In recent years, we have witnessed the domination of mini-series globally and locally. This format has widespread in big series such as Big Little Lies, Sharp Objects, and The White Lotus. This Ramadan season, we are having our fair share of mini-series from The Whistle, Taht El Wesaya, Harb, and more; it triggers a couple of questions, is this the new era of television? And what are the pros and cons of mini-series? Let’s begin.
It’s safe to say that Egyptian television is alive and well. Over the past ten years, we have witnessed a plethora of iconic TV shows in Ramadan, encouraging many producers to take risks and create more shows with exciting stories. One of these risks is changing the TV series format transformed from 30 episodes per season to 15 episodes. If we look closer, we see that despite its success, mini-series face pros and cons that impact its longevity.
Without further ado, here are the pros and cons of creating a mini-series.
Mini-Series Pros
1. Cohesive Story
People nowadays face the trouble of staying focused for a long time; an issue that haunts many writers and producers when it comes to creating movies or shows. Showrunners must grab the audience's attention from the start to maintain interest. So when making a mini-series, writers focus on having cohesive and tight storytelling devices that engage the audiences immediately. Mini-series avoid having their story dragged with filler episodes, allowing the characters and the story to develop naturally.
2. Avoids Cliches
As stated in the previous point, one of the mini-series pros is having a cohesive story which means it's more creative and avoids many cliches and tropes that have been imprinted in the viewers’ minds since the beginning of time, making the show more subversive, and eventually leaves a positive impact.
3. Addresses the Message Right from the Beginning
Whether drama or light comedy, mini-series states its message early. The show doesn’t waste time putting the story's moral for the finale; it puts it subtly and is played out without feeling bombarded by it.
Mini-Series Cons
1. Loses its Hype
This con depends on the premier date of the series; for this scenario, we’ll assume that the series aired at the beginning of Ramadan. We can assume if it’s not marketed correctly or even if it ended on a high note, there’s this risk of people forgetting what they’ve seen earlier in Ramadan and are more interested in keeping up with the conventional 30 episodes type of show.
2. Cuts the Story Short
Depending on the type of story and genre, audiences are satisfied if the show has concluded without feeling abrupt. However, some stories may end too soon without finalizing the events for fast pacing.
Final Thoughts
Some things remain valid despite the pros and cons of making a mini-series.
1. Despite its aired date, a good story stays in the viewers’ minds.
2. Mini-Series formula is here to stay.
And we cannot wait to see what the brilliant minds behind our favorite shows offer.
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