TV Serials, From Must-See to Missable Episodes: Where The Magic lost??

Why aren’t TV serials attracting today’s audience like they used to be?

I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and it really feels like something has changed in the way audiences connect with serials today.🤔 Earlier, daily soaps had a strong emotional pull, simple storytelling, relatable characters, and a sense of continuity that made viewers feel deeply invested.

Those were such engaging times, weren’t they? The way we used to dive deep into characters like Dadisa and Anandi from Balika Vadhu, it was never just casual viewing. Every expression, every decision of theirs would spark long, animated discussions.

From Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, you can’t forget Tulsi Virani, the ideal bahu who defined an entire generation of television. Alongside her, Mihir Virani became a household name, especially after all those dramatic twists.

Then there was Kasautii Zindagii Kay, ...how can anyone forget Prerna Sharma and the iconic antagonist Komolika? Komolika alone could fuel pages of discussion with her style, schemes, and screen presence!!!

From Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, Parvati Agarwal was another character we admired and dissected, her strength, sacrifices, and transformation over time.

And of course, a slightly different flavor came with Kumkum – Ek Pyara Sa Bandhan, where Kumkum brought warmth and relatability, making everyday family drama feel deeply personal.

But now, many serials seem to struggle to hold that same attention. One major reason could be repetitive plots and overstretched storylines. When the same twists, misunderstandings, and dramatic turns keep repeating, it becomes predictable and less engaging.

Earlier, characters evolved gradually and felt real. Now, sudden personality changes just to fit dramatic arcs can disconnect viewers.

Do you think it’s the content that needs to evolve, or has the audience moved on? Would love to hear your thoughts!

People today have busier lifestyles and prefer content they can watch at their own pace rather than committing daily to long-running shows.

Another factor is the shift in audience preferences. With the rise of OTT platforms and the proliferation of shorter, high-quality content, viewers today are exposed to a diverse range of storytelling styles. They expect tighter scripts, realistic narratives, and faster pacing, something traditional serial formats often lack.

True earlier TV serials apart from Family drama that was engaging, it also had romantic dramas, college romantic dramas, or the very hospital dramas like Sanjeevni or DMG.The thing is nowadays the TV serial content has become repressive and also in lay man terms "ghista-phita" the same old storyline, with added chidish VFX and shows about icchadari animals.

Before for kids there was such engaging shows that even adults used to watch like Shaka Laka Boom Boom, Son Pari, Karishma Ka Karishma etc.But I dont see anything of that sort nowadays and awards to have been rigged as well.

True even the fact the OTT has brought in a huge change but along side OTT which is a 16:9 ratio screen is seeing a huge shift with shows with 9:16 ration apps which might over take the biggest viewership platform Netflix someday with these small minute dramas taking so slow and steady lead.

Though I havent yet watched Hindi small stories of these apps.Since the apps arent accesible abroad.But I know for sure that Hindi versions of these apps are much better since Hollywood version is more like adult content in them.