Narrative Program

"Narrative program" is a term coined by Algirdas Julien Greimas, a French-Lithuanian semiotician. In his theory, a narrative program is a formulaic structure that underlies all stories and narratives, regardless of their genre or medium.
Greimas identified a basic pattern that he called the "canonical narrative schema," which consists of a temporal sequence of events that move from an initial state of equilibrium, through a period of conflict and tension, and back to a new equilibrium. This schema can be broken down into smaller units called "actants" (such as the hero, the villain, and the helper), which interact in predictable ways to drive the narrative forward.
In essence, Greimas's narrative program is an attempt to identify the underlying structure of stories and to understand how narratives create meaning and generate emotional responses in audiences. It's a fascinating theory that has influenced scholars and storytellers in a variety of fields, from literature and film to video games and advertising.
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