The streaming era has given us the world at our fingertips. Any and every show imaginable is available to you immediately at the click of a button. And yet, it has also taken some things away. A study by Parrot Analytics found that TV shows decreased from an average of 15.4 episodes per season in 2018 to just 10.2 in 2023, while shows with more than 20 episodes dropped from 19% to 4.5% of all shows that aired that year. The eight-episode streaming model suits shows like Stranger Things, where the plot is the main attraction. However, sitcoms like Not Suitable for Work rely on spending time with characters as opposed to racing through storylines, so eight episodes never feel like enough. With seasons becoming shorter, TV has seemingly abandoned the “filler episode”. There is no time to breathe when you only have so much screentime.
While the term “filler episode” has recently become synonymous with criticisms of episodes that do not go anywhere narratively, when we talk about them in this article, we are referring to the slice-of-life episodes that do nothing for the plot but everything for the audience’s connection to the characters. Filler episodes can build important character details that often matter most when the big, dramatic moments finally arrive. In slice-of-life storytelling, seeing the characters go about their days can help you understand how and why they do the things they do. You get to see them fall in love and understand how it happened.
Consider the evolution of what we call a slow-burn romance. Jim and Pam from The Office dance around each other before finally going on their first date in season 4 – 54 episodes into the series. Nick and Jess from New Girl took even longer to get together, finally reconciling at the end of episode 138. If you compare it to a modern streaming series, a pairing that gets together at the beginning of season 4 would only be 24 episodes in. It is simply not enough time to “earn” the slow-burn label.
The relationship can feel rushed or even come across to audiences as cliché and inevitable because you have to start building the romance almost immediately instead of establishing the characters. The building blocks of romance need to be set early on in a show nowadays in order to capture the audience’s attention. Who will they make TikTok edits of if there is no one to ship together?
The current entertainment climate means that shows only continue if they are a resounding success, and this is often directly linked to how popular they are on social media. If Paul Baker is not “white boy of the month” with thousands of edits of him to Lana Del Rey, why should studios give Adults a second season?
Audiences enjoy filler episodes in comedies because our lives are also mostly filler. We often sit in restaurants gossiping with friends about our own “Mr Big”. The average person does not have life-changing moments every week, and filler episodes accurately reflect this. We want to know what the characters do in-between saving the world or advancing the plot. Filler episodes also give the writers the freedom to try new things. Some of the most memorable sitcom episodes are built around ideas that are never mentioned again – grilled cheezus anyone? Writers can actually have room for error if they are given more than eight episodes to get a storyline across or complete a character arc, and that can lead to some truly sensational television.
Comedy series deserve the breathing room that filler episodes provide. The chance to let characters be stupid, to pursue relationships at a natural pace, and to develop the kind of inside jokes and rhythms that make sitcoms feel like home. At the end of the day, we can all take comfort in knowing that the porch light will always be on.
Visual: Alyx Bell
