The Evolving Storyline

Or,

Are we there yet?

By Steven Michael Witt

     Twenty-first century television is currently undergoing a remarkable transformation, and Battlestar Galactica is at the very forefront of this sweeping wave of change.

     From the birth of broadcast TV, until just before the turn of the twenty-first century, most weekly television series adhered to a predictable format. Each episode in a series was conceived as a stand alone adventure. Storylines would be introduced, developed, and then resolved within the given time slot of a program. Events which occurred in one episode would have little or no appreciable effect on future episodes in the series. This standardized approach made it possible for viewers to tune into a series at any point during its run, and immediately be able to comprehend and enjoy the program.

     Of course, this format had its drawbacks. Mainly, it limited character development. While great pains were taken to establish characters, and to help them make a connection with the audience, there was rarely any effort made to allow the characters to mature or change during the run of the show. Any attempt to have done so would have violated the basic 'ship in a bottle' premise of the format. Unfortunately, this meant that the actors who regularly appeared in these series weren't left with much room in which to explore the broader range of their talents. They were quite literally trapped in their roles. This is one of the main reasons why evil twins and upside down dream sequences became such popular and oft-used story vehicles. They allowed actors an opportunity to climb out of the box for one brief moment, and even mock or ridicule their more mundane roles.

     Soap operas and their prime time counterparts notwithstanding, this was the format that was used by virtually every comedic, episodic, or dramatic television series which aired during the latter half of the twentieth century. And it remained the standard until the mid 1990s, when the nature of the weekly television series format began to change.

     The primary agents of this change were two speculative fiction shows: Babylon 5, and The X-Files. Rather than being generic 'adventure of the week' shows, both of these programs had coherent storylines, which were played out over the run of their respective series. However, they each chose a markedly different approach when it came to series presentation.

     Babylon 5 told a five-year-long tale. All but a handful of its shows were dedicated to the progression of the storyline. Beautifully conceived and rendered, B5 introduced the ground breaking concept of the evolving storyline, which was to become the blueprint for the next generation of televised entertainment.

     The X-Files chose to concentrate their main focus on a background thread, that would weave its way in and out of the storyline, and this became the framework for their series. This meant that some episodes could be dedicated, in whole or in part, to the progression of the thread, while others could make use of the 'adventure of the week' format. Since there were no constraints on script selection, the series was free to explore any potential venue. However, it also meant that The X-Files lacked the overall cohesion of Babylon 5, because so many of The X-Files episodes were self contained adventures, which made no material contribution to the progression of the storyline. While this approach in no way detracted from the appeal of the series, it could occasionally be frustrating to the viewer, who might have to wait weeks, or even months, for the next update of the ongoing thread.

     Based upon the success of these two series, other production companies began to sit up and take notice. Among the first to embrace this new form of entertainment were the Action Pack graduate, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and its spin-off, Xena: Warrior Princess. Both series began to experiment with the thread concept, and they buttressed this new format with mini-adventures, or chapters, that were often played out over two or three episodes. During the last two seasons of its run, Xena: Warrior Princess adopted the evolving storyline approach, and from that point onward most episodes began where the previous week's episode had ended.

     At roughly the same time, the Star Trek folks decided to throw their collective hats into the ring. They also had two ongoing shows to work with: UPN's Star Trek: Voyager and the syndicated series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. While DS9 took three nebulous background threads and wove them into a full blown storyline, Voyager chose to devote the majority of its efforts to character development.

     Shortly after the turn of the century, mainstream television entered the fray with the landmark production, 24. This show was literally a 'day in the life of' presentation that focused on a twenty-four hour period in the protagonist's life, and played it out in one hour installments. For most of the mainstream television audience, 24 was their first introduction to the concept of the evolving storyline format.

     Collectively, each of these trailblazing series helped to lay the ground work for the transformation of twenty-first century television, and, more specifically, for The Sci Fi Channel's Battlestar Galactica.

     BSG seamlessly incorporates all the aforementioned elements into one harmonious production. Galactica uses the evolving storyline format, in chapter form, to relate an ongoing story. Actions which take place in one episode often reverberate throughout the episodes that follow, and even have the potential to affect the entire course of the series. Galactica's characters are not stereotypes or caricatures; they're three-dimensional human beings. The amount of depth that this level of characterization contributes to the show is immeasurable, and is one of the main reasons why BSG is such a worthwhile investment of time on the part of the viewer. But there is little doubt that the greatest strength of this series can be found in the unique approach which it employs in the development of relevant social, political, and moral themes. The show's use of the evolving storyline format gives its audience the rare opportunity to examine specific issues over a period of weeks and even months, allowing the viewer adequate time in which to develop a more informed and well rounded opinion. Galactica appears to be the first show in television history to recognize and make use of this leading edge approach.

     Battlestar Galactica is forging new territory in the speculative fiction universe, and at the same time it is redefining an entire genre. This IS twenty-first century television.

About & Contact Information

Steven Michael Witt has worked in both the film and television industries. He has also done some acting, and even a bit of standup comedy. Steve currently lives in the hills of northeast Tennessee, a region his ancestors have called home since a time prior to the American Revolution. Most of his free time is devoted either to preparing content for the Scifi Horizons' website, or putting the finishing touches on his first novel.

For more of Steve's musings check out Scifihorizons.com.