--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Being in the industry, I've seen many…" description: "\"Being in the industry, I've seen many situations where someone will get the call from the network where they say 'You guys have 5 episodes to wrap it u..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/886/nathan-fillion-3284_arcs_being-in-the-industry-i-ve-seen-many-sit_2195705.jpg" --- # Being in the industry, I've seen many situations where… ![“Being in the industry, I've seen many situations where someone will get the call from the network where they say 'You guys have 5 episodes to wrap it up.' Then all your long-term story arcs gotta get wrapped up in five episodes because that's how many episodes you got left. I would hate to see…” quote by Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/886/nathan-fillion-3284_arcs_being-in-the-industry-i-ve-seen-many-sit_2195705.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/886/nathan-fillion-3284_arcs_being-in-the-industry-i-ve-seen-many-sit_2195705.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/886/nathan-fillion-3284_arcs_being-in-the-industry-i-ve-seen-many-sit_2195705.jpg) > “Being in the industry, I've seen many situations where someone will get the call from the network where they say 'You guys have 5 episodes to wrap it up.' Then all your long-term story arcs gotta get wrapped up in five episodes because that's how many episodes you got left. I would hate to see that happen to 'Castle'.” [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Network constraints force abrupt story closures, risking narrative integrity and fan disappointment. **In simple terms:** TV deadlines can cut stories short, harming quality. Key Takeaway Plan flexible arcs and negotiate realistic schedules. Themes storytelling production television creative constraints Mood critical analytical Type industry creative When to use this quote - showrunning - scriptwriting - production planning - fan engagement Key Concepts narrative structure industry pressure audience expectation Questions to Reflect On - How can writers protect arcs under tight deadlines? - What strategies preserve story depth? A Different Perspective Creative vision may be compromised by budget limits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Castles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/castles/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industry/) [Long term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-term/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) ## Related quotes > [Most games follow a real railroad plot, no matter what you want, you're following their storyline to its unavoidable conclusion. I'd like to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/most-games-follow-a-real-railroad-plot-no-matter-what-you-want-you-re/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Cable shows do 13 episodes. I get that. I can wrap my head around 13 episodes. You make them all, you post them all,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nahnatchka-khan/cable-shows-do-13-episodes-i-get-that-i-can-wrap-my-head-around-13/) [Nahnatchka Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nahnatchka-khan/) > [I'll be directing some more 'Private Practice' episodes when we wrap 'Caprica.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-stoltz/i-ll-be-directing-some-more-private-practice-episodes-when-we-wrap/) [Eric Stoltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-stoltz/) > [It's the reason I love doing TV - revisiting stories and characters and the length of the story arcs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-rundle/it-s-the-reason-i-love-doing-tv-revisiting-stories-and-characters-and/) [Sophie Rundle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-rundle/) > [I'm such a dork, but I really think there are derivatives to be found between story arcs and character motivations. And the way you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-saylor/i-m-such-a-dork-but-i-really-think-there-are-derivatives-to-be-found/) [Morgan Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-saylor/) > [Filming 'The Drew,' thinking a lot about story arcs and all that stuff, I thought about how my career ended. I decided I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-davis/filming-the-drew-thinking-a-lot-about-story-arcs-and-all-that-stuff-i/) [Baron Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-davis/) > [When I first starting conceiving series like 'Courtney,' 'Polly,' 'How Loathsome,' etc., I was shooting for closed story-arcs but open-ended concepts. Then I started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-naifeh/when-i-first-starting-conceiving-series-like-courtney-polly-how/) [Ted Naifeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-naifeh/) > ['Castle' is a guy living in a fantasy world. He's in his imagination, writing these stories of murder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/castle-is-a-guy-living-in-a-fantasy-world-he-s-in-his-imagination/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > [You know, I endeavor to be more like my older brother. He's very magnetic. He's actually very much like 'Castle' in that people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/you-know-i-endeavor-to-be-more-like-my-older-brother-he-s-very/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > ['Castle' isn't really affected emotionally by murder. He's thrilled about, 'Oh, my God, I wonder how this happened?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/castle-isn-t-really-affected-emotionally-by-murder-he-s-thrilled/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > [I love doing 'Castle.' We pump out 24 episodes in 10 months, and we work long hours. We do lots and lots of takes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/i-love-doing-castle-we-pump-out-24-episodes-in-10-months-and-we-work/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > [I'm constantly pitching one episode where we see life through Castle's eyes. I think Castle's just a little off as far as his perception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/i-m-constantly-pitching-one-episode-where-we-see-life-through-castle/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > [I want my job to include a little adventure, a little more of a heightened reality than what I'm actually living. And 'Castle' has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/i-want-my-job-to-include-a-little-adventure-a-little-more-of-a-2/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > [Through the music I hope to give it an arc that gives it a greater sense of a journey through the set rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gotye/through-the-music-i-hope-to-give-it-an-arc-that-gives-it-a-greater/) [Gotye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gotye/) > [It's a challenge to work a character's arc into a format in which you only have a very limited amount of time to grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginnifer-goodwin/it-s-a-challenge-to-work-a-character-s-arc-into-a-format-in-which-you/) [Ginnifer Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginnifer-goodwin/) ## More by Nathan Fillion > [I've kind of learned this about Joss Whedon. Never say never. I've learned that. I also have another rule about Joss Whedon. Never say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/i-ve-kind-of-learned-this-about-joss-whedon-never-say-never-i-ve/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > [My dinner spot is usually in front of the TV. I'll grill a steak and whip up a salad and watch 'Hoarders'. I love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/my-dinner-spot-is-usually-in-front-of-the-tv-i-ll-grill-a-steak-and/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > [You want to put out a TV show? If you have the money to do it on your own, by yourself, and you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/you-want-to-put-out-a-tv-show-if-you-have-the-money-to-do-it-on-your/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > [I'm the biggest geek of all. Adventure, fantasy, comic books - I can't get enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/i-m-the-biggest-geek-of-all-adventure-fantasy-comic-books-i-can-t-get/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > [It's