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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/44649
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

You said in a comment that this is for an existing, old show, presumably one with a fanbase. While your listeners have presumably seen it (they're listening to your podcast about it, after all), they might not have done so _recently_ and even hardcore fans might not always remember episode _sequencing_ (when things happened relative to other things). Therefore, you probably want a brief summary of points _that are important for what you're going to talk about_.

For example, suppose you were going to talk about the Babylon 5 season-2 opener, [Points of Departure](http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/master/guide/023.html), which aired about 20 years ago. And suppose you're specifically going to be talking about Minbari politics and not much about the fact that there's a new commander on the station. You might open with something like:

> When last we saw Ambassador Delenn she was disappearing into a cocoon. Apparently this was a possibility her government foresaw, as they've sent an emissary to the station, and apparently they're not happy -- look at that guy's face! But wait, didn't a Gray Council member give her the device she needed to build it? In today's episode of "As the Station Turns", we'll delve into the secrets and internal struggles of the race that nearly destroyed Earth not long ago.

During this episode a hostile Minbari warship arrives. I didn't mention that in my synopsis because (in this hypothetical podcast I'm planning for you :-) ) either you're going to talk quite a bit about it -- and can bring it up then -- or it's not going to be central to what you talk about.

To summarize, then:

- Include key points that are important to the _timeline_ (someone remembering this episode years later might think Delenn has already emerged).

- Include smaller points, things that would be more easily forgotten, if they're important context for your cast. (The presence of that Gray Council member could be easily forgotten.)

- It's ok to provide context in an "oh by the way" manner. (Fans of the show already know that the Minbari almost destroyed Earth; you're dropping in a casual reminder that it was recent.)

- If it's important to the _episode_ but not to _your podcast_, skip it. (This podcast episode isn't about Earth politics and the sudden change in station commander. Well, not directly; to the extent it intersects with what you're going to talk about, you can cover it then.)

Original score: 2