[Regarding spoilers: I do talk about a few plot points below, but the majority of them are in broad strokes. I mention some of the mysterious elements in the first season of Lost, and the general plot descriptions of a few episodes of Under the Dome. There are also a couple of relatively specific plot points from the show Flashforward. None of these are particularly explicit, and I certainly would not expect them to ruin the shows in question for anybody. However, if you are concerned about knowing anything AT ALL about Lost or Under the Dome (the show, not the book), you may want to avoid reading this article. I would consider this article spoiler safe, though]
The most traditional, popular form for a TV drama is the procedural. Usually, a procedural follows a professional team of some sort (cops, or investigators, or doctors, or lawyers) as they take on a new case every week. It’s a simple, solid formula that is still abundant in network programming because it’s effective. Since each episode is a new story, new viewers can easily jump in and start watching at any moment, and they don’t have to worry about missing an episode from time to time. However, because procedurals follow the same team week-to-week, the viewer starts to feel familiar with the characters on the show. A good procedural is the epitome of “hang-out” television: there’s little commitment on the part of the viewer, but watching the show starts to feel like dropping in on old friends.
