up that shows that became increasingly serialized would lose viewership over time, because, if the audience misses an episode, then they would be incline the to stop watching it, because they would feel like, i missed one and now i don't know what's happening. >> there had been amazing shows that had been serialized. they never had syndication value, because you couldn't revisit them. but there's almost no better hook. it's like a book you can't turn down. i'm just going to watch a little bit more. >> "24" was set to debut with an assassin blowing up a passenger jet in midair. fox orders this, fox schedules it. 9/11 happens. suddenly, this show, which seemed like this goofy thing about kiefer sutherland chasing after middle eastern terrorists