Wątki muzyczne w najnowszych serialach streamingowych

This article is devoted to musical themes appearing in a selection of recent (as of 2025) streaming series. These works demonstrate a clearly discernible shift in the ways that the medium employs musical scores. One apparent reason for this shift is the shortening of opening sequences, which are now often limited to brief animated skits, at times lasting mere seconds — which severely reduces the viewer’s exposure to a musical score. Another reason must be considered in a broader context: the elevation of the once-overlooked ‘couch entertainment medium’ into a genuine artistic genre. This change encourages the viewer to pay attention to artistic means that exist outside of the plot — be they visual or, more to the point here, aural. In most series produced in the 1980s and 1990s, the opening sequence played a central role, embedding both the musical theme and the appearance of the actors (and characters) in the audience’s memory. Today, musical openings — scored by the show’s main theme — are increasingly relics of the past, joining the growing catalogue of cultural retro-objects. Songs used in contemporary streaming series are not selected at random — they are deliberately chosen by the producers. These musical choices play an important role in shaping the narrative world, as they often reflect the characters’ inner lives or act as commentary on the unfolding story. The article focuses on musical score in the crime series Forst (2024), which features a wide range genres, from mainstream pop, through folk and soft rock, to more indie-aligned dream pop. In some cases, the visual storytelling that accompanies certain songs (such as Wonderful Life) closely mirrors the form of a music video, as it is similarly dominated by fragmentation, multiple shots, and contrast. This interconnection is a pointed example of audiovisuality, a phenomenon based on purposeful crossing of the boundaries between media. The blurring of genre lines becomes especially clear in scenes or sequences that directly incorporate musical pieces. These are typically one-minute long or otherwise short fragments that give the impression of watching a music video. Longer musical sequences, by contrast, require more viewer engagement. They invite interpretative reflection, and even deconstruction, prompting questions such as: Why was this particular piece chosen for this scene? How do the lyrics of the song relate to the world presented onscreen? Recent streaming series encourage viewers to become active participants in their experience rather than passive consumers of entertainment.