serials

A serial is a narrative presented in sequential installments released over time. Serials appear in literature, film, radio, television, and online. The defining feature is continuity: each part advances ongoing plots or character arcs, and installments often end with a cliffhanger to encourage readers or viewers to return for the next part. Serial storytelling emphasizes pacing and cumulative storytelling over a single, self-contained work.

In literature, serial publication flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries as magazines and newspapers carried novels in installments. Writers gained steady readership, publishers tested market interest, and serialized chapters shaped pacing and structure. Notable practitioners include Charles Dickens and Anthony Trollope, whose works appeared in weekly or monthly installments before book form.

In film, serials or chapter plays circulated in theaters during the early 20th century. Each chapter concluded with a cliffhanger, while the overall plot advanced across episodes. In radio and television, serials persist as ongoing narratives—such as soaps and multi-episode dramas—requiring viewers to follow continuity across episodes, in contrast to standalone, episodic works. Some programs blend ongoing arcs with episodic content.

Today, serial storytelling extends to streaming, podcasts, and web series. The terms serial and series are sometimes used loosely; technically, serials emphasize continuing narratives across installments, while episodic formats deliver self-contained episodes.