I've written HOW many posts now and haven't yet explicitly gone over episodic stories?!
Although the advice in my posts can apply to almost all forms of storytelling, what I'll be covering today is specifically needed in episodic stories (from scripted tv, to reality shows, and beyond!)
In this post, you'll learn what makes a successful series vs what makes a great one, and how you can achieve both!
I'll start with this: a series can be successful just by having one, single thing.
Well, read on to find out!
Creating Successful Episodic Content
In order to attract and maintain an audience, episodic content literally just needs one thing:
a compelling element that keeps people coming back for more.
This compelling element can be a (in order of importance):
character
storyline
world
theme
Notice how concept isn't listed here. This is because a compelling concept can only attract an audience. The other elements maintain an audience.
I'll prove it to you.
I recently binged the entirety of "UPLOAD" on Amazon Prime in 2 days.
I was first attracted to the concept of a man who's uploaded into a virtual afterlife, but it was the exploration of this world and mystery storyline surrounding the cause of the protagonist's death that kept me invested.
And I swear, I went through all the stages of grief watching this sci-fi comedy series.
Denial - The pilot episode focuses heavily on the set-up of this world and the circumstances surrounding the protagonist, NATHAN's, death. This is paired with lots of humor to keep things light and satirical rather than depressing like the concept easily could have been. This worked really well… For the first couple episodes.
As Nathan got his bearings in the virtual afterlife, the focus shifted from the world exploration and mystery storyline to setting up the budding romance between Nathan and his "angel" / customer service rep, NORA.
It makes sense this became the focal point, because their relationship ends up being one of the core storylines of the series, with their partnership often contributing to the worldbuilding and development of the mystery storyline.
However, what hooked me was the show’s world and central plot, which was quickly being pushed aside in favor of this relationship that didn't compel me.
When I realized the series was morphing into a standard rom-com with a sci-fi flair, I tried to convince myself I still liked the direction it was going.
Anger - If the characters were compelling to me, this wouldn't have been a problem. Because they weren't though, I saw the characters as something I had to deal with in order to get to the compelling elements the show promised me in the first place.
Bargaining - As season 2 began and the central POV shifted to Nora, I started reading the show’s Wikipedia page just to see how much more of this I’d have to endure. I told myself I could stop watching if the new developments in the virtual afterlife and the company that maintains it didn't continue to hold my interest.
Depression - I knew I had to see this through to the end, even if just for the faint hope that the show might satisfy the intrigue sparked by its unique world and mystery storyline. I was losing that hope quickly.
Especially when, in season 3, Nora and Nathan visited a farm where they had to handle mutant animals -- for seemingly no reason other than to show how dystopian the real world was. It felt like the show's last-ditch effort to keep people like me engaged.
Acceptance - As I watched season 3, I was fully aware that the aspects of the show that initially compelled me had gone way off the rails. I also knew I didn’t care about the central relationship that had quickly taken center stage. At this point, I was watching just to see where the story would go, even though I knew I wasn’t, and probably never would be, happy with it.
And guess what? I’m ready and waiting for season four.
Only so I can see what else will happen in the virtual afterlife, and hopefully find out the true cause behind Nathan's death.
All this is to say: A compelling character, storyline, world or theme is the ONLY thing you need to maintain an audience, even if everything else is underwhelming.
I could provide more examples of shows I forced myself to binge, but I fear my tastes would come into question.
Creating Great Episodic Content
So obviously we don't all set out to make a show like Upload that satisfies in some ways but disappoints in several others.
We want to make episodic content that genuinely keeps the audience invested and wanting more.
Ideally, our show would have compelling characters, storylines, settings, and themes!
So let's dive into how to achieve that, step-by-step.
Compelling Characters
To create a character that truly resonates with an audience, the key is to make them relatable.
Not in the superficial sense like "I love pizza!"
Relatable in a way that makes the character feel accessible on a deeper, emotional level.
A relatable character is one the audience can see themselves or others in in some way. They can understand the character's feelings, and empathize with their decisions. Whether it's "I would do that," "I know someone who would do that," or "I understand why someone would do that."
Your character could be an alien creature from a world with no similarities to our own. But if the audience can connect with the character's emotions and experiences, the character becomes intrinsically relatable and, therefore, compelling.
It's shared human experience, universal emotions, that draw audiences in and keep them invested in a character’s journey, regardless of how different it may be from their own life.
Compelling Storyline
I’ve covered this topic in many of my previous posts, but a compelling storyline in its simplest form is just: tension.
Tension can come from various sources.
The main way is a relationship between characters.
With THE OFFICE, lots of people watched the show just to see if Jim and Pam would get together. The show was able to sustain that tension for nearly 4 entire seasons without it feeling boring or annoying (like Upload 😅).
This is largely due to how compelling both these characters are.
As you'll start to see, a lot of these elements depend on or are influenced by each other. This is why I mentioned the specific order of importance for these things. ;)
The appeal of The Office certainly lies within the funny antics and characters at Dunder Mifflin as well, but it's the emotional stakes tied to Jim and Pam's relationship that add depth to the storyline and make it compelling.
Tension in character relationships DEFINITELY doesn’t always have to be romantic.
It's just that this is typically the most, hmmmm, how should I put it... RELATABLE way to approach it. ;)
Because it is quite literally ingrained within human nature to feel love for others, this sort of relationship has the most universal appeal.
