Procedural Series Make Sure Viewers Are Not 'Left Behind'

CSI Files

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<I>CSI</I> creator <font color=yellow>Anthony Zuiker</font> and <I>CSI: Crime Scene Investigation</I> executive producers <font color=yellow>Naren Shankar</font> and <font color=yellow>Carol Mendelsohn</font> compared procedural and serial television shows to explain why some get the glory and others get the longevity.<p>Serialized television series feature ongoing story arcs, but procedural series have stories that are contained within each hourlong episode. "People in this landscape want to have the self-confidence that if they're going to spend an hour of time to watch television that they won't be left behind," Zuiker told the <A class="link" HREF="http://www.latimes.com/">Los Angeles Times</a>. "If you have to do a lot of legwork to catch up, your level of engagement may not come back."<p>Telling a story in each episode is important in a procedural show like <I>CSI</I>, but characters are also important to the series. Mendelsohn revealed that procedurals "get a bum rap" due to the assumption that these programmes lack the character development provided in a serialized show. However, "You can't have a good procedural without great characters," Mendelsohn said.<p>While serial shows tend to get the critical acclaim, procedurals such as the <I>CSI</I> franchise tend to last longer and pull in larger audiences. One difference is the venue: procedurals do well on broadcast networks like CBS, but cable networks have more leeway to create unique serialized dramas. "The problem for the broadcast network is they still have to do mainstream programming," Shankar explained. "Cable can do niche programming -- the best drama at last year's Emmys was <I>Mad Men</I>, which people love, but the audience for that show is very small. For a mainstream audience, procedurals are highly conducive for the audiences they want to attract."<p>The original article is from the <A class="link" HREF="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-en-procedurals8-2009jun08,0,5952524.story">Los Angeles Times</a>.<center></center>
 
I completely agree.I watch CSI mainly for the cases but it would not be the same if the characters were boring and the interactions between them lacked chemistry.Once in a while a character centric episode is good for the show.
 
myfuturecsi said:
But I still think you can have a story arc with a character and still keep it as a procedural.
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Yeah, I think that's basically what Carol was getting at - people think procedurals don't have character development, but the truth is that there is character development because you can't have a good show without good characters.
 
Do you know Carol M. was a writer of Tour of Duty: Tv series? I didn't know that 'till I watch the show on my DVD.
 
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