LAUSR

In the past three to four decades, while serialization became arguably the most discussed feature of contemporary popular culture, the economic and technological development of electronic and then digital media made available several new means to expand narrative worlds. To some extent, the two phenomena might even be seen as one and the same: the rise of home video, the growing role of premium cable television, the emergence of the Internet, and finally the impact of online streaming are certainly among the main causes for the increasing narrative complexity and cultural relevance of audiovisual seriality. Thanks to these new “delivery systems,” serial texts acquired a textual and narrative coherence that was not suited for the modes of production, distribution, and consumption of classical American cinema and television. In fact, some scholars have started to talk about a “post-television” era. In any case, while long-form narratives and, particularly, the “series/serial hybrid” were regarded as the most significant phenomena in the first decade of the 21st century, in these last few years many recent television series seem to have taken a new turn: “short-form” serial narratives such as anthology and miniseries provide the viewer with texts that adopt continuing narratives but also carefully avoid overwhelming the audience with excessive length. The commercial and critical success of American shows such as American Horror Story (2011–), True Detective (2014–), Fargo (2014–) and American Crime Story (2015–), as well European series such as The Killing (2007–2012), Black Mirror (2011–) and The Fall (2013–) is a clear indication of this phenomenon. A symptomatic, if peculiar, example of this most recent turn was the first season of Daredevil released by