My only issue is these long hiatus gaps. When is the next season of the Bear? 2027…28. Wait that long for 8 maybe 10 shows? And they wonder why people drop the service. My set up is I don’t pay all bills off one card. There’s the A list expenses. They are Card A, Card B is for party and bullshit. It’s not always funded because those things aren’t essentials. So when my Disney plus yearly subscription came up and the card wasn’t funded -the service was cancelled. Please tell me what am I missing? I did likewise for Amazon.
That was 2 or so years ago. What’s the comprise then? Ok so we aren’t going to 20+ episodes. But it’s a joke to make fans wait years for 10 hours of shows they can watch in its entirety in one weekend then make them wait years for the following season. It’s why I stopped going on big roller coasters as a kid. All that hype. Over in mere minutes then a long wait to repeat the moment. I’ll pass.
Does anyone see the folly in this? (A good library will keep me around but it can’t be a science project trying to find shows you like not what the algorithm suggests).
The delays are a problem and I think it has been the result of a couple of issues. Streaming shows just take a long time to hit the platforms. For instance, Apple TV+'s Sunny (which is just wrapping up) was primarily filmed during the pandemic. The pandemic, the Hollywood strikes all had an issue. Not just the delays when things were shut down. But because once things started back up, it was challenging to work around everyone's schedules again. But I agree, it is a huge issue.
Yeah. The wait definitely limits the effectiveness of the show at accomplishing the streamers goals. This ties into something I have been thinking: the broadcast model did not include a bunch of unknown shows getting 22-24 episodes sight unseen. There were pilots and while the really successful shows got 22-24 episodes, many got ordered for 13 episodes, then potentially got a "Back 9" if those 13 were good. Then, a renewal for an already successful show would get the full 22-24 episode order for the next season from the start.
Less elaborate productions for some shows could allow for the quicker turnaround that was made with shows moving from 13->22 episodes in season previously. Regardless of how elaborate the production is, it does make sense to me to have an initial 8-10 episode order for a show. Then have an increased order if it hits. While it may not be back to 22 episodes, if a show is hitting the right numbers, ordering a new split season with 8+8 could work. I know Sabrina tried the split season approach, but it was never really big enough of a hit. A show like Wednesday might be a good one.
I think the shorter seasons are in part an effort to do a streaming version of pilot season. There really isn't a way for streamers to roll out one-off pilots (remember when Prime Video tried that?) and because of the prolonged production process, there's no real way to replicate a broadcast TV model of producing shows and getting them on the air within a few weeks. In streaming, you're pretty much all-in for the season.
I agree, I think the big issue here is less the run time of a season and more the consistency of the platform. Not only can I not be sure that I'll see the show next year, but if I do, it'll be in a wildly different month. I totally get the pressures making this all happen - even doing more episodic releases while some later episodes are still in production does not seem feasible.
All of the platforms do a terrible job of reminding you about the return of shows you're previously watched. tbh, if they could figure that out, it would solve a lot of problems. Discovery+ does the best job with this, but while it works well in-season, the UI often forgets you've watched a show if it's been off the air for long.
Don't get me started on Crave (a major Canadian streamer that has a bit of all kinds of content including being the home of streaming HBO in Canada). Until literally a month or two ago, it didn't even remember that I am keeping up with new releases of a show and would forget to add it back to my queue when a new episode dropped.
They need to do what I see done with Apple Music. I had the new Common album on my device a month before the album dropped. Now it’s an album and these are Gen X musicians so they went with an old school rollout. First the ads and mentions on hip hop sites. Then the bts of the music videos. At the time -spring the Knicks were in the playoffs. Common from Chicago-Pete Rock is from New York-they used that too. Then they dropped the first single and video and did Fallon all in a week. Their fans had to know about this project. But here I am on whatever streaming service-new show or season is premiering 6-8 weeks-nothing. Now Peacock didn’t do this for Fight Night. I saw the trailer in I think in July. And I’m barely on the service.
But it’s in SM feeds given what I consume. (I follow Packer, Hart and good chunk of the cast). I agree with how all of this seems so unintuitive. Why not release BTS, show us something that xyz show is set to return? Create the awareness. Look around see what else in the pop culture spectrum is popping off maybe there’s a tie in?
Streamers taking forever to produce shows is a choice. They can make a different one. Broadcast still produces shows on a broadcast schedule; this is not some impossible dream that no one knows how to do.
Streamers don't have to have all episodes written before filming, don't have to spend $10million an episode, don't have to wait months to open a writers' room for the next season. They could mandate 8-day shoots for modest budgets and keep writers writing straight through to maintain a yearly airing schedule. They choose not to.
And even though I’m a writer I can go with not going back to 20+ episodes. I thought the mid 2000’s of the Sopranos/the Wire/The Shield et al were right on the money. I was rewatching the Sopranos got to one season and I’m at I think ep 10, in line oh right this is the season finale…nope 2 more shows. My thing is for both fans and workers these gaps ain’t it. I’m rapidly losing steam for Stranger Things. Even before the strikes they were taking a lifetime to make the next season. One thing these streamers can’t do is make us wait crazy long. I know some think releasing new content no matter what it is works. Not for me. I only care about scripted shows and movies. Everything else is can go. I wasn’t watching NBC for any game shows. Cosby, ER, Different World, Miami Vice. You get the picture. Nice try netflix just give me ST5 already.
Overall, these are really great comments and I'm going to incorporate them into today's newsletter.
My only issue is these long hiatus gaps. When is the next season of the Bear? 2027…28. Wait that long for 8 maybe 10 shows? And they wonder why people drop the service. My set up is I don’t pay all bills off one card. There’s the A list expenses. They are Card A, Card B is for party and bullshit. It’s not always funded because those things aren’t essentials. So when my Disney plus yearly subscription came up and the card wasn’t funded -the service was cancelled. Please tell me what am I missing? I did likewise for Amazon.
That was 2 or so years ago. What’s the comprise then? Ok so we aren’t going to 20+ episodes. But it’s a joke to make fans wait years for 10 hours of shows they can watch in its entirety in one weekend then make them wait years for the following season. It’s why I stopped going on big roller coasters as a kid. All that hype. Over in mere minutes then a long wait to repeat the moment. I’ll pass.
Does anyone see the folly in this? (A good library will keep me around but it can’t be a science project trying to find shows you like not what the algorithm suggests).
The delays are a problem and I think it has been the result of a couple of issues. Streaming shows just take a long time to hit the platforms. For instance, Apple TV+'s Sunny (which is just wrapping up) was primarily filmed during the pandemic. The pandemic, the Hollywood strikes all had an issue. Not just the delays when things were shut down. But because once things started back up, it was challenging to work around everyone's schedules again. But I agree, it is a huge issue.
Yeah. The wait definitely limits the effectiveness of the show at accomplishing the streamers goals. This ties into something I have been thinking: the broadcast model did not include a bunch of unknown shows getting 22-24 episodes sight unseen. There were pilots and while the really successful shows got 22-24 episodes, many got ordered for 13 episodes, then potentially got a "Back 9" if those 13 were good. Then, a renewal for an already successful show would get the full 22-24 episode order for the next season from the start.
Less elaborate productions for some shows could allow for the quicker turnaround that was made with shows moving from 13->22 episodes in season previously. Regardless of how elaborate the production is, it does make sense to me to have an initial 8-10 episode order for a show. Then have an increased order if it hits. While it may not be back to 22 episodes, if a show is hitting the right numbers, ordering a new split season with 8+8 could work. I know Sabrina tried the split season approach, but it was never really big enough of a hit. A show like Wednesday might be a good one.
I think the shorter seasons are in part an effort to do a streaming version of pilot season. There really isn't a way for streamers to roll out one-off pilots (remember when Prime Video tried that?) and because of the prolonged production process, there's no real way to replicate a broadcast TV model of producing shows and getting them on the air within a few weeks. In streaming, you're pretty much all-in for the season.
I agree, I think the big issue here is less the run time of a season and more the consistency of the platform. Not only can I not be sure that I'll see the show next year, but if I do, it'll be in a wildly different month. I totally get the pressures making this all happen - even doing more episodic releases while some later episodes are still in production does not seem feasible.
All of the platforms do a terrible job of reminding you about the return of shows you're previously watched. tbh, if they could figure that out, it would solve a lot of problems. Discovery+ does the best job with this, but while it works well in-season, the UI often forgets you've watched a show if it's been off the air for long.
Don't get me started on Crave (a major Canadian streamer that has a bit of all kinds of content including being the home of streaming HBO in Canada). Until literally a month or two ago, it didn't even remember that I am keeping up with new releases of a show and would forget to add it back to my queue when a new episode dropped.
They need to do what I see done with Apple Music. I had the new Common album on my device a month before the album dropped. Now it’s an album and these are Gen X musicians so they went with an old school rollout. First the ads and mentions on hip hop sites. Then the bts of the music videos. At the time -spring the Knicks were in the playoffs. Common from Chicago-Pete Rock is from New York-they used that too. Then they dropped the first single and video and did Fallon all in a week. Their fans had to know about this project. But here I am on whatever streaming service-new show or season is premiering 6-8 weeks-nothing. Now Peacock didn’t do this for Fight Night. I saw the trailer in I think in July. And I’m barely on the service.
But it’s in SM feeds given what I consume. (I follow Packer, Hart and good chunk of the cast). I agree with how all of this seems so unintuitive. Why not release BTS, show us something that xyz show is set to return? Create the awareness. Look around see what else in the pop culture spectrum is popping off maybe there’s a tie in?
Streamers taking forever to produce shows is a choice. They can make a different one. Broadcast still produces shows on a broadcast schedule; this is not some impossible dream that no one knows how to do.
Streamers don't have to have all episodes written before filming, don't have to spend $10million an episode, don't have to wait months to open a writers' room for the next season. They could mandate 8-day shoots for modest budgets and keep writers writing straight through to maintain a yearly airing schedule. They choose not to.
Things don't have to be this way.
And even though I’m a writer I can go with not going back to 20+ episodes. I thought the mid 2000’s of the Sopranos/the Wire/The Shield et al were right on the money. I was rewatching the Sopranos got to one season and I’m at I think ep 10, in line oh right this is the season finale…nope 2 more shows. My thing is for both fans and workers these gaps ain’t it. I’m rapidly losing steam for Stranger Things. Even before the strikes they were taking a lifetime to make the next season. One thing these streamers can’t do is make us wait crazy long. I know some think releasing new content no matter what it is works. Not for me. I only care about scripted shows and movies. Everything else is can go. I wasn’t watching NBC for any game shows. Cosby, ER, Different World, Miami Vice. You get the picture. Nice try netflix just give me ST5 already.