<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

Serials were multiple-chapter films, with one chapter being shown each week. This served to bring people back to the movie theatre on a weekly basis. To enhance audience's desire to attend, a chapter often ended with the hero or heroes in a dangerous situation (a cliffhanger). People came back to see how the good guys got out of the trouble.

Each episode was short (less than 30 minutes), and was only one of the items on the bill. A serial would typically have more than 10 chapters.

In the 1950s, the popularity of television effectively ended the theatrical run of serials.

Some films have paid homage to the medium, notably Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).

Sci Fi was a common subject for serials, from Tarzan to Superman to Flash Gordon.