--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A TV show has to be a certain length and…" description: "\"A TV show has to be a certain length and, you know, you have expectations from the viewers. You know, you want to see the characters again, or you want..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a86/hiro-murai-8327_again_a-tv-show-has-to-be-a-certain-length-and_2350852.jpg" --- # A TV show has to be a certain length and, you know, you… ![“A TV show has to be a certain length and, you know, you have expectations from the viewers. You know, you want to see the characters again, or you want to see certain dynamics between the characters or certain kinds of storylines. And you kind of figure out how to best fit what you want to say…” quote by Hiro Murai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a86/hiro-murai-8327_again_a-tv-show-has-to-be-a-certain-length-and_2350852.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a86/hiro-murai-8327_again_a-tv-show-has-to-be-a-certain-length-and_2350852.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a86/hiro-murai-8327_again_a-tv-show-has-to-be-a-certain-length-and_2350852.jpg) > “A TV show has to be a certain length and, you know, you have expectations from the viewers. You know, you want to see the characters again, or you want to see certain dynamics between the characters or certain kinds of storylines. And you kind of figure out how to best fit what you want to say into that format.” [Hiro Murai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiro-murai/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. TV creators must balance story goals with format constraints, shaping narratives to meet audience expectations. **In simple terms:** Storytelling must fit the medium. Key Takeaway Adapt narratives to fit time limits. Themes creativity audience format Mood analytical pragmatic Type industry creative When to use this quote - scriptwriting - showrunning - episode planning - network pitching Key Concepts narrative structure media constraints Questions to Reflect On - How do you prioritize plot versus character development? - What trade‑offs are acceptable for audience satisfaction? A Different Perspective Creative vision may be compromised by strict runtimes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) ## Related quotes > [I know that I'm very susceptible to getting caught up in storylines like, "I want him to be different. 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I love that about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-hoeks/i-want-to-play-so-many-different-characters-i-want-to-like-understand/) [Sylvia Hoeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-hoeks/) > [“Make your characters want something right away even if it's only a glass of water. Characters paralyzed by the meaninglessness of modern life still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/make-your-characters-want-something-right-away-even-if-it-s-only-a/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [When I used to teach creative writing, I would tell the students to make their characters want something right away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/when-i-used-to-teach-creative-writing-i-would-tell-the-students-to/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Unlike life, you've got more or less complete control over what's going on in your stories. That's not to say you can make characters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kane/unlike-life-you-ve-got-more-or-less-complete-control-over-what-s/) [Paul Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kane/) > [But now, I think I have found a corner, a groove of what kind of stories I want to be part of and what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-sadh/but-now-i-think-i-have-found-a-corner-a-groove-of-what-kind-of/) [Amit Sadh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-sadh/) > [You have to make sure you have the characters you want. That's really the most complicated part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/you-have-to-make-sure-you-have-the-characters-you-want-that-s-really/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [I look forward to playing characters where I want to play the ordinary, to be honest... Farmer's wife, tailor's daughter, the teacher characters that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sobhita-dhulipala/i-look-forward-to-playing-characters-where-i-want-to-play-the/) [Sobhita Dhulipala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sobhita-dhulipala/) > [I just want to play interesting characters, and I want to work with the best directors I can work with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-holland/i-just-want-to-play-interesting-characters-and-i-want-to-work-with/) [Andre Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-holland/) > [“I live precariously through my characters - so I want them to be loved passionately, live vibrantly, love unconditionally. Make friends they would die…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-roberts/i-live-precariously-through-my-characters-so-i-want-them-to-be-loved/) [Patti Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-roberts/) > [I wasn't thinking that I was two horrors back to back; I was thinking these were characters that I want to play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maika-monroe/i-wasn-t-thinking-that-i-was-two-horrors-back-to-back-i-was-thinking/) [Maika Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maika-monroe/) > [I guess it's easier to get things made when you know the story you want to tell, you know the characters you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-mara/i-guess-it-s-easier-to-get-things-made-when-you-know-the-story-you/) [Kate Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-mara/) > [I want to have a lengthy career. I want to play interesting characters. I want to tell beautiful stories, complex stories, deep stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jovan-adepo/i-want-to-have-a-lengthy-career-i-want-to-play-interesting-characters/) [Jovan Adepo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jovan-adepo/) ## More by Hiro Murai > [At the end of the day, if you don't identify with the main characters, no television show will work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiro-murai/at-the-end-of-the-day-if-you-don-t-identify-with-the-main-characters/) [Hiro Murai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiro-murai/) > [Too many things are possible in a dream. It's most interesting when you don't know which space you're in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiro-murai/too-many-things-are-possible-in-a-dream-it-s-most-interesting-when/) [Hiro Murai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiro-murai/) > [I love museums, but I always thought there was something funny about a group of strangers silently staring at works of inanimate objects together.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiro-murai/i-love-museums-but-i-always-thought-there-was-something-funny-about-a/) [Hiro Murai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiro-murai/) > [I'll listen to a song so much that ideas start to form out of daydreaming. It's as if I'm reverse-scoring the track and building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiro-murai/i-ll-listen-to-a-song-so-much-that-ideas-start-to-form-out-of/) [Hiro Murai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiro-murai/) > [Two things - one is obvious: always keep making. 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Ideally, you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiro-murai/i-m-a-firm-believer-in-the-idea-that-once-we-make-a-thing-and-release/) [Hiro Murai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiro-murai/) > [I remember, when 'Atlanta' first happened, I didn't know what to expect. It felt like it was a lot of responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiro-murai/i-remember-when-atlanta-first-happened-i-didn-t-know-what-to-expect/) [Hiro Murai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiro-murai/) > [I like absurdist aesthetics. There's something about dream logic that's really fascinating, how it interweaves with narrative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiro-murai/i-like-absurdist-aesthetics-there-s-something-about-dream-logic-that/) [Hiro Murai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiro-murai/) > [I've never been robbed in person, but I've gotten my car broken into a couple of times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiro-murai/i-ve-never-been-robbed-in-person-but-i-ve-gotten-my-car-broken-into-a/) [Hiro Murai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiro-murai/) > [I usually work in music videos, where we shoot, like, 10 to 12 setups and 60 shots or something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiro-murai/i-usually-work-in-music-videos-where-we-shoot-like-10-to-12-setups/) [Hiro Murai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiro-murai/) > [Pilots are tricky because there are so many things you have to accomplish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiro-murai/pilots-are-tricky-because-there-are-so-many-things-you-have-to/) [Hiro Murai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiro-murai/) > [I did a short film with Donald Glover for one of his Childish Gambino projects, and Flying Lotus was an actor in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiro-murai/i-did-a-short-film-with-donald-glover-for-one-of-his-childish-gambino/) [Hiro Murai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiro-murai/) > [Once you go outside of Atlanta, there are still a lot of Klan rallies and whatnot. 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So everybody's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-everly/you-couldn-t-get-me-to-go-travel-around-and-sit-in-a-hotel-room-again/) [Phil Everly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-everly/) > [In theater, one of the biggest problems when you're rehearsing comedy over and over again is that you stop laughing at each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-ashley-carter/in-theater-one-of-the-biggest-problems-when-you-re-rehearsing-comedy/) [Lauren Ashley Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-ashley-carter/) > [I'd like to do some female roles again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cameron-mitchell/i-d-like-to-do-some-female-roles-again/) [John Cameron Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cameron-mitchell/) > [Death is a sniper. It strikes people you love, people you like, people you know - it's everywhere. You could be next. 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