(Actually, arc-based programming had been around for a long time already, but it was on daytime television, in the soap operas -- which were only watched by housewives and thus were not in any way innovative or significant.)

and Eric Flint. the man has OPENLY STATED [and it's published in a few places] that one of the best ways he learned to write characters was from Soaps.

[excuse my grammer. meds. sigh.]