Sep 15, 2025 03:33 AM
(This post was last modified: Sep 15, 2025 03:46 AM by C C.)
What he talks about is absolutely the case, with respect to cable and streaming networks, anyway (non over-the-air programming). At least the serialized soap operas go year round, but that serialized approach is a killer when you have to wait years for a new season.
And to correct it, they don't have to entirely return to the days of episodic shows. Just crank out self-contained seasons that don't end on those ####### cliffhangers. Reacher is a perfect example of that. A single story stretches out over eight episodes and neatly wraps up at the end like an incredibly long movie. You can invest immediately in a show like that and not worry about it being canceled abruptly, and left in the dark.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
TV kinda sucks now
https://youtu.be/RLwCHrlcy9Y
VIDEO EXCERPTS: So, I was perusing the internet the other day in search of stuff to laugh at, when naturally I happened upon an update for season 3 of Rings of Power, which is apparently shooting over here in the UK and is likely to last until the end of the year. And because shows like this need about another decade of post-prouction, that means we're unlikely to see a third season until at least 2027, three entire years since the previous season.
[...] Wars have been fought and won in that time. And it's not alone in this, either.
[...] And all of this stuff got me to thinking, man, TV kind of sucks now. Maybe not so much in the content department, although I could definitely make an argument about that, but the whole shooting structure and business model is completely ass backwards now.
Gone of the days when you'd get a new season of your favorite show every year, so you could always feel excited and invested in it. And I mean an actual season of 20 or even 24 episodes, not the 8 episode mini-series, or five in some cases that are laughably pretending to be TV seasons nowadays.
Gone of the days of episodic storytelling where each new week brought a new adventure or some interesting new self-contained story line where writers were encouraged to experiment and take chances and try wildly creative new ideas.
Now everything has got to be serialized. Everything has to be in service of one big overarching storyline. And at a certain point, well, it gets pretty ___ing boring, man.
And not just that, it gets exhausting. Like, you can't afford to miss a single episode, or you'll have no idea what's going on. It becomes like homework, something that you constantly have to stay updated on.
And how can I put this? It's just not very entertaining anymore. But more than that, it creates a lot of problems that I don't think studios fully appreciate.
So why not talk about them right here and now? The first big problem is a loss of momentum...
[...] A full 22 episode season of TV with a weekly release schedule would last almost half the year, meaning that there might only be a six-month gap between the end of one season and the start of the next. This was really important because it meant that the show was never really out of public consciousness. Just as the conversation about the last season was dying down, the hype train for the next season would start to build up again.
It was good because it kept the fan base engaged and enthused, and it meant that people always had a good sense of where the show was at and what was happening.
Now, imagine the difference when you have to wait two or even 3 years between seasons. You don't need me to tell you that a whole lot of stuff can happen in that time, especially now, because let's be honest, we live in a world of constant distractions.
[...] even if they do somehow stick around until your next season, you then have to waste precious time reminding them about everything that's happened up until now, because it's been so long since the last season happened that half your audience has no clue. [...] The current model of TV just isn't working anymore. Something's got to change. And if I'm right, it has to change sooner rather than later...
https://youtu.be/RLwCHrlcy9Y
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/RLwCHrlcy9Y
And to correct it, they don't have to entirely return to the days of episodic shows. Just crank out self-contained seasons that don't end on those ####### cliffhangers. Reacher is a perfect example of that. A single story stretches out over eight episodes and neatly wraps up at the end like an incredibly long movie. You can invest immediately in a show like that and not worry about it being canceled abruptly, and left in the dark.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
TV kinda sucks now
https://youtu.be/RLwCHrlcy9Y
VIDEO EXCERPTS: So, I was perusing the internet the other day in search of stuff to laugh at, when naturally I happened upon an update for season 3 of Rings of Power, which is apparently shooting over here in the UK and is likely to last until the end of the year. And because shows like this need about another decade of post-prouction, that means we're unlikely to see a third season until at least 2027, three entire years since the previous season.
[...] Wars have been fought and won in that time. And it's not alone in this, either.
[...] And all of this stuff got me to thinking, man, TV kind of sucks now. Maybe not so much in the content department, although I could definitely make an argument about that, but the whole shooting structure and business model is completely ass backwards now.
Gone of the days when you'd get a new season of your favorite show every year, so you could always feel excited and invested in it. And I mean an actual season of 20 or even 24 episodes, not the 8 episode mini-series, or five in some cases that are laughably pretending to be TV seasons nowadays.
Gone of the days of episodic storytelling where each new week brought a new adventure or some interesting new self-contained story line where writers were encouraged to experiment and take chances and try wildly creative new ideas.
Now everything has got to be serialized. Everything has to be in service of one big overarching storyline. And at a certain point, well, it gets pretty ___ing boring, man.
And not just that, it gets exhausting. Like, you can't afford to miss a single episode, or you'll have no idea what's going on. It becomes like homework, something that you constantly have to stay updated on.
And how can I put this? It's just not very entertaining anymore. But more than that, it creates a lot of problems that I don't think studios fully appreciate.
So why not talk about them right here and now? The first big problem is a loss of momentum...
[...] A full 22 episode season of TV with a weekly release schedule would last almost half the year, meaning that there might only be a six-month gap between the end of one season and the start of the next. This was really important because it meant that the show was never really out of public consciousness. Just as the conversation about the last season was dying down, the hype train for the next season would start to build up again.
It was good because it kept the fan base engaged and enthused, and it meant that people always had a good sense of where the show was at and what was happening.
Now, imagine the difference when you have to wait two or even 3 years between seasons. You don't need me to tell you that a whole lot of stuff can happen in that time, especially now, because let's be honest, we live in a world of constant distractions.
[...] even if they do somehow stick around until your next season, you then have to waste precious time reminding them about everything that's happened up until now, because it's been so long since the last season happened that half your audience has no clue. [...] The current model of TV just isn't working anymore. Something's got to change. And if I'm right, it has to change sooner rather than later...
https://youtu.be/RLwCHrlcy9Y
