LayarHijau – YouTube has introduced a new feature called Shorts series, allowing creators to package their short-form videos as episodic stories divided into seasons and episodes. The feature arrives as short dramas and episodic storytelling continue to gain popularity on the platform.
With Shorts series, creators can organize multiple Shorts into a more structured series. Stories can be divided into individual episodes and seasons, making it easier for viewers to follow a storyline from one video to the next.
YouTube is also adding supporting features, including custom thumbnails and sequential playback. These features are designed to make it easier for viewers to discover the next episode and continue watching a story without having to manually search for each video.
Shorts series is now rolling out to creators worldwide and is available across web, mobile devices, and TVs.
Short Dramas Surpass 6.5 Billion Views
The launch of Shorts series comes as short dramas continue to see significant growth on YouTube.
YouTube revealed that short drama content generated more than 6.5 billion views during the first half of 2026. Watch time for this type of content also increased by more than 50 percent year over year.
The growth has not been limited to mobile devices, which have traditionally been the primary way audiences consume short-form videos.
Views of short drama content on TVs increased by more than 90 percent year over year. The figure indicates that although short dramas are largely developed with mobile viewing in mind, audiences are increasingly watching them on larger screens as well.
YouTube said creators from around the world, including Kinigra Deon and GOKKO CLUB, are already using Shorts for episodic and multi-part storytelling.
Shorts series gives this type of storytelling a more structured format. Instead of simply uploading a collection of related videos, creators can organize their stories into specific seasons and episodes.
Bringing Short Dramas to the TV Screen
YouTube is also seeing changes in how viewers consume content on the platform. More than half of YouTube’s top 100 creators have TV as the interface where their content receives the most viewing time.
As a result, YouTube is continuing to develop the viewing experience across television and other large-screen devices.
The shift is particularly relevant to short dramas. A format that has traditionally been closely associated with smartphones is now attracting more viewers on larger screens.
The more than 90 percent year-over-year increase in TV views of short drama content suggests that short-form storytelling is no longer limited to mobile viewing.
With Shorts series, creators can bring episodic storytelling into Shorts while offering viewers an experience that more closely resembles watching a traditional series.
Viewers can discover one episode through Shorts and then continue to the next episode through sequential playback. The structure can also make it easier to follow stories that unfold across numerous short videos.
Alongside Shorts series, YouTube announced several other updates designed to strengthen connections between creators and viewers in the living room. One of them allows viewers to post comments using voice input directly through their TVs without switching to another device.
YouTube is also upgrading Posts. On web and mobile devices, viewers will be recommended posts from the Shorts feed, allowing creators to reach broader audiences through their community content. YouTube also plans to bring Posts to TVs in the coming months.
For the development of short dramas and episodic storytelling, however, Shorts series is one of the most relevant updates. The feature gives creators a dedicated structure for developing stories across multiple episodes while making it easier for viewers to follow an entire series.
With short drama content generating more than 6.5 billion views in just the first six months of 2026, YouTube is now providing a dedicated feature to support the continued development of episodic short-form storytelling within Shorts.
