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For the most part, network TV used sitcom or "monster of the week" formats in which most episodes stood on their own as self-contained stories, you didn't need

For the most part, network TV used sitcom or "monster of the week" formats in which most episodes stood on their own as self-contained stories, you didn't need context from other episodes to understand the episode you were watching. 90% of the X-Files can be viewed in a randomized order and it makes no difference. This was important on network TV because it was always a crapshoot whether the schedules of fans would line up with the TV schedule so fans missing episodes was the norm. One advantage of this format is that the importance of a show being ended on a cliff hanger had less relative importance to the rest of the show. If a show like the X-Files was going to get cancelled on a cliff hanger of the "main story", it didn't really matter because 9 out of 10 episodes didn't involve the main story and therefore wouldn't be retroactively devalued by a cliffhanger cancellation.

Marsymars 4y ago
> If a show like the X-Files was going to get cancelled on a cliff hanger of the "main story", it didn't really matter because 9 out of 10 episodes didn't involve the main story and therefore wouldn't be retroactively devalued by a cliffhanger cancellation. This is probably the root of the difference in my take on media - I don't believe it's possible for a later instalment to retroactively devalue previous ones. e.g. The enjoyment I got from reading Dune wasn't diminished by Sandworms of Dune.
- snapcaster 4y ago
  great example haha, wish Frank Herbert had had time to finish them himself
- LarryMullins 4y ago
  Dune was complete, additional books are nice to have but aren't necessary to enjoy Dune. Frank Herbert didn't know there would be more Dune books when he wrote the first one, so the first is neatly contained and supports itself. If it had only ever been a single book, it would still have been a great book. A comparable situation to a narrative-driven TV show being cancelled on a cliffhanger would be if your copy of Dune cut off right after Paul meets Chani and the rest of the book is missing. You've just spent hours reading half a book that you now realize will never be completed. Incidentally, I haven't seen Dune 2021 yet because I don't want to watch half a movie until I am certain that the other half exists.
  - Marsymars 4y ago
    > A comparable situation to a narrative-driven TV show being cancelled on a cliffhanger would be if your copy of Dune cut off right after Paul meets Chani and the rest of the book is missing. Sure, I’m fine with that analogy too. The second half of the book missing doesn’t retroactively diminish the first half. (I’ll allow that maybe you only get some of the enjoyment of the first half when you actually finish the book rather than when you actually read it, but it’s not a retroactive change.)

Marsymars 4y ago

> If a show like the X-Files was going to get cancelled on a cliff hanger of the "main story", it didn't really matter because 9 out of 10 episodes didn't involve the main story and therefore wouldn't be retroactively devalued by a cliffhanger cancellation. This is probably the root of the difference in my take on media - I don't believe it's possible for a later instalment to retroactively devalue previous ones. e.g. The enjoyment I got from reading Dune wasn't diminished by Sandworms of Dune.

snapcaster 4y ago
great example haha, wish Frank Herbert had had time to finish them himself
LarryMullins 4y ago
Dune was complete, additional books are nice to have but aren't necessary to enjoy Dune. Frank Herbert didn't know there would be more Dune books when he wrote the first one, so the first is neatly contained and supports itself. If it had only ever been a single book, it would still have been a great book. A comparable situation to a narrative-driven TV show being cancelled on a cliffhanger would be if your copy of Dune cut off right after Paul meets Chani and the rest of the book is missing. You've just spent hours reading half a book that you now realize will never be completed. Incidentally, I haven't seen Dune 2021 yet because I don't want to watch half a movie until I am certain that the other half exists.
- Marsymars 4y ago
  > A comparable situation to a narrative-driven TV show being cancelled on a cliffhanger would be if your copy of Dune cut off right after Paul meets Chani and the rest of the book is missing. Sure, I’m fine with that analogy too. The second half of the book missing doesn’t retroactively diminish the first half. (I’ll allow that maybe you only get some of the enjoyment of the first half when you actually finish the book rather than when you actually read it, but it’s not a retroactive change.)