But we want to create a unique series, so let's focus on the next option: characters whose journeys are directly opposed with one another.
For example, in BREAKING BAD, one of the main source of tension as the series went on was the relationship between Walter and his brother-in-law, Hank.
Their relationship is so tense because of Hank’s relentless pursuit of the drug lord "Heisenberg," who he doesn't know is actually Walter. As Hank gets closer to discovering the truth, the stakes and tension rise.
Will Hank figure out Walter's secret? How far will Walter go to protect himself?
These dramatic questions inject suspense into every interaction between these two, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats.
Or in other words... Keeping the audience... COMPELLED!
Another option for conflict is a relationship between a character and their world.
A great example of this can be found in the Netflix series BOJACK HORSEMAN.
BoJack deals with addiction, self-loathing, and the lingering effects of his poor choices and former career success, all while living in "Hollywoo," a town filled with superficiality, constant judgment, and people who refuse to let him move on from who he was.
Throughout the series, BoJack is harshly criticized by everyone around him, from the media to his peers and even closest friends.
The tension comes from BoJack’s ongoing fight to navigate a world that seems determined to remind him of his failures at every turn.
This external pressure pushes BoJack to confront his own demons, creating a strong storyline driven by the conflict between a horse-man trying to change and a world that won’t allow him to forget his past.
We often see BoJack succumb to the toxic environment he lives in, falling back into drug and alcohol abuse, treating people he cares about poorly, and generally living like he doesn't care if he dies tomorrow.
All of this creates tension and conflict in a character vs. world dynamic that makes BoJack’s journey so, wait for it............ compelling!
So whether it’s a will-they-won't-they, cat-and-mouse, or the-whole-world-is-against-me storyline, tension is what drives a strong story and keeps the audience emotionally engaged + invested.
Compelling World
A story's world can be compelling for a number of reasons. I've found that all those reasons essentially boil down to: a sense of mystery.
Not necessarily the murder or "whodunit" type, although that is certainly one way to go about it!
I'm talking about the kind of mystery where you just KNOW there's more to this world to uncover, and you're excited about discovering it. That feeling is what keeps audiences coming back for more.
Think of your favorite shows or films that have immersive worlds. They’re layered, with hidden depths that aren’t immediately clear when the story starts. But these deeper layers are hinted at early on, promising the audience a journey of uncovering new secrets, new rules, and new wonders as the story progresses.
This sense of mystery and discovery makes the world feel alive, dynamic, and, most importantly................... compelling.
Compelling Theme
Themes resonate with audiences on a personal level. What connects with one person might not connect with another. It's quite subjective, because themes are formed from a distinct point of view.
But even if the story's intended theme doesn't get through to audience members, if everything else listed before this has hooked them, it doesn't ultimately matter.
Because the audience will draw their own thematic conclusions regardless of your intentions.
I'll give another personal anecdote here.
I recently rewatched the movie WHITE CHICKS, which I was obsessed with as a kid. My best friend and I thought it was the funniest thing in the world. We watched it so much we could quote every word from it.
There's a specific scene where one of the protagonists is in the dressing room with a female character as she's trying on an outfit. It fits her perfectly. When the protagonist tells her this, she instantly bursts into tears, insulting every inch of her body.
As a kid, I thought it was hilarious because the woman was "sooooo crazy!" My friend and I would mock this scene whenever we faced the slightest inconvenience, acting "crazy" to get a laugh out of each other.
Watching it again as an adult, I still find the scene funny, but for a different reason.
Now, I laugh WITH the character instead of AT her, because I’ve felt those exact insecurities she's screaming and crying about many times in my life.
And maybe I’ve even behaved exactly that way a few times... 😅
I no longer see the character as a "crazy lady," but as someone expressing a very real feeling -- one that society has imposed on women for decades.
I think the filmmaker never meant for the point of the joke to be "haha, women are crazy," but that’s still how I interpreted it as a child, and I’m sure many other audience members at different life stages interpreted it that way too.
The filmmaker's intention was more along the lines of: "This is what women have to go through. Isn’t that crazy?" And I’m certain many other audience members at different life stages interpret it that way as well. :)
All this is to say, the key to a compelling theme is its ability to reach people where they're at in their lives.
In a broader sense, this is why cult classics even exist.
Take THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, for example.
In 1975, this movie was a box office flop, but today it’s insanely popular and even still screened weekly at theaters around the world.
Why is that?
The themes the film touches on (sexuality, gender identity, and "otherness") weren’t as openly accepted when the film was released.
Were there tons of gay horny people who felt like they didn't fit in in the 1970s?
Um, is that even a real question?
Of course there were, and that’s exactly who this movie appealed to at the time.
But because being part of the LGBTQ+ community and/or open about sexuality wasn’t as widely acceptable then as it has become in recent years, the film didn’t perform well originally.
Now that our world is more open to the themes the story touches on, the story is connecting and resonating with far more people than it did originally.
A compelling theme can help a story find its audience over time.
But to create a theme that will resonate with people now, look at what's going on in the world and express what YOU feel it.
Now you know how to make successful AND great episodic stories!
Any topics you want to see expanded? Let me know!
But ONLY after you tell me your favorite TV show, and which elements it has that were covered in this post.
Leave your answer in the comments below!
Arrested Development. It has compelling characters and storylines.
"My Cousin Vinny" for its character and storyline.