hard to shake a stick at success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/it-s-hard-to-shake-a-stick-at-success/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > [I think people imagine that I have about five scripts sitting in front of me and I say, 'I think I'm going to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/i-think-people-imagine-that-i-have-about-five-scripts-sitting-in/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > [I'll never look down on and I love running into actors who say 'Oh yeah, I did a soap.' I say 'Tell me which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/i-ll-never-look-down-on-and-i-love-running-into-actors-who-say-oh/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > [I told myself a while back, 'Love what you do, but don't fall in love with what you do.' That way you won't be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/i-told-myself-a-while-back-love-what-you-do-but-don-t-fall-in-love/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > [I think I've been really good at surrounding myself with really talented people. I've picked the right coattails to ride on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/i-think-i-ve-been-really-good-at-surrounding-myself-with-really/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > [When people embrace character, there's latzie. It's the stuffing of a scene that's not written. It's not in the stage direction and it's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/when-people-embrace-character-there-s-latzie-it-s-the-stuffing-of-a/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > [You can't embarrass Joss Whedon, he's got no pride! He fully admits it. 'Oh, it's me. I'm little and goofy.' You can't wound his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/you-can-t-embarrass-joss-whedon-he-s-got-no-pride-he-fully-admits-it/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > [My brother used to say that when you deal with women, it's difficult to remove emotions from an argument. I never really knew what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/my-brother-used-to-say-that-when-you-deal-with-women-it-s-difficult/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > [The trick is, when you grow up, find work that feels like play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/the-trick-is-when-you-grow-up-find-work-that-feels-like-play/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > [When I was a waiter I was fired twice from the same restaurant. I guess I was that good of an actor but that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/when-i-was-a-waiter-i-was-fired-twice-from-the-same-restaurant-i/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > [My brain is like a hard drive. Once you start adding new information, you start cutting off old information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/my-brain-is-like-a-hard-drive-once-you-start-adding-new-information/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) [Explore all 134 Nathan Fillion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) ## More Arcs quotes > [It's a challenge to work a character's arc into a format in which you only have a very limited amount of time to grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginnifer-goodwin/it-s-a-challenge-to-work-a-character-s-arc-into-a-format-in-which-you/) [Ginnifer Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginnifer-goodwin/) > [Through the music I hope to give it an arc that gives it a greater sense of a journey through the set rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gotye/through-the-music-i-hope-to-give-it-an-arc-that-gives-it-a-greater/) [Gotye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gotye/) > [Because we grew up surrounded by big dramatic story arcs in books and movies, we think our lives are supposed to be filled with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/because-we-grew-up-surrounded-by-big-dramatic-story-arcs-in-books-and/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Joan of Arc should be played as a "pain in the ass" and how do I know she was a "pain in the ass"?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-clurman/joan-of-arc-should-be-played-as-a-pain-in-the-ass-and-how-do-i-know/) [Harold Clurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-clurman/) > [When in doubt, the rule of threes is a rule that plays well with all of storytelling. When describing a thing? No more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-wendig/when-in-doubt-the-rule-of-threes-is-a-rule-that-plays-well-with-all/) [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) > [Sanchez looked at me and we locked eyes a second too long. There was nothing I could do about it. The signal went out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/sanchez-looked-at-me-and-we-locked-eyes-a-second-too-long-there-was/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [When we are young, we spend much time and pains in filling our note-books with all definitions of Religion, Love, Poetry, Politics, Art, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/when-we-are-young-we-spend-much-time-and-pains-in-filling-our-note/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I suppose that, for me at least, the biggest difference betweenThe Gunslinger Born and the next two story arcs (The Long Road Home and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-furth/i-suppose-that-for-me-at-least-the-biggest-difference-betweenthe/) [Robin Furth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-furth/) > [We've got this arc of instability from North Africa to South Asia, and we have to pay close attention to it. And we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-ve-got-this-arc-of-instability-from-north-africa-to-south-asia-and/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I do not pretend to understand the moral universe; the arc is a long one. . . . But from what I see I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-parker/i-do-not-pretend-to-understand-the-moral-universe-the-arc-is-a-long/) [Theodore Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-parker/) > [I think every woman character, every female character, has her own arc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katheryn-winnick/i-think-every-woman-character-every-female-character-has-her-own-arc/) [Katheryn Winnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katheryn-winnick/) > [I am committed now to one thing: lyric sequences. I want the intensity of lyric, but the scope and arc of narrative. so, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-orr/i-am-committed-now-to-one-thing-lyric-sequences-i-want-the-intensity/) [Gregory Orr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-orr/) > [We must move forward in the days ahead with audacious faith. The moral arc of the universe is long but it bends toward justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-must-move-forward-in-the-days-ahead-with-audacious-faith-the-moral/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Most games follow a real railroad plot, no matter what you want, you're following their storyline to its unavoidable conclusion. I'd like to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/most-games-follow-a-real-railroad-plot-no-matter-what-you-want-you-re/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Arc, amplitude, and curvature sustain a similar relation to each other as time, motion, and velocity, or as volume, mass, and density.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-friedrich-gauss/arc-amplitude-and-curvature-sustain-a-similar-relation-to-each-other/) [Carl Friedrich Gauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-friedrich-gauss/) Browse all 250 Arcs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Being in the industry, I've seen many situations where someone will get the call from the network where they say 'You guys have 5 episodes to wrap it up.' Then all your long-term story arcs gotta get wrapped up in five episodes because that's how many episodes you got left. 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