Story arc

Categories: Narratology | Comics | Television terminology

In episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books and comic strips a story arc is an extended or continuing storyline. In a television series, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story arc is much more common in dramas than in comedies, especially in soap operas. Webcomics are more likely to use story arcs than newspaper comics, as most web comics have readable archives online that a newcomer to the strip can read in order to understand what's going on.

Many American comic book series are now written in four- or six-issue arcs, within a continuing series. Short story arcs are easier to package as trade paperbacks for resale, and more accessible to the casual reader than the never-ending continuity that once characterized comics.

Although story arcs on television have been around for decades, and are common in many countries where multi-episode storylines are the norm (an example being Britain's Doctor Who), their use in American episodic series (as opposed to mini-series) has been sporadic, in part because of the belief that arc-heavy series are difficult to sell in syndication where stations might not air episodes in order, or casual/occasional viewers might lose interest. Many arc-based series in past decades, such as V, were often short-lived and found it difficult to attract new viewers; they also rarely appear in traditional syndication. One area of American television where story arcs have always thrived, however, is in the realm of the soap opera, and often episodic series have been derisively referred to as "soap operas" when they have adopted story arcs.

A new type of arc-based television storytelling was introduced in the early 1980s when several dramas, notably Hill Street Blues and St. Elsewhere, began to use a format of overlapping story arcs; that is, in any given episode one new arc might be starting, while a second was ongoing, and yet another might be concluding. These story arcs were typically resolved much more quickly than in a soap opera show, and they might be of varying lengths and were often combined with additional storylines that were contained within a single episode. The early 1990s David Lynch-Mark Frost-produced ABC series Twin Peaks used this method extensively, which, despite critical acclaim and extensive media attention, contributed to its cancellation after two seasons. The technique proved highly influential and was adopted for later, even more successful dramas including L.A. Law and ER, as well as for some comedies.

A noted pioneer of the use of sweeping story arcs in American television, and more notably American science fiction television, was J. Michael Straczynski. His series, Babylon 5, relied almost exclusively on arcs starting at the end of its second season, at the same time that Straczynski would begin to write every single episode. Up to that point, science fiction television in the U.S. was often associated with the reset button technique, where individual episodes dominated a series' run and consequences were rarely far-reaching. Straczynski's work would prove the concept was viable for science fiction, and would pave the way for current arc-heavy genre shows where events within the story have lasting consequence, such as the new Battlestar Galactica.

In recent years, American viewers have become increasingly more accepting of story arcs, with arc-based series such as Alias, 24 and Desperate Housewives finding critical acclaim and ratings success, and the release of arc-heavy TV series on DVD generating huge sales. The tide has turned to the point where arcs have become expected elements of dramatic series, and shows that rely upon standalone episodes are now quite often held up for criticism (a good example being Star Trek: Enterprise which enjoyed fan and critical acceptance only after adopting an arc format after two seasons of mostly standalone episodes).

Arc-based series draw and reward dedicated viewers, and fans of a particular show follow and discuss different story arcs independently from particular episodes. Story arcs are sometimes split into subarcs if deemed significant by fans, making it easy to refer to certain episodes if their production order titles are unknown. Episodes not relevant to story arcs are sometimes dismissed as filler by fans, but might be referred to as self-contained or standalone episodes by producers.

[edit]

Dramatic structure and purpose

The purpose of a story arc is to move a character or a situation from one state to another — in other words, to effect a change. This change or transformation often takes the form of either Aristotle's tragic fall from grace or a reversal of that pattern. One common form in which this reversal is found is a character going from a situation of weakness to one of strength. For example, a poor man goes on adventures and in the end makes a fortune for himself, or a lonely woman falls in love and get married.

Story arcs in contemporary drama (whatever the medium) often (but not always) follow the pattern of bringing a character to a low point, removing the structures the character depends on, and forcing the character to find new strength without those structures.

[edit]

See also

[edit]

External links