Analyzing Serialized Television: A Discussion on Tanglin Drama

This assignment delves into the realm of serialized television, contrasting it with procedural television and exploring its impact on modern viewing habits. The discussion centers on the Singaporean drama Tanglin, a long-running series that exemplifies the characteristics of serialized storytelling. The analysis examines how narrative progression, a key element of serialized television, shapes the viewer's experience, fostering engagement and anticipation across episodes and seasons. The paper highlights Tanglin's role in Singaporean television history and its reception within the context of global television trends, such as the rise of online streaming services and the popularity of dramas like Game of Thrones. The assignment also considers the critical perspectives on serialized television, acknowledging both its entertainment value and its potential impact on other forms of television. The conclusion emphasizes the significant role of serialized television in enriching the viewing experience and driving creativity in the television industry.

Running head: DISCUSSION ON SERIALIZED TELEVISION
DISCUSSION ON SERIALIZED TELEVISION
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

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DISCUSSION ON SERIALIZED TELEVISION
Introduction
In the contemporary era, television viewing has taken a whole new turn with increasing
number of television shows being produced on season basis. Television refers to the term used to
cover the numerous ways people consume media. Apart from that, the new generation is exposed
to a new kind of viewing experience with the presence of Netflix and Amazon amongst many
others. a new term is now in the focus – serialized television. The aim of this assignment is to
discuss the popular Singaporean drama Tanglin in order to understand serialized television in a
better light.
Discussion
Serialized television
As opposed to procedural television, where shows are broadcast in single, self-contained
episodes, serialized television refers to the broadcast of shows that could be watched in series.
While procedural television shows mostly contain the same characters throughout the episodes
and might even possess some storylines that are overarching but majorly one episode could be
watched without stretching it to another episode (Mittell 2015). Shows like CSI, Criminal Minds
and so on are examples of procedural television. In these shows, the genre is crime and the
episodes end after the crime is solved. In contrast to this, serialized television broadcast shows
that have complicated plots and storylines that continue from one episode to the other (Innocenti
and Pescatore 2015). These types of television shows have taken over the world of television
viewing especially after the introduction of online streaming where viewers could enjoy their
favorite shows on their smart phones as well.
Tanglin

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DISCUSSION ON SERIALIZED TELEVISION
A Singaporean drama premiered in 2015, Tanglin was aired until September 2018 with a
total of three seasons. It holds the record of being the longest local drama to ever air on
Singaporean television (Imdb.com 2019). The serial revolves around the lives of different
families coming from multiracial and multicultural backgrounds primarily the Bhaskars, the
Tongs, Rahmans and the Lims. These families reside in a middle-class neighborhood in the
Holland Village of Tanglin. The lives of these families reflect joy, sorrow, pain and tribulations
of the everyday life of the Singaporeans. The first season featured the prominent families and
introduced the viewers to the different casts of the show. All the episodes of the first season are
dedicated to introducing each character and the struggles and dilemmas they face every day. The
second season further delves into the lives of the characters and the families as a whole.
Nonetheless, midway into 2017, the show began to lose its popularity owing to its long-
running episodes and predictable storyline. It needs mentioning that the serial was promoted as a
199-episode drama but it ran for more than 500 episodes (Fuadi 2016). This although shows that
people initially loved the serial and hence, the makers thought of extending its episodes. It was
launched during a time when serialized television was gaining momentum especially with Game
of Thrones, an American fantasy drama aired on HBO being one of the most talked about serials
on television. In 2015, the serial was already into its fifth season and going strong. For the
Singaporeans, Tanglin came as a breath of fresh air where they could relate their own lives.
Role of narrative progression in viewing experience
Narrative has the sole purpose of telling a story although it does not convey the several
purposes of the stories and their work at different levels. The narrative progression could be
defined as the way a story progresses gradually. The narrator’s purpose is to make the viewers

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DISCUSSION ON SERIALIZED TELEVISION
feel happy, sad, angry, terrified or satisfied with the narration (Ghosal 2015). Prior to the
popularity of serialized television, there was no narrative progression because the viewers used
to experience every emotion in a single episode. The narrative did not progress gradually
spanning several episodes or seasons. However, after serialized television became popular, the
viewers began to experience the narrative progression more fully. In case the viewers missed one
episode of their favorite show, they would have no idea about the narration if they watched it
mid-season. As in Tanglin, if the viewers missed one season or even one episode of the serial,
they would not understand anything if they start viewing it from the next season or next episode
(Ang 2006).This is the power of narrative progression that serialized television has provided to
the viewers. In addition to that, the narrative progression also raises the interest of the viewers
because they eagerly wait to see the fate of their favorite characters. The use of narrative
progression has also allowed the makers to hike the TRPs of their show by making it more
interesting. On the other hand, it has been argued that due to the serialized television, other forms
of shows have witnessed a slump, which is not good for television. The critics argue that
narrative progression is possible in the procedural television shows as well (Allen 2004). The
viewers could enjoy a story unfold in front of their eyes without having to wait for long.
Nonetheless, it is true that with the introduction of serialized television, the concept of narrative
progression has seen a new rise.
Conclusion
To conclude, it needs to be stated that serialized television, although criticized for
destroying other forms of television, has provided immense entertainment to the viewers. It has
enriched the viewing experience of the audiences manifold. The aim of this assignment was to
discuss the popular Singaporean drama Tanglin in order to understand serialized television in a

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DISCUSSION ON SERIALIZED TELEVISION
better light. As discussed in the assignment, the television serial aired in the year 2015 and
continued until 2018 having three seasons in all. It was the longest running local television
drama in Singapore. The assignment attempted to prove that serialized television although
criticized for ruining other forms of television, has raised the bar of creativity in television.

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References:
Allen, Robert Clyde, and Annette Hill, eds. The television studies reader. Psychology Press,
2004.
Ang, Ien. Desperately seeking the audience. Routledge, 2006.
Fuadi, Muhd. "SINGAPORE MALAY MEDIA INDUSTRY." Majulah!: 50 Years Of
Malay/muslim Community In Singapore(2016): 333.
Ghosal, Torsa. "Books with Bodies: Narrative Progression in Chris Ware's Building
Stories." Storyworlds: A Journal of Narrative Studies 7, no. 1 (2015): 75-99.
Imdb.com. 2019. "Tanglin (TV Series 2015– ) - Imdb". Imdb.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4721442/.
Innocenti, Veronica, and Guglielmo Pescatore. "Changing series: Narrative models and the role
of the viewer in contemporary television seriality." Between 4, no. 8 (2015).
Mittell, Jason. Complex TV: The poetics of contemporary television storytelling. NYU Press,
2015.
Yue, Audrey. "New media in Singapore’s creative economy: the regulation of illiberal
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