They are complete with character development, plot, denouement and, of course, a message. And as with any form of theater, they have their own set of protocols and stock characters. There are no-no's. It's as formalized as a minuet. The 30-second plots are almost always the same.
Someone has to explain something to someone.
The characters are simple. First, there's a male protagonist who is really, really, stupid. It's OK if the person who can explain it all is a woman, but the explainee, the one with the IQ of a termite, is a man. And if a woman explains something, she is required to be chipper and kind. These people are paid, you know.