What are they?
TV anthology dramas are a type of television series in which each episode, season, or arc features a completely new story, setting, and cast of characters, with a unique narrative or theme. While anthology shows may explore similar genres or styles, each instalment stands alone, offering viewers fresh experiences without the need for prior knowledge of previous episodes.
There are two main types of TV anthology dramas:
Anthology Series with Self-Contained Episodes: Each episode tells a different story, with new characters and settings, often with a unique theme or moral. Classic examples include The Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits. These shows typically focus on speculative fiction, horror, or fantasy.
Seasonal Anthology Series: These shows feature a different story, theme, and set of characters for each season, while maintaining a consistent overall style or tone. A famous example is American Horror Story, where each season tells a self-contained narrative but with the same core creative team and occasionally some recurring actors.
Conventions of Tv Anthology Dramas
Self-contained stories: Each story has its own resolution, meaning you can jump in at any point without being lost.
Varied genres: Anthologies often cover a wide range of genres, from horror to crime, drama, and science fiction.
New characters and settings: Each new episode or season brings fresh characters, actors, and locations.
Thematic exploration: Themes can range from the supernatural to the psychological, often using an anthology format to explore different facets of a subject or style.
What are the appeals to the audience?
the appeal of TV anthology dramas lies in their variety, flexibility, and ability to deliver fresh, engaging content with every instalment. Audiences appreciate the ability to dive into a unique, self-contained story whenever they choose, with no long-term commitment required. The creative risks that come with the anthology format often result in high-quality, innovative television that can surprise, provoke thought, and entertain in equal measure.
UK anthology series: Inside No.9
Inside No. 9 is a British black comedy anthology television programme written and created by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith. It aired on BBC Two from 5 February 2014 to 12 June 2024, running for 9 series and 55 episodes. Each 30-minute episode is a self-contained story with new characters and a new setting, almost all starring Pemberton or Shearsmith (usually both). Aside from the writers, each episode has a new cast, allowing Inside No. 9 to attract several well-known actors. The stories are linked only by a setting related to the number 9 in some way, and a brass hare statue that is hidden in all episodes. Themes and tone vary from episode to episode, but all have elements of comedy and horror or perverse humour, in addition to a plot twist.
American anthology show: The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone is an American fantasy science fiction horror anthology television series created and presented by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from October 2, 1959, to June 19, 1964. Each episode presents a standalone story in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described as entering "the Twilight Zone", often with a surprise ending and a moral. Although often considered predominantly science-fiction, the show's paranormal and Kafkaesque events leaned the show much closer to fantasy and horror (there are about twice as many fantasy episodes as science fiction). The phrase "twilight zone" has entered the vernacular, used to describe surreal experiences.
The series featured both established stars and younger actors who would become much better known later. Serling served as executive producer and head writer; he wrote or co-wrote 92 of the show's 156 episodes. He was also the show's host and narrator, delivering monologues at the beginning and end of each episode, and typically appeared on-screen to address the audience directly during the opening scene. Serling's opening and closing narrations usually summarize the episode's events encapsulating how and why the main characters had entered the Twilight Zone.
How Creepypastas Influenced the Modern Horror Anthology:
“Creepypasta” is a term used to refer to horror-related short stories that have been spread around the internet. The most notable examples are Slenderman and Jeff the Killer. The rise in popularity of these online short stories has also sparked a renewal in the publication of short story horror anthologies. While Stephen King has long been a lover of short stories, publishing sixteen short story anthologies over his career so far, other horror writers have jumped onto this trend. As more short stories gain popularity, Hollywood has been catching on, first by developing notable creepypastas into films, and then by increasing the release of anthology shows. After 2011, more horror series took on the anthology format to explore multiple stories within one show. Whether telling one story per season like Slasher and American Horror Story or telling one story per episode like Black Mirror, it’s clear that the anthology is the new craze.
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