Should TV shows adapt to finite series or carry on with longer runs?

With the advent of shows like 24, Yuddh, Kawach, Ek Hasina Thi, Mahakumbh, Reporters, among others, Hindi TV saw its focus shift towards a format with numbered episodes, with some even returning with a second season. While they did resonate with the audience, the trend soon fizzled out and long-running shows continued to be the preferred format in TV, especially in drama. With only a handful of drama series like Naagin and May I Come In Madam? opting for seasons, several saas-bahu series have run for years and wound up, almost abruptly because of falling the TRPs in their final years. Longest-running soaps like Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki, Kasautii Zindagii Kay, etc. did work in the last decade, but now both actors and the audience feel TV drama should evolve and adapt to a limited episode format and come back with fresh season with better content.

We speak to a few TV actors and show makers who share their thoughts:

The audiences are exposed to a variety of content in films, OTT, and TV. Previously there were very limited TV channels and no OTT options, so we had all the time to watch TV and we could follow daily soaps. The demand for a variety of content is so much that watching the same show for five years is quite too much. Limited episodes or finite series give more clarity as the story is not changed every week which happens in the case of daily soaps and the concept of seasons of TV shows is quite good.

I wish we worked in a seasons format where there are limited episodes in each season, the entire script is ready before we start shooting. Then we shoot a season, we air it and go on a break and shoot the next season, fully prepared. It would be amazing to work in that format. Each one would get enough time to work in their respective departments and deliver a much better product in the end. I hope this is not a daydream! Our TV channels have to go a long way before they adapt to this platform.

It’s an individual choice be it an audience or an actor. Some daily soaps like Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki ran for years and had a connection with audiences. Characters like Tulsi Mihir, Parvati Bhabhi became household names. With the exposure to OTT and other options, audiences don’t have much patience. They need instant gratification, so not all daily soaps work in infinite format. Working infinite series gives actors an opportunity to explore other avenues. Shooting for daily soaps that run for many years means you can't do other things.

A finite series has its own charm and a daily soap has its own set of audience, too. People watch shows especially in smaller towns and connect with characters and want to watch them daily as a part of their routine. If the storyline is good and the characters are relatable the show can run for many years and it is a good idea. It not only gives entertainment but also gives stable employment to everyone.

Daily soap definitely takes a toll on an actor and sometimes the stories are dragged for TRPS too but if the storytelling is impactful and connects to the audience it can run for years. A show like Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai is an example which is running for more than 11 years. Given a choice, I want to do a finite series because I want different projects to explore all the mediums.

A lot of actors gravitate towards finite series. In the case of long-running shows, once you are done with your storytelling, stretching it unnecessarily for economic reasons, doesn’t make any sense. The show seems to get stale and the actors associated with it don't have the kind of motivation to do that anymore, so do the makers. A show has to be challenging, new, and fresh, for the audience to stay glued to it, actors to be motivated and makers reinventing it. So, I feel if a show is being dragged and can’t do justice to the storyline, it’s always best to let go of it and make space for the new idea.

We are working for the audience. We are doing everything for our audience so that they like the product that we are making. So I feel, if a show works for long years, and the audience is still liking it, I am okay with it. I acted in Uttaran which ran for six years and in the last and I became the part of the show during the last two and half years. This thought, ‘Why is the show running for so long?’ never crossed my mind. I want to be a part of projects that the audiences like, whether it is a finite or an infinite series. At the end of the day, we are doing it for the audience.

Every actor has his/her choice whether she/he wants to work in a finite series or a long-running show. However, somewhere down the line I also understand people want a long-running serial simply because if a show runs for a long time, not only the actor, and director but also the technicians and the entire team associated and survives because of it, gets to earn a livelihood. When a show goes off-air early, they have to look out for a job, and looking out for a job takes a lot of time. For them, survival is difficult. We have to be practical and understand that a lot of people need good work and our industry is full of uncertainty. Sometimes it does become monotonous doing the same repetitive thing and you do tend to get bored. I would also love to do different things, but infinite series help people survive in such trying times like covid.

Shuruwat bhale hi dusre subject so ho, woh ghum phir kar saas bahu ki kahani ban jati hai. Kuch toh alag hona chahiye, the audience wants something new every day. Shows like May I Come in Madam that came back with a new season and storyline, is one of the examples! At the same time, Naagin has come back with 5 seasons with limited episodes but has the same subject; it may lose its charm. Moreover, in the TV industry, if a show becomes successful, everyone wants to do the same kind of thing. I understand why makers want to stick to the infinite format, they have an audience who are okay with seeing similar types of concepts - like Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain, that continues to attract the audience with its content.

As makers, we cannot change the format of a show that is running for 4-5 years or 5-10 years, getting the TRP and continues to woo the audience. There are certain shows that come back with a second season for a certain reason, with a new refreshed look. There are certain shows that continue to be the same because the audience likes it that way and maybe it was a wrong decision for them to discontinue them. So I feel, anything that is running and has a TRP, is running purely on a merit basis, which means people still want to see them. So, it is all about what the audience wants and not us.