The difficult new series

In The New York Times, Edward Wyatt looks at how two American TV series, House and Prison Break, have approached the challenge of a new series.

The producers of “House” set up a compelling “Survivor”-like competition among potential replacements for the absent assistants, who themselves soon reappeared, providing fans with a comforting continuity in the program’s fourth season.

On “Prison Break” the producers’ planned story line for the new season resulted in a dispute with one of the show’s central actors, foiling many of the writers’ plans. Two years of teasing romance between Sara and Michael ended shockingly with her head in a box — causing an uproar among some dedicated fans.