Procedural drama

Genre of television programming From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A procedural drama or procedural is a cross-genre type of literature, film, or television program that places emphasis on technical detail.[citation needed] A documentary film may also be written in a procedural style to heighten narrative.[citation needed] A popular subgenre is the police procedural.[citation needed] Some dramas include a lab or high-tech conference room where the main characters meet to work out the problem.[citation needed] Television shows usually have an episodic format that does not necessarily require the viewer to have seen previous episodes. Each episode typically has a self-contained, stand-alone plot that is introduced, developed, and resolved in one episode.[citation needed]

The procedural format is popular around the world.[1] In 2011, the director of a TV consultancy said, "The continuing trend is for procedurals because they use a predictable structure."[1] Due to their stand-alone episodic nature, they are more accessible to new viewers than serials. Self-contained episodes also make it easier for viewers to return to a show if they have missed some episodes.[2] In general, procedural dramas can usually be re-run with little concern for episode order.[1] Procedurals are often criticized for being formulaic.[3][4] Procedurals are also generally less character-driven than serialized shows;[citation needed] however, some procedurals have more character emphasis than is typical of the format.[5][6] Some may occasionally feature a storyline stretching over several episodes (often called a story arc).[7]

Types of media

Television

Fiction

The priority, therefore, is for some central character or group of characters around whom incidents can be created week after week after week. Marcus Welby, M.D., the most successful show on American television in 1970-1, fitted this bill perfectly. Dr Welby is a general practitioner and the trials and tribulations of his patients revolve around him. "The concept is very simple," said Dick O'Connell, co-producer with David Victor, "Dr Welby is a nice man. He is presented with a problem each week and he accomplishes it. The general practitioner is the ideal format." So, too, are policemen, lawyers, surgeons and cowboys.[8]

In television, "procedural" specifically refers to a genre of programs in which a problem is introduced, investigated, and solved all within the same episode. These shows tend to be hour-long dramas and are often (though not always) police or crime-related.[citation needed] The general formula for a police procedural involves the commission or discovery of a crime at the beginning of the episode, the ensuing investigation, and the arrest or conviction of a perpetrator at the end of the episode. Modern examples of this genre are the Law & Order, CSI & NCIS franchises. House is an example of a non-crime-related procedural.

  • Procedural dramas are generally very popular in broadcast syndication because the lack of long-term storylines makes it easier for viewers to tune in for just one episode without feeling lost.
  • Procedurals are sometimes noted for their lack of character development, with little attention being paid to the lives of the recurring characters outside of their jobs.[9]

Non-fiction

Film

There are examples of movie procedurals, such as The Void (2001). Another is the film The Dam Busters, 1955, which was called a war procedural by Richard Gilliam in Allmovie.[11]

Literature

Television examples

See also

References

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