Serial (radio and television)
In television and radio programming, a serial has a continuing plot that unfolds in a sequential episode-by-episode fashion. Serials typically follow main story arcs that span entire television seasons or even the full run of the series, which distinguishes them from traditional episodic television that relies on more stand-alone episodes. Worldwide, the soap opera is the most prominent form of serial dramatic programming.
Television in the United States
Dramatic series have taken many forms over the years. Westerns such as "Gunsmoke" (the longest-running prime time scripted drama series in U.S. television history, having aired from 1955 to 1975) and "Bonanza" had experienced their greatest popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. Medical dramas such as "Marcus Welby, M.D.", "St. Elsewhere", "ER", "House" and "Grey's Anatomy" have endured success; as well as family dramas such as "The Waltons", "Little House on the Prairie" and "7th Heaven"; and crime dramas such as "Dragnet", "Hawaii Five-O", "Hill Street Blues", "Miami Vice", "L.A. Law", "21 Jump Street", "Law & Order", "JAG", "" and "NCIS".
Dramedy, a term for a television series that mixes elements of comedy and drama, have seen its popularity grown among viewers, thanks to programs like "M*A*S*H", "Ally McBeal", "Ugly Betty", "Desperate Housewives", "Psych", "Glee", "Devious Maids", "Jane the Virgin" and "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend".