This special issue aims to bring together original research that explores the phenomenon of television series in the post-digital era, characterized by the full integration of the digital in audiovisual production, distribution and consumption. Over the last decade, the production of series for streaming platforms has multiplied exponentially, giving rise to what has come to be known as the era of “Peak TV” or saturation in the offer of series. Competition between platforms has even prompted talk of a “streaming war” (Neira, 2020).
This new ecosystem –dominated by global companies such as Netflix, Max, Amazon Prime Video or Disney+– has profoundly transformed the traditional dynamics of television (Lobato, 2019; Jenner, 2020; Lobato and Lotz, 2021). In the case of Spain, for example, the arrival of Netflix and other services has transformed production and financing models, to the point that the production of new fictions for streaming has garnered a great deal of academic attention (Gómez-Perez et al., 2022). Recent studies highlight how global platforms are investing in original content within local markets, thus fostering a “glocalization” of series (Castro & Cascajosa, 2020).
Regulation frameworks are also evolving to respond to this scenario: the European Union, through Directive 2018/1808, and its transposition in Spain via Law 13/2022, requires VOD providers to reserve at least 30% of their catalogs for European titles, which gives evidence of how important series are in the preservation of cultural and linguistic diversity (Gómez-Pérez et al., 2022).
At the narrative and discursive levels, contemporary series display an increasing complexity. The so-called “quality television” or complex TV (Mittell, 2015) explores non‑linear narrative structures, long-running serialized plots as well as transmedial and expansive fictional universes that demand active and sophisticated audiences. Likewise, many series embrace the hybridization of genres and formats, incorporating elements from the language of documentaries, films or video games among their expressive strategies. The post-digital context has seen a proliferation of transmedia phenomena, with narratives that extend beyond the traditional screen and involve viewers through multiple platforms and interactive experiences.
Moreover, current series have become privileged spaces for cultural representation and social debate (Marcos-Ramos et al., 2020; Higueras-Ruiz and Pérez-Rufí, 2025): they address issues of gender, ethnic diversity, sexuality, historical memory and other aspects previously marginalized in conventional television fiction. In fact, the impulse of social movements such as feminism and LGTB+ activism has brought to light the need to improve the portrayal of diversity on screens, to which platforms and production companies are progressively responding. The emergence of digital television providers has coincided with an increase in the presence of more diverse characters and narratives, which raises questions about the cultural impact of these representations in society (Lomas Martínez et al., 2025).
Similarly, television series contribute to the construction of collective memory and preservation of audiovisual heritage: many recent fictions revisit historical or popular events, thus influencing how new generations interpret the past and preserving shared imaginaries in global culture.
Against this backdrop, the special issue TV series in the post-digital scenario seeks to bring together scholarly contributions that, through diverse theoretical and methodological approaches, broaden the understanding of this constantly evolving medium. This is an invitation to reflect on the transformations, challenges and opportunities faced by contemporary serialized TV fiction and to map the state of the art of a burgeoning field of study.
Main topics
- Narrative and aesthetic innovations: new forms of serial narrative (structure, hybrid genres, transmedia narratives, visual and sound experimentation) in the post-digital context.
- Social representations and diversity: analysis of the depiction of gender, sexuality, ethnicity, social class, age or other identity traits in contemporary series; critical reception from the perspective of culture and audience studies.
- Memory, history and heritage: the treatment of historical memory and cultural heritage in television series; serial fiction as a venue for popular historiography and the construction of collective imaginaries.
- Production and audiovisual industry: changes in the models of production, financing and distribution of series; case studies about international co‑productions, showrunners and new industrial dynamics in the era of platforms.
- VOD platforms and new consumption habits: impact of streaming services (Netflix, Max, Amazon, Disney+, etc.) on the forms of distribution and consumption; phenomena such as binge-watching, algorithmic recommendation, convergence with social networks and fan engagement.
- Public policies and regulation: effects of European and Spanish legislations on the series sector; the role of series in the promotion of cultural and linguistic diversity.
Guest editors
- Francisco Javier Gómez-Pérez (Universidad de Granada).
- José Patricio Pérez-Rufí (Universidad de Málaga).
The deadline for submission of articles is September 15, 2025.
Bibliographic references
Castro, D., & Cascajosa, C. (2020). From Netflix to Movistar+: How Subscription Video-on-Demand Services Have Transformed Spanish TV Production. JCMS: Journal of Cinema and Media Studies, 59, 154–160. https://doi.org/10.1353/cj.2020.0019
Fernández-Gómez, E., & Martín-Quevedo, J. (2018). La estrategia de engagement de Netflix España en Twitter. Profesional De La información, 27(6), 1292–1302. https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2018.nov.12
Gómez-Pérez, F. J., Castro-Higueras, A., & Pérez-Rufí, J. P. (2022). Producción cinematográfica de Netflix en España: políticas de comunicación y relaciones con la estructura de la producción de cine español. ZER. Revista De Estudios De Comunicación, 27(53), 145–164. https://doi.org/10.1387/zer.23784
González-Neira, A., Quintas-Froufe, N., & Gallardo-Camacho, J. (2020). La medición de la audiencia televisiva: desafíos ante las nuevas plataformas de video. Comunicación y Sociedad, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.32870/cys.v2020.7284
Higueras-Ruiz, M.-J., & Pérez-Rufí, J.-P. (2025). Presence and representation of mental health in fiction TV series: King George in «Queen Charlotte» (Netflix, 2023). Communication & Society. https://doi.org/10.15581/003.38.1.009
Jenner, M. (2021). Binge-Watching and Contemporary Television Studies. Edinburgh University Press.
Lobato, R. (2019). Netflix Nations: The Geography of Digital Distribution. New York University Press.
Lobato, R., & Lotz, A. D. (2020). Imagining global video: The challenge of Netflix. JCMS: Journal of Cinema and Media Studies, 59(3), 132–136. https://doi.org/10.1353/cj.2020.0034
Lomas Martínez, S., Martín García, T., Marcos Ramos, M., & González de Garay Domínguez, B. (2025). La representación de la diversidad en las series de televisión contemporáneas: Percepciones sociales ante un contexto industrial en transformación. Revista Prisma Social, (49), 303–325. https://revistaprismasocial.es/article/view/5645
Marcos-Ramos, M., González-de-Garay, B. & Arcila-Calderón, C. (2020). Grupos minoritarios en la ficción televisiva española: análisis de contenido y percepciones ciudadanas para la creación de un índice de diversidad. Cuadernos.Info, (46), 307-341. https://doi.org/10.7764/cdi.46.1739
Mittell, J. (2015). Complex TV: The Poetics of Contemporary Television Storytelling. NYU Press.
Neira, E. (2020). Streaming Wars. La nueva televisión. Libros Cúpula.