A Shaggy Dog Story is a plot with a high level of build-up and complicating action, only to be resolved with an anti-climax or ironic reversal, usually one that makes the entire story meaningless. The term comes from a type of joke (called "gildersome" in The Meaning of Liff) that worked the same way -- a basic premise, a long amount of buildup, and a deliberately underwhelming punchline. For television, these stories tend to be found in two varieties: serious and comedic. Examples of Shaggy Dog Story include: