The TV Showrunner's Roadmap, 2nd Edition

8 POV AND SUBTEXT

DOI: 10.4324/9781003041115-8

There are many ways to tell a story in episodic television, and each approach differs depending on your series’ premise and point of view (POV).

So, let’s start with this basic question: Whose story is it?

You have several options. What follows is a breakdown of different types of POV employed on one-hour dramas, sitcoms, and half-hour dramedies. Please note that there is a great deal of overlap between several of these categories.

Single Lead Protagonist POV

Primarily utilized to show the world of the series through one dominant perspective, this limited POV is particularly important because oft en the series’ lead has something to hide. In Showtime’s Dexter (rebooted in late 2021), ...