You have questions. I have some answers.
I watched a British political drama series called “Roadkill” on PBS a couple of years ago. I only recall four episodes, and the story seemed to end midplot. Were other episodes created?
“Roadkill,” the 2020 drama starring Hugh Laurie, consisted of just four episodes. That may not seem like much, especially to people accustomed to the longer runs once common with American network shows (as many as 39 episodes, but these days around 20 for broadcast hits). In fact, another reader asked recently why a favored show had only six episodes in a season.
This has been happening longer than you might think; “Fawlty Towers,” the classic British comedy, had only six episodes in each of its two seasons in the ’70s. The first season of “The Wonder Years” in 1988 had six episodes as well. But shorter seasons have become more common, especially with streaming shows.
Sometimes the decisions are financial. “The Wonder Years” was a spring tryout at first, so the limited number of episodes was cost-saving if the show did not succeed. Strikes, high-priced casts and other factors make a shorter run less expensive overall. But sometimes, too, a short run is creative. A producer once said that a 21-episode season included seven good episodes, seven OK ones and seven stinkers. In theory at least, a shorter season reduces the risk of stinkers. Still, this is frustrating for viewers who get to know shows and their characters only to feel abruptly abandoned — and left with a long wait for more telecasts.
