2025/07/24 by Hayat, Ahmad
#horror tv series #mental disorder on television #mental tv #television programming #tv narratives
paper · doi:10.6092/issn.2421-454x/19691
This article examines the industrial conditions that inform contemporary representations of mental disorders in cable slasher television series. Drawing upon interviews with network showrunners and executives, the paper illustrates the role of serialization in shaping mentally ill characters and the ways in which certain narrative strategies are employed to explore their perceptions and rationalize their behaviors. With a focus on two case studies, A&E’s Bates Motel (2013–2017) and MTV’s Scream: The TV Series (2015–2016), the inspection suggests that the shows provide depictions to address their producing institutions’ audience-targeting objectives and therefore propose the significance of seeking mental care for such conditions.