Have you ever wondered about the origins of TV serial dramas? How they developed into this huge industry where there are so many fandoms and it is such a huge part of everyone’s lives? I’m about to give you some details and facts TV serial dramas A drama series is designed to run and return for an indefinite amount of years. Independent television drama companies were the first to record their dramas solely on film- was more expensive but better quality and could be sold to foreign markets such as America. Creators of ' The Sweeney' and ' Minder' were among the first UK companies to make filmed TV dramas largely aimed at the domestic market. These serial dramas were very popular in the 90s, and some aspects of the shows are carried on in serial dramas even today. Also, until early 1980's, US television drama series followed a set narrative structure with a 'story of the week' delivering a narrative resolution at the end of each episode. If this was still the case now, guaranteed audiences would lose interest straight away and serial dramas wouldn’t be as half as popular as they are now. Stephen Bochco's US police drama 'Hill Street' changed the shape of television drama series- the drama focused on a lot of different characters not just a single protagonist, an ensemble cast was used, and stories delved into their domestic lives as well as their professional ones. The crime stories ran over several episodes before offering any closure and sometimes no satisfactory resolution. Story and character arcs were introduced across a whole season of episodes giving it a more serial quality. 1970s and 1980s were the years that companies got actors from theatre productions and were told to learn their lines and perform. Interior shots were filmed by video whilst exterior shots were filmed on film; compared to current a drama there is a cinematic look now which is much more engaging for audiences today.
