I thought it'd be great to have a list of which shows are episodic vs. serialized. That way there's an easy way to see which shows one can catch an episode of now and then through the TV, Hulu, Netflix WIN, etc. I'll update the list as shows appear and get canceled. If you see something out of date please post

I understand there's backstory to even episodic shows but for example you can watch an episode of House without having watched all episodes up to that point.

Premium channels included.


Episodic
10 Items Or Less
30 Days
Arrested Development (no longer airing)
Big Bang Theory, The
Bones
Boston Legal (although sometimes serialized)
Chuck
Closer, The
Criminal Minds
Doctor Who
American Dad
Everybody Hates Chris
Entourage
Eureka (although it's leaning towards serialization in Season 2)
Family Guy
Flight of the Concords
House
How I Met Your Mother
In Plain Sight
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
King Of The Hill
Monk
My Boys
NCIS
Psych
Ghost Whisperer
Office, The (some backstory)
Reaper
Saving Grace
Scrubs
Smallville (some elements are serialized)
Supernatural (some elements are serialized)
The Simpsons
Venture Bros.



Serialized
24
Big Love
Californication
Battlestar Galactica
Breaking Bad
Burn Notice
Damages
Desperate Housewives
Dexter
Dollhouse
Friday Night Lights
Fringe (appears to be)
Greek
Grey's Anatomy
Harper's Island (Fall '08)
Heroes
In Treatment
Life
Lost
Mad Men
Nip/Tuck
One Tree Hill
Prison Break
Pushing Daisies
Rescue Me
Shield, The
Tell Me You Love Me
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Ugly Betty
Weeds

Episodic:
NCIS
All the CSI's
Criminal Minds
All the Law & Orders
Boston Legal (although sometimes serialized)
In Plain Sight
The Closer
Ghost Whisperer
Supernatural (some elements are serialized)
Smallville (some elements are serialized)
Bones

Serialized:
24
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Life
Friday Night Lights
The Shield
Nip/Tuck
Rescue Me
Fringe (appears to be)
One Tree Hill
Grey's Anatomy
Pushing Daisies
Greek

I would say the following are Episodic too

The Office
The Big Bang Theory
How I Met Your Mother
Arrested Development (no longer airing)

I know on the Office and HIMYM there are backstories, but (to me) you could watch any episode and get enough out of it without watching previous shows.

Serialized:
Prison Break

Episodic:
Venture Bros.
Chuck
Reaper
Flight of the Conchords
Scrubs
Entourage
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia


Serialized:
Dexter
Mad Men
Tell Me You Love Me
In Treatment
Big Love
Californication
Battlestar Galactica
Breaking Bad
Damages

Serialized:
Dollhouse (Winter '09)
Ugly Betty
Harper's Island (Fall '08)
The Shield
Nip/Tuck (to a degree)

Episodic:
Saving Grace
Doctor Who
Eureka
10 Items or Less
My Boys
Family Guy
Simpsons
King of the Hill
American Dad
Everybody Hates Chris