Many shows now-a-days are based on an episodic structure. This type of format consists of mainly a 30-minute long sitcom which doesn't have much impact on the next one shown nor it is impacted by the previous one. Every episode has its own story and dilemma and will probably end smoothly right about where it started (no dilemmas nor conflicts unresolved). Also, this format, in contrast to series and serial programming, counts with the predictability factor. Since the episode consists of a dilemma and the way it is resolved during the episode, the viewer usually feels more familiarized with the way that the plot unfolds itself and can get an idea of where the story is headed to.
A good example would be My Wife and Kids. This sitcom usually shows the father, Michael, as the moral leader in the family who, with the use of humor, imparts lessons or morals to his family. These lessons come from conflicts which usually arise at the beginning of the show and are satisfied by the end of it. Each episode comes with a different story and, with its small resolutions, is always lesson-centered. I cannot emphasize enough that the show puts him as a very humorist guy (which is also a characteristic of a sitcom) but he always ends up resolving the conflict.
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