Chad Gervich, author of Small Screen, Big Picture: A Writer’s Guide to the TV Business, recently shared his breakdown of what he sees as the four genres of television dramas. He also discusses how these generes can be mixed. Here’s an excerpt:
Procedurals
Procedurals are shows that derive their stories from a specific procedure, such as NCIS, House, or Criminal Minds. Each episode begins with the introduction of a problem, which our main characters must solve using their unique procedure. CSI uses forensics, The Practice used lawyers and the legal system, etc. Procedurals traditionally tell standalone stories — stories that have a complete beginning, middle, and end in each hour.
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