A new Routledge volume, Seriality in the Streaming Era, explores how streaming platforms have transformed the logic of serialized storytelling – reshaping narrative form, audience engagement, and creative practice across media and genres.
How often have you found yourself caught in a Netflix loop – promising to stop after one more episode, only to keep watching? That familiar pull reveals more than a lapse in willpower. It reflects a fundamental shift in how stories are made, delivered, and consumed.
“Streaming has redefined seriality across platforms, industries, and genres”, says Lene Heiselberg from the University of Southern Denmark. Together with Bo Kampmann Walther, Jakob Isak Nielsen, and Rasmus Rønlev, she examines this transformation in Seriality in the Streaming Era.
The authors identify several forces driving this change: the rise of subscription-based business models, the culture of binge consumption, and the use of data analytics to shape content according to audience behavior. They also point to the growing narrative complexity made possible by streaming environments.
Bridging traditional and contemporary paradigms, the book investigates how serialized formats evolve within the aesthetics and functionality of streaming media. It spans television, podcasts, social media, and web-based storytelling, addressing both fiction and nonfiction to offer a comprehensive view of seriality’s new cultural role.
The analysis touches on trends such as platform-specific narrative structures, audience engagment, and the blending of genres in both entertainment and journalism. It also examines how creators navigate the tension between artistic freedom and commercial imperatives.
As a notable feature, the book includes interviews with key industry professionals in serial media production, offering insight into how creative decisions are shaped behind the scenes.
“We hope Seriality in the Streaming Era will serve as an essential resource for scholars, students, industry professionals, and anyone curious about how serialized narratives are reshaping modern media culture”, the authors write.
You can purchase the book here.