Complex serials and episodic flexi-narratives: narrative extension in the transmedia storytelling of heroes and supernatural

This thesis provides a comparative analysis of Heroes (2006-2010) and Supernatural (2005-Present) to argue that television narrative structure influences the transmedia narrative formed. Many television narratives use transmedia storytelling to develop plotlines and characters without intruding upon...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Wisher, Emma Lauren
Format: Thesis (University of Nottingham only)
Language:English
Published: 2017
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/39841/
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author Wisher, Emma Lauren
author_facet Wisher, Emma Lauren
author_sort Wisher, Emma Lauren
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description This thesis provides a comparative analysis of Heroes (2006-2010) and Supernatural (2005-Present) to argue that television narrative structure influences the transmedia narrative formed. Many television narratives use transmedia storytelling to develop plotlines and characters without intruding upon the television episodes. The interconnectivity of the transmedia texts with the main narrative determines which transmedia narrative is formed. Single-world transmedia narratives create complex, connected worlds like a television serial whilst possible-world transmedia narratives are constructed from self-contained stories like an episodic series. Heroes and Supernatural exemplify the differences between narrative extension in single-world and possible-world transmedia narratives, both within the transmedia texts and the television episodes. I argue that world components, temporality and character development are extended differently in television serials and flexi-narratives, and can determine whether a transmedia text’s relationship with the television narrative is consistent or implied. My ideas can be applied to narrative extension in other transmedia television narratives, creating a framework that identifies whether a single-world or possible-world is formed.
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spelling nottingham-398412025-02-28T13:39:03Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/39841/ Complex serials and episodic flexi-narratives: narrative extension in the transmedia storytelling of heroes and supernatural Wisher, Emma Lauren This thesis provides a comparative analysis of Heroes (2006-2010) and Supernatural (2005-Present) to argue that television narrative structure influences the transmedia narrative formed. Many television narratives use transmedia storytelling to develop plotlines and characters without intruding upon the television episodes. The interconnectivity of the transmedia texts with the main narrative determines which transmedia narrative is formed. Single-world transmedia narratives create complex, connected worlds like a television serial whilst possible-world transmedia narratives are constructed from self-contained stories like an episodic series. Heroes and Supernatural exemplify the differences between narrative extension in single-world and possible-world transmedia narratives, both within the transmedia texts and the television episodes. I argue that world components, temporality and character development are extended differently in television serials and flexi-narratives, and can determine whether a transmedia text’s relationship with the television narrative is consistent or implied. My ideas can be applied to narrative extension in other transmedia television narratives, creating a framework that identifies whether a single-world or possible-world is formed. 2017-07-20 Thesis (University of Nottingham only) NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en cc_by_nc_sa https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/39841/1/Wisher_MRes_2017.pdf Wisher, Emma Lauren (2017) Complex serials and episodic flexi-narratives: narrative extension in the transmedia storytelling of heroes and supernatural. MRes thesis, University of Nottingham. narrative storytelling tv television heroes supernatural transmedia
spellingShingle narrative
storytelling
tv
television
heroes
supernatural
transmedia
Wisher, Emma Lauren
Complex serials and episodic flexi-narratives: narrative extension in the transmedia storytelling of heroes and supernatural
title Complex serials and episodic flexi-narratives: narrative extension in the transmedia storytelling of heroes and supernatural
title_full Complex serials and episodic flexi-narratives: narrative extension in the transmedia storytelling of heroes and supernatural
title_fullStr Complex serials and episodic flexi-narratives: narrative extension in the transmedia storytelling of heroes and supernatural
title_full_unstemmed Complex serials and episodic flexi-narratives: narrative extension in the transmedia storytelling of heroes and supernatural
title_short Complex serials and episodic flexi-narratives: narrative extension in the transmedia storytelling of heroes and supernatural
title_sort complex serials and episodic flexi-narratives: narrative extension in the transmedia storytelling of heroes and supernatural
topic narrative
storytelling
tv
television
heroes
supernatural
transmedia
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/39841/