History Main / FilmSerial

* Another AffectionateParody was ''The Adventures of Captain Proton'', a holodeck ShowWithinTheShow in ''StarTrekVoyager''.

Eventually, the genre petered out against the competition of television; furthermore, a common criticism during the genre's waning years was that the focus had shifted from plot and character development to action and stunts, highlighting the importance of the Cliffhanger as a gimmick tool (and also underscoring said gimmick's [[CliffhangerCopout flaws]] to boot). But the spirit of the Film Serial lives on whenever a TV show episode cuts to commercial with a cliffhanger -- and even more so in the modern era of arc-based plots, or whenever a last-second twist at the end of an episode entices viewers to keep watching.

* AsYouKnow: Characters would routinely remind one another about the overarching plot, in order to keep audiences up to speed.

* ''UnderseaKingdom'' (1936, Republic): starring Ray "Crash" Corrigan. A few episodes appeared on ''MysteryScienceTheater3000''.

** ''Serial/BatmanAndRobin'' (1949, Columbia): not to be confused with ''Film/BatmanAndRobin''.

* ''TheAdventuresOfCaptainMarvel'' (1941, Republic)

The genre first started with such serials as the silent film ''The Perils of Pauline''. Although some big studios like Universal played the field with the ''Film/{{Flash Gordon|Serial}}'' serials, the most famous and renowned producer of serials was Republic Pictures, especially with the director team of Whitney and English, who produced classics like ''Daredevils of the Red Circle'' and ''TheAdventuresOfCaptainMarvel'' (the first SuperHero film).

* [[AffectionateParody Spoofed and homaged]] in the comedy film ''Film/JMenForever'' (1979, Pan Canadian Film Dist.), which uses re-dubbed Republic serials (including Commando Cody, Spy Smasher, [[TheAdventuresOfCaptainMarvel Captain Marvel]] and CaptainAmerica) to show various superheroes fighting a plot to conquer the Earth with SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll.

The genre first started with such serials as the silent film ''The Perils of Pauline'', but they hit their artistic peak in the 1930s and 1940s. Although some big studios like Universal played the field with the ''Film/{{Flash Gordon|Serial}}'' serials, the most famous and renowned producer of serials was Republic Pictures, especially with the director team of Whitney and English, who produced classics like ''Daredevils of the Red Circle'' and ''TheAdventuresOfCaptainMarvel'' (the first SuperHero film).

** CliffhangerCopout: Usually of the "hero wakes up JustInTime to dodge death" variety.

* ''ThePhantomCreeps'' (1939, Universal): starring BelaLugosi as a MadScientist. Also appeared on MST3K.

* YouCantThwartStageOne / EvilAlwaysTriumphsInTheMiddle: These things had to go on for twelve or so episodes, you know.

* ''The Purple Monster Strikes'' (1945, Republic)

** ''RadarMenFromTheMoon'' (1952, Republic)

* ''Flying Disc Man From Mars'' (1950, Republic): Generally considered one of the weakest examples of the genre.

** Aside from being standard fashion of the time, the use of hats had a practical purpose -- it hid the transition from the actors to the stuntmen in the fights. Notice how the hats rarely come off during fights.

** The use of hats had a practical purpose - it hid the transition from the actors to the stuntmen in the fights. Notice how the hats rarely come off during fights.

* SharpDressedMan / BadassInANiceSuit: Also a product of the genre's era, a time when men generally wore suits, ties and hats as a matter of course (at least, for works that were contemporary in setting). TheHero, in particular, never seems to get his suit smudged no matter what he goes through -- which gets particularly notable when the Hero wears [[LimitedWardrobe the exact same outfit]] throughout the story, in order to facilitate...

** ''RadarMenFromTheMoon (1952, Republic)

** The use of hats had a practical purpose - it hid the transition from the actors to the stuntmen in the fights. Notice how the hats rarely come off during fights.

** RecapEpisode: Commonly, one episode (usually close to the end of the story) would be spent summarizing the story up to that point, using (you guessed it) StockFootage.

* ''The Green Hornet'' (1940, Universal)

** ''Zombies Of The Stratosphere'' (1952, Republic): [[BillingDisplacement "starring"]] [[StarTrek Leonard Nimoy]]! Though technically part of the Commando Cody franchise, note again the absence of the actual character Cody.

The genre first started with such serials as the silent film ''The Perils of Pauline'', but they hit their artistic peak in the 1930s and 1940s. Although some big studios like Universal played the field with the ''[[Film/FlashGordonSerial Flash Gordon]]'' serials, the most famous and renowned producer of serials was Republic Pictures, especially with the director team of Whitney and English, who produced classics like ''Daredevils of the Red Circle'' and ''TheAdventuresOfCaptainMarvel'' (the first SuperHero film).

* BMovie / ExploitationFilm: Many serials were genre stories such as [[TheWestern Westerns]], SpaceOpera, MadScientist etc., or were based upon pulp/genre characters (FlashGordon, CaptainMarvel et al).

* HistoryMarchesOn / {{Zeerust}} / SpaceClothes: Naturally for any such set in the future, like BuckRogers, or in space, like FlashGordon.

* [[Film/FlashGordonSerial Flash Gordon]] (1936, Universal): starring Buster Crabb (who also played BuckRogers).

* [[AffectionateParody Spoofed and homaged]] in the comedy film ''{{J-Men Forever}}'' (1979, Pan Canadian Film Dist.), which uses re-dubbed Republic serials (including Commando Cody, Spy Smasher, [[{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]] and CaptainAmerica) to show various superheroes fighting a plot to conquer the Earth with SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll.

Eventually, the genre petered out against the competition of television, but lives on whenever a TV show episode cuts to commercial with a cliffhanger.

* Spoofed and homaged in the comedy film ''{{J-Men Forever}}'' (1979), which uses re-dubbed Republic serials (including [[JetPack Commando Cody]], Spy Smasher, [[{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]] and CaptainAmerica) to show various superheroes fighting a plot to conquer the Earth with SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll.

The genre first started with such serials as the silent film ''The Perils of Pauline'', but they hit their artistic peak in the 1930s and 1940s. Although some big studios like Universal played the field with the ''FlashGordon'' serials, the most famous and renowned producer of serials was Republic Pictures, especially with the director team of Whitney and English, who produced classics like ''Daredevils of the Red Circle'' and ''TheAdventuresOfCaptainMarvel'' (the first SuperHero film).

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<<|FilmGenres|>>

The genre first started with such serials as the silent film ''The Perils of Pauline'', but they hit their artistic peak in the 1930s and 1940s. Although some big studios like Universal played the field with the ''FlashGordon'' serials, the most famous and renowned producer of serials was Republic Pictures, especially with the director team of Whitney and English, who produced classics like ''Daredevils of the Red Circle'' and ''The Adventures of CaptainMarvel'' (the first SuperHero film).

The basic structure is a film that is presented in consecutive installments in a theatre, with the expectation that the audience would come each week to see the whole story through. As such, it was famous for its {{fight scene}}s and its [[CliffHanger cliffhangers]].