Chance and Contingency in American TV Series

This article by Adrienne Boutang examines the role of chance, improvisation, and real-world intrusions in American television series. It argues that while series are meticulously crafted, the irruption of the real—whether forced or invited—can revitalize the form. The text analyzes how series handle unexpected events like actor deaths, pregnancies, or departures, integrating them into the narrative through various strategies: masking, integration, or reflexive détournement. It explores live episodes, cameos, and improvisation as deliberate injections of unpredictability. Examples include the death of the lead actor in Spartacus, pregnancies in Friends and How I Met Your Mother, live episodes of ER and Will & Grace, and the reflexive use of improvisation in Curb Your Enthusiasm and The L Word. The article also discusses digressive episodes in Mad Men, Six Feet Under, and Breaking Bad, and series like Louie and Girls that embrace loose, non-linear storytelling with dead time and arbitrary encounters. The piece draws on theorists such as Jean-Pierre Esquenazi, Brett Mills, and Lisa Williamson.