Half-Hour Drama

Question

Marybones mentioned Rod Serling earlier and that got me wondering.

There are plenty of half-hour shows out there, but off the top of my head I'd have to say they are all comedies of one kind or another.

Even the Dennis Leary fireman show (and his earlier one, The Job) lean heavily toward comedy.
So my question is, do the pros here think there is a market for a revival of half-hour drama ? Have you heard of anything in development or production?

"Don't try to lay no boogie-woogie on the king of
Rock 'n' Roll!"
Long John Baldry

Usenet · Accepted Answer

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[nq:1]Marybones mentioned Rod Serling earlier and that got me wondering. There are plenty of half-hour shows out there, but off ... is a market for a revival of half-hour drama ? Have you heard of anything in development or production? [/nq]
What's interesting is that the soaps, in essence, did "half-hour drama" (although many of them eventually went the hour route as well) every day of the week, and had a devoted following but, of course, it wasn't really "half-hour drama" it's twenty-million hour drama, because the story-lines on these things have been unfolding, sometimes for generations and that's what kept and keeps viewers coming back, day after day. Also, of course, the day-to-day nature of those shows allowed you to have a huge cast, and to keep that cast in front of the audience with a decent degree of frequency because you had five half-hours of show every week to play around with.

And I think that that's the difference. For a self-contained, stand-alone drama, it's hard to develop a series with continuing characters a cop show, a medical show, or what-have-you, in which you can have the level of complexity that's possible and the size of cast that's possible with an hour-long show and to keep everybody in front of the camera on a regular basis, when you only have, literally, twenty-two to twenty-four minutes of screen-time in which to tell your story.
With comedies, the cast is generally quite small, the sets very limited because you're relying on is the comedy to carry the weight of the show. Remove the laughs and what's left, in terms of story, is often extremely thin.
NMS

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[nq:2]Marybones mentioned Rod Serling earlier and that got me wondering. ... Have you heard of anything in development or production? [/nq]
[nq:1]What's interesting is that the soaps, in essence, did "half-hour drama" (although many of them eventually went the hour route ... carry the weight of the show. Remove the laughs and what's left, in terms of story, is often extremely thin.[/nq]
OK, but what about the Serling model (or the Hitchcock model) for that matter. Each week you had Rod Serling or Hitchcock as the only constant, bookending a brand new self-contained play which was essentially (and often literally) the dramatization of a short story.

Could that ever come back?

"Don't try to lay no boogie-woogie on the king of
Rock 'n' Roll!"
Long John Baldry

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]What's interesting is that the soaps, in essence, did "half-hour drama" stand-alone drama, it's hard to develop a series with continuing[/nq]
[nq:1]OK, but what about the Serling model (or the Hitchcock model) for that Could that ever come back?[/nq]
More likely a half hour reality that uses real life celebrities in unique dramatic situations of irony and pathos.
Oh wait, that's 'Punk'd'

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]What's interesting is that the soaps, in essence, did "half-hour drama" stand-alone drama, it's hard to develop a series with continuing[/nq]
[nq:1]OK, but what about the Serling model (or the Hitchcock model) for that Could that ever come back?[/nq]
More likely a half hour reality that uses real life celebrities in unique dramatic situations of irony and pathos.
Oh wait, that's 'Punk'd'

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Marybones mentioned Rod Serling earlier and that got me wondering. There are plenty of half-hour shows out there, but off ... there is a market for a revival of half-hour drama ? Have you heard of anything in development or production?[/nq]
I was hired to write, many many years ago, on Nightmare on Elm Street series, which was pitched as a one-hour that would be split into two half-hour eps for easier syndication. The idea is that a half-hour is easier to sell into prime time access (or whatever it's called these days) than a one-hour.I was also hired, but the show didn't go, for a half-hour SF drama that was aimed at syndication, for the same reasons. As has been mentioned, it's harder to write an effective drama in 22:30 than it is to just get a few laughs; both Serling and Hitch were selling anthology series which (ironically) is easier. Serling talked about the advantage of being constrained by the format, in that there were only so many directions that one could go if you still had to wrap it all up after the second commercial break.

Trouble is, audiences don't respond all that well to anthologies these days and a drama with only three or four main characters, returning every week in the same limited environment (the sitcom model) would require VERY strong writing and equally strong performances - both hard to secure in the world of low-budget TV.

Life Continues, Despite
Evidence to the Contrary
Steven

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Marybones mentioned Rod Serling earlier and that got me wondering. ... ? Have you heard of anything in development or production?[/nq]
[nq:1]I was hired to write, many many years ago, on Nightmare on Elm Street series, which was pitched as ... would require VERY strong writing and equally strong performances - both hard to secure in the world of low-budget TV.[/nq]
Thanks interesting and persuasive.
One hour seems to be the way to go.

"Don't try to lay no boogie-woogie on the king of
Rock 'n' Roll!"
Long John Baldry

Usenet · Answer

nmstevens brought next idea :
[nq:1]And I think that that's the difference. For a self-contained, stand-alone drama, it's hard to develop a series with continuing ... a regular basis, when you only have, literally, twenty-two to twenty-four minutes of screen-time in which to tell your story.[/nq]
You know, I have two words: "Barney Miller". Now, I know it was supposed to be a comedy, but it was really a drama with comedic elements. And I supposed you could count "M.A.S.H." in there, too, before Frank got silly and it became the Alan Alda show.

Jeri Jo & Little Garcia Bear

Half-Hour Drama

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