Modern TV Has a Massive Problem

This video explores the evolution of television production models and argues that the shift to shorter seasons, particularly in the streaming era, has created significant problems for the industry and audiences.

Here's a breakdown of the key points:

• Traditional TV Model (0:38-1:47): For about 50 years, TV shows were produced under an advertiser model, with 22