Films and Tv shows all have a different format, these are, a series, serial and single drama. TV shows will fall under the category of a series or serial, a show like friends or the big bang theory will be classed under a series, this is because they have one story that is also concluded at the end of the episode and it does not continue in to the next episode. Whereas a show like The Walking Dead, Game Of Thrones, or Dexter, are all serials, this is because an episode does not conclude within itself and it may take ten episodes to finish a story, but then a new story will begin, or they may jump back to the first story some time after. These are serials because they follow the lives of the characters in every episode and the episodes all linked, they are not completely different like you would find in an ordinary TV series such as Friends. A single drama applies to films and a one off TV show, as they follow the character through one episode or the length of the film and then it ends.

There are many different narrative stories that will be used in films and TV, for instance, either a linear or a non linear narrative will be used, a linear narrative (a three act structure) is used in a film such as up, where the whole story is a straight line, (beginning, middle and end.) There are no flashbacks used, whereas a Non linear narrative will use flashbacks or flash forwards, this is not a three act structure as the story jumps one part to another part that may originally be before the first part, therefore a flashback. The non linear narrative is used in Breaking Bad, by using flashbacks it explains and fills any gaps left open deliberately by the writers, also by using flash forwards, it is done to leave the audience in mystery or suspense, to make them want to watch more.

An episodic narrative is a story that is told through a series of episodes, this can apply to a serial, such as Game Of Thrones, by continuing the same story through more than one episode. It also uses cliffhangers and teasers at the end to leave the audience wanting more. This creates a wider audience for the show as it makes the viewers want to watch more.

An open and closed narrative: Open narratives use lots of characters and have no foreseeable ending in sight. This can be like Eastenders, (it never ends) Whereas a closed narrative has a likely ending in mind, so the viewers know at some point it will end, usually applying to films, such as Jaws.

A realist narrative is a believable story that could be based on true events, they are used to portray a believable narrative for the viewers, such as a man living in a city, it is done to make the audience feel emotions for the characters as they feel that they are real. Whereas a anti realist narrative is not based on real events and generally is not believable in real life a film like this could be ‘The Purge’ because the audience know that the scenarios could never happen in reality. It is done to create another world for the audience to escape to and enjoy, because they know it will never happen.