The Politics of Serial Television Fiction: Structural Developments, Narrative Themes, and the Nonlinear Turn

Fictional TV politics played a pivotal role in the popular imaginaries of the 2010s across cultures. Examining this curious phenomenon, Sebastian Naumann provides a wide-ranging analysis of the rapidly evolving landscape of contemporary polit-series. Proposing a novel structural model of serial television, he offers an innovative methodological framework for comparative textual analysis that integrates sociocultural, economic, sociotechnical, narratological, and aesthetic perspectives. This study furthermore explores how the changing affordances of (nonlinear) television impact serial storytelling and identifies key narrative trends and recurring themes in contemporary TV polit-fiction.

Sebastian Naumann is a researcher, cultural manager, and advocate in international cultural and media policy. He holds a joint PhD from HumboldtUniversität zu Berlin and King’s College London. An expert in audiovisual media landscapes, political storytelling, and multilateral crosscultural cooperation, he currently serves as a managing director of the International Confederation of Arthouse Cinemas. He has also worked as a researcher, journalist, and project manager in Berlin, London, Paris, New York, and Amsterdam. His research focuses on the politics of storytelling and cultural and media landscapes.