A long, long time ago, one-off episodes were the law of the land.
Series were episodic in nature regardless of genre.
Sometimes, characterization moments carried over and returning characters popped in and out for flavor’s sake, but serialized narratives and character arcs didn’t creep into play until 1980s game-changers like Hill Street Blues.
The drama from creators Steven Bochco and Michael Kozoll was a powerhouse risk-taker and an instrumental force credited for normalizing season-long arcs.
Slowly but surely, serialized stories became dominant enough that episodic shows are now a rarity.
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