Shows like “Law & Order: SVU,” “NCIS” and “Grey’s Anatomy” have kept fans hooked for 20 seasons or more. How do they do it?
Breanna DePasquale grew up watching “Law & Order: SVU” with her mother, Christina, in Brooklyn. Breanna loved Detective Olivia Benson on the show, while Christina was all in for Detective Elliot Stabler.
Few were surprised when Breanna became Detective DePasquale with the New York Police Department. The show, she said, “absolutely” contributed to her pursuing a career in law enforcement.
As they have for many fans, the characters and story arcs that seem ripped from the headlines keep Detective DePasquale, 29, coming back. Fans like her helped cement “SVU,” now in its 25th season, as the longest-running prime-time drama in history.
“I always call her my own Olivia Benson,” Christina DePasquale said.
Prime-time drama super fans like the DePasquales can reference their favorite episodes at the flip of a remote. They can quote lines by the protagonists — some have even turned them into tattoos.
Regardless of whether the characters commit a crime, or a friend teases them about their dedication to a television show that has passed the legal drinking age, these fans are along for the ride.
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Source: Television - nytimes.com
