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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent

Clickbait titles and cliffhangers: the mini TV serials capturing phone audiences

ReelShort TikTok
A man and woman posing in a poster
We Are Never Getting Back Together, one of the micro dramas created by California-based, Chinese-backed company ReelShort. Photograph: Reel Short

Found a Homeless Billionaire Husband for Christmas. The Quarterback Next Door. Revenge of the XXL Wife. My Secret Agent Husband.

These may sound like cringey fantasies, but they’re actually titles of “vertical dramas”, a new form of episodic television that is gripping millions around the world.

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