The 3rd edition of the symposium brought together professors, critics and experts on TV series who talked about the possibility of certain series to extend beyond the medium itself. They discussed well-known series such as The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, True Detective and Game of Thrones, as well as new series scheduled for release.

The event was inaugurated by Dr. Ivan Lacasa, the Dean of the UIC Faculty of Communication Sciences, and Dr. Raquel Crisóstomo, the Head of Studies of the UIC Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Journalism and the symposium organizer. Following the opening address, Manuel Garín, a professor at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), and Gerard Casau, a film critic, discussed how images form part of the narrative in audiovisual communication.

Toni Roig, a professor at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), gave a talk in which he said, “The real protagonists of TV series are the viewers”. Víctor Hernández de Santaolalla, a professor at the Universidad de Sevilla and the co-author of Breaking Bad. 530 gramos (de papel) para serieadictos no rehabilitados, then analysed how the figure of the antihero has evolved and the empathy these characters create in the viewer.

Carlos Alberto Scolari, a UPF professor and the author of Narrativas Transmedia: Cuando todos los medios cuentan, analysed media outlets other than the TV that allow viewers to interact with series, such as the Internet. Finally, Manel Jiménez, a UPF professor, focused on the increasing complexity of guaranteeing the continuity of TV series.

One of the main conclusions drawn by all the speakers at the symposium was that TV series evolve in the same way that society does.

In the afternoon, there was roundtable discussion in which Alberto Rey, a TV critic for the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, and Toni de la Torre, a TV critic who specializes in TV series, discussed the future of TV series. It was moderated by Dr. Raquel Crisóstomo.