It's often said that television is a writers' medium, but that's because scripts are a delivery device for the format's true lifeblood: plot. However interesting a project's themes may be, it requires structure and momentum to propel the action multiple episodes.

Put on a happy face. Dennis Quaid, best known for playing friendly patriarch roles in movies like “The Parent Trap,” takes a darker turn as a serial killer dad in “Happy Face,” premiering March 20 on Paramount+.