Sequels and follow-ups
What a follow-up borrows from the first story, what it risks and why viewers are so protective of beloved characters.
Sequels (in Russian)
Collections
Collections
Collections help you read the magazine not front to back but with a particular interest in mind. Some lead through the forms, from the sequel to the miniseries; others offer a short path for those just starting to think of series as a way of telling stories. Each card leads to a section where the topic is covered in more depth.
Once you notice how an episode ends on a question, you will never again watch the closing shots without paying attention.
How this section works: collections lead through the magazine's sections and contain no watch lists; you will find no film or series titles here.
By form
For anyone curious about the shapes a story told in parts can take.
Screen adaptations
Book and screen as two different languages: where the translation is almost literal and where liberties can't be avoided.
Adaptations (in Russian)
Sitcoms
Situation comedy with a fixed set and recognizable characters, and the secret of why it is such a pleasure to rewatch.
Sitcoms (in Russian)
Anthologies
Every season or every episode is a new story with new characters, held together only by a shared frame: a theme, a genre or a mood.
Miniseries
A closed story over several episodes: an ending known in advance, a tight plot and a kinship with the big novel.
For newcomers
A short route if this is your first visit.
The first episode as a promise
Five questions that help you read a series from its first episode: the hero, the rule of the world, the open question, tone and rhythm.
Where it all began
A novel's monthly instalments, the newspaper serial and daytime radio serials: the three milestones where the timeline starts.
Break down one episode
A step-by-step method and a table of elements, from the setup to the season finale.
Read next
- Articles
The magazine's main threads and a catalogue of standalone articles written specifically for the English edition.
- Close looks
A step-by-step way to break down one episode and a table of its parts: setup, arc, cliffhanger, callback, flashback, finale.
- Archive
The magazine's table of contents and a note on the domain's three archive addresses and the updates page.
Sources
- Reference works on the history of literature and film
- Glossaries of TV and screenwriting terms (in general terms)
Historical facts are based on reference works on the history of literature and film. Different schools read the terms of dramatic writing a little differently, so we explain them in general terms and without tying them to specific productions.