Jenny, I just saw this, so apologies for getting back so late.
If you *do* have a series with multiple Protagonists, then treat each as such. But I’m willing to bet if you spent time with your Family of…
Jenny, I just saw this, so apologies for getting back so late. As to your question, doesn’t it depend on the type of series it is? If it’s a sit-com like “Friends,” then each of the characters is their own Protagonist and have to be treated as such. With one-hour dramas or drama-comedies, more often than not, there *is* a single Protagonist character. There are other recurring figures in what I call the Family of Characters, and in each of *their* experiences, they are the Protagonist in their own story, but in reality, the Protagonist is THE Protagonist.
If you *do* have a series with multiple Protagonists, then treat each as such. But I’m willing to bet if you spent time with your Family of Characters, you would zero in on one character who is the central character.
The value of having a single Protagonist is simple: It gives the audience a specific perspective through which to enter into the story. It simplifies the process of creating audience identification because their emotional focus is on *one* character.
But every story is different, so not a rule.
Hope that helps and good luck!