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'Serial' slows down its release schedule

New episodes will be released fortnightly to let producers include recently-released material.

Broadcast TV may be tied to a rigid schedule of weekly releases, but services like Netflix have shown that the internet has no such restriction. It's a fact that the creators of Serial are now taking advantage of after announcing that new episodes of season two will now be aired on a fortnightly, not weekly basis. Rather than out of a capricious desire to keep you in suspense, the move is due to the team suddenly being given access to new material. In a report by the New York Times, the show's executive producer reveals that the first few episodes have "opened up more avenues of reporting."

That means that there are figures involved with the Bowe Bergdahl case that are now willing to be interviewed, as well as newly-opened documents to consider. In addition, shortly after the first episode was released, General Robert B. Abrams called for Bergdahl to be court-martialled for his alleged desertion. Moving to a 14-day schedule means that the team can re-edit the as-yet unpublished episodes to incorporate both new material and discuss the case in this new light. It's also hinted that the original plan of a 10-episode run has been scrapped, with this new content likely to push that number higher. So, on the upside, there's more Serial coming, but it'll take twice as long to get here.