Commitment Anxiety: Difference between revisions
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Deep-running continuity is both a blessing and a curse in television. It rewards long-time viewers with a satisfying story and the feeling that somebody really is paying attention. However, a series that weaves itself together too intricately risks making itself [[Continuity Lock Out|inaccessible to new viewers]] because "you really have to see it from start to finish."
Fear of being dropped into the middle of a plotline they'll never understand without information that's already been given, or fear of investing their time in a series they'll have to get through hundreds of episodes to get a satisfying ending from ([[The Chris Carter Effect|assuming it'll actually have one]]), can keep even the most interested hanger-on from tuning in, a risk that can keep a series with borderline [[Ratings]] from reaching its full potential. Less common now in the days of DVD and Internet file sharing (and [[Comic Books|trade paperbacks]]), where back episodes are available to anyone with the time and money and/or bandwidth. Many networks are also making back episodes of their more popular shows available for viewing online.
Networks frequently try to draw new viewers despite this anxiety by using a [[Recap Episode]].
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== [[Comic Books]] ==
* This is a complaint frequently brought against [[Marvel Universe|mainstream]] [[Superhero]] [[The DCU|comics]], especially the [[X-Men (Comic Book)|X-Titles]]. The tendency towards [[Continuity Snarl
** Marvel produces special "Point One" (the number of the previous issue, with .1 added to the number) issues to address this problem. However, feelings are mixed. While some do a good job of introducing readers to a series, most fare far worse. Most of them occur right in the middle of a story arc, completely contradicting the point of the issue, are completely irrelevent, or just plain bad.
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* ''[[The Wire]]'' HBO series, notorious for being nigh-impossible to follow if you didn't start from the beginning.
* ''[[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]]''
* Ron Moore has cited fear of this syndrome as being behind the [[Breather Episode
* ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'' for most of its run. Seasons one and two were rather diligent about sticking to [[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'s [[Monster of the Week]] Formula with the Gamma-quadrant and Bajor-Cardassia back stories being secondary to what ever conflict came through the wormhole that week. Once [[The Empire|The Dominion]] was introduced, every episode had to start with a recap.
* ''[[The Sarah Connor Chronicles]]'' was doomed after two seasons by its interesting but "narratively inhospitable" (to new viewers) tight story arc.
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