the core functions of pilots as setting up the direction of a serial’s narrative thrust, teaching viewers how to watch the ongoing narrative, and inspiring them to commit to ongoing serialized consumption. The chapter uses a detailed case study of the Veronica Mars pilot to demonstrate how serials establish intrinsic norms for ongoing narratives, with references to strategies found in pilots of Twin Peaks, Arrested Development, Alias, Awake, How I Met Your Mother, Pushing Daisies, and Terriers.