Remember when Alias was such a big deal because it was renewing the idea of a serial? You couldn’t miss an episode or you risked being completely lost. Then came Desperate Housewives and Lost. Lost was at least kind enough to provide periodic episodes that were just for the purpose of catching you up in case YOU had been marooned on an island and missed recent shows.

Now it seems every show must add a serial element. Shows like Ugly Betty, which would be fine with no “mystery” waiting to be solved still have the mystery. So, what is this fascination with the serial?

The serial has been around for a long time. The book Treasure Island was originally written as a newspaper serial, as were several Charles Dickens’ novels. Radio created the “soap opera” a highly dramatic type of serial that later migrated to television. But, other than nighttime soaps, such as Dallas and Knot’s Landing, the serial was not seen as frequently on primetime television in recent years. E.R. has a serial-type style, but I’ve missed whole seasons and not really lost any major plot lines.

But today I can name many serials right off the top of my head: Heroes, Lost, Jericho, Desperate Housewives and Kidnapped, without even stopping to think too hard. One obvious appeal for writers of shows is that they can develop a longer plot line. Audience members are also likely to tune in more often, once they’re “hooked”.

The funny thing is that the networks like the serial, but not TOO much. Alias was watered down after the first season, leaving behind the cliffhanger nature of each episode for a more standard form of show. Some people say that, ultimately, this is what ended Alias’ run– the network kept insisting things be dumbed down more and more (well, that and Jennifer Garner getting married and having a baby), so that the audience wouldn’t get lost. Thankfully, it seems to have paved the way for other shows, such as Lost, to have an easier time of weird and twisting plot lines.

So, I’m all for television serials. I just wish they wouldn’t create serial elements in shows that don’t need it.