Radio drama can be presented in three
different styles:
.
.
- as an independent drama,
- as a series, or
- as a serial
The independent drama can be likened to a short story, it tells the
complete story in one broadcast, usually lasting no longer than one hour. It can
be shorter, as short as five minutes,for example, when the drama is
broadcast as a brief segment on a thirty minute radio magazine program.
The drama series is a collection of independent dramas that use the same major characters in each program. For example, the characters of the father and his three sons from the fablestory above could appear in further programs, with each program telling a different story, underscoring a different theme, and teaching a different message. Extra characters might appear in the other stories, and some might appear in more than one story,but none would appear as regularly as the farmer and his sons. Each drama in the series would be completed in one program. Some of the program titles
for such a series might be:
• The Farmer and his Sons and the
Plague of Rats
• The Farmer and his Sons Build a Big
Barn
The serial is an ongoing story that continues from
one broadcast toanother. Each episode is open-ended,
and the story is picked up and continued in the next episode. A serial
can be likened to a novel, where the
story is divided into chapters, with
each chapter leading into the next. Aserial may be as short as six 15-minute
episodes, aired weekly, or it can continue on a daily basis for decades
without end. A continuing drama that is presented in fewer than six episodes
is usually referred to as a mini-series or
“two-” or “three-part” drama.
If the story of “The of Sindhubad in Maiden land”
were to be made into a serial, the story would not end where it does.
Rather, it would continue into moreepisodes with other characters and
other plots introduced to enrich the story.
For example, one son might find it
impossible to do as his father suggested
and take himself off to the city to set
up a business of his own, where he
could wor
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