30 episodes on Kuwait TV... will return with new standards
Mufarraj Al-Shamri
Kuwait Television’s experience in commissioning dramatic series of no more than 10 episodes, as witnessed during last year’s Ramadan season, can be viewed as a significant step toward keeping pace with the transformations in the drama industry and the way audiences consume television content, particularly given the widespread proliferation of digital platforms that have clearly shifted their focus toward shorter, more concentrated productions.
The importance of this experiment lies in its ability to open the door to diverse dramatic concepts and provide production companies and institutions with the opportunity to present works that do not require a large number of episodes to effectively convey their core idea to the viewer. Moreover, this type of content aligns well with the nature of digital platforms, which rely on fast pacing and focused storytelling, allowing viewers to follow a series within a short timeframe without getting bogged down in subplots and side events that do not serve the main narrative.
However, at the same time, the 10-episode format should not be regarded as the end of the 30-episode era, nor should shorter works be seen as the sole alternative to long-form dramas. A substantial segment of the audience still enjoys series that extend to 30 episodes, especially when the story is well-written, the plot is coherent, and the characters are carefully crafted, enabling the production to maintain its pacing and suspense until the final episode.
A long-form drama, when it possesses a concept that justifies such a length, can offer writers greater space to develop characters, advance the plot, and introduce multiple narrative threads, allowing viewers to remain engaged with the characters and the story for a longer period. Therefore, the issue is not whether a series has 10 or 30 episodes, but rather whether the number of episodes is appropriate for the concept and story, and whether it avoids unnecessary padding and elongation.
The 10-episode experiment can also be beneficial for Kuwait Television from another perspective, as it allows for testing different writing and production styles, attracting new ideas, and collaborating with a variety of production companies and institutions, while also keeping pace with the short-form dramatic models offered by digital platforms, which are gaining increasing traction among audiences.
Conversely, the continuation of 30-episode series remains logical, particularly during the Ramadan season, where viewers are accustomed to following certain productions daily throughout the month. Their return to television screens is possible, but under specific criteria.
