The original post: /r/television by /u/WestbourneX862AA on 2024-07-01 09:06:28.

Standalone episodes can be brilliant - especially when they’re experimental.

BBC show Inside No.9 works because it’s standalone and self-contained; Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith are great.

One such standalone episode for me I enjoyed was Blink in Doctor Who - horrifying, and well-written, introduced the Weeping Angels, and Doctor-lite, but good; 17 years on, it’s one I’m giving a re-watch.

The Longest Night on Only Fools and Horses is a standalone episode I recommend - the events never referenced again in the show (unlike other things in the show which they mention again), the characters never seen again, it’s about a supermarket robbery inside job. Sure, it’s got dated humor but it’s a worthwhile one. Not the best standalone episode of all time, but not the worst.

However, outside of cartoons like SpongeBob Squarepants and CBBC shows like Boy Girl Cat Dog Mouse Cheese, standalone episodes seem rare in some series.

The BBC does have standalone two-parters in Silent Witness - a standalone two-parter is itself a rarity; the show is not as flashy as CSI and there’s rarely a story arc; only once did they have a continuous story arc in Season 25 in 2022 which was a 6-parter with the title History.

Is it more difficult to do a standalone episode nowadays with today’s streaming culture?

Would it be difficult for something big-budget like Outlander etc. to have a standalone episode, even though standalone stories weren’t in the book it was adapted from; could it be a problematic thing? I’ve seen all of Outlander so far via Amazon Prime and there’s been no standalone episodes, the show’s one that’s not easy for newcomers to get into.

Are standalone episodes more for “victim of the week” and “patient of the week” type shows or experimental writing nowadays and largely something you don’t see often, at least in the drama or comedy genre?

Do you enjoy standalone episodes and think they benefit a series or in this era of streaming services etc. more difficult to do?