Why A Limited Series is Better than a Regular Series

In the spirit of being fair it’s easy to state that both limited series and regular series have their charms since they’re both designed to entertain the fans in their own ways and both are expected to be sustainable for a determined period of time. A limited series is under a time constraint as it has to tell a story in a shorter period of time and stick to the main story as much as possible with a limited capacity for side stories and other matters that might deviate from the main plot. On the flip side, a regular series can take the time it needs to build a plot while bringing in several different subplots at the same time. A couple of good examples of this would be the Once Upon A Time series which contained multiple narratives and went off in several different directions while attempting to stick to a constantly shifting plot that incorporated many different tales that people could recall from their childhood. In stark contrast is WandaVision, which had to build itself to a crescendo and then endure a quick and forceful climax that led to a resolution and denouement that some folks didn’t think was all that great.  Here are a few reasons why a limited series is better than a regular series. 

5. A limited series often gets to the main point quicker. 

There’s limited time in such a series since there are only so many episodes in which to build up to the main point and then reach the climax. In such shows as WandaVision it’s possible to build suspense and mystery in a short period of time, but the show still had to make each point stand out and include in each episode a few key points that people would take with them as the show moved forward. For this particular show there was a great deal of material to use in order to push things to a point where Wanda’s fictional world would eventually break at the seams, but there was plenty of space in which to utilize many of those elements to frame the story. 

4. There’s a little more intensity in a limited series.

This often comes from the shorted time table that’s there to work with since a lot of the show has to pack more of a punch in order to get people interested and keep them watching. The latest version of The Stand on Paramount+ was able to do this in several ways since it brought to mind some of the more impressive parts of the story, even if it left several others out. In this manner it was easier to trigger the fans into feeling something for certain characters as it created the urgency to see what was going on with them and where their arc would eventually take them in the story. The more intense the story is, the more attractive it is to a lot of people, but it can be overdone. 

3. People don’t tend to miss an episode for fear that they’ll miss something important. 

In a regular series it’s usually possible these days to go back to a streaming channel and catch up. To be honest, it’s possible to do this with a limited series as well. But the type of investment that people have in a limited series simply due to the fact that it isn’t bound to continue could keep them on their toes when it comes to each release date. This argument is a little less forceful since there are so many ways to catch up on one episode or another, but for those that are a little more traditional, watching a show for the first time when it’s released is the kind of habit that a lot of people are still fond of practicing. 

2. A limited series doesn’t take as long to watch. 

This is one of the most obvious benefits of a limited series since due to the nature of what it is and how it’s set up a limited series won’t take a long time to watch since it tells a focused and very compact story compared to a regular series. Instead of days worth of programming to catch up on, a person can sit down and binge-watch a limited series with ease since there aren’t as many episodes to take in. It does come down to personal preference when deciding whether one will stretch out their viewing experience or watch the series all at once, but in the long run, a limited series can be watched over a weekend and still leave time for other pursuits. 

1.  A limited series doesn’t typically involve a long-term emotional investment. 

This point is up for debate without question since a lot of people do manage to sink into the emotional content a series has to offer without fail and they do so quickly. But for those that feel the need to build up an emotional attachment to a show over a period of time, a limited series can be an enjoyable show that comes and goes without pressing the need for a serious attachment to characters, plot, setting, etc. In this manner it becomes much easier to just enjoy a show for what it is, not what a person will interpret it as. But again, some people fall into a story hard and don’t want it to end that easily.  Limited series are great since they build up and conclude a story quickly, rather than dragging things out for one season after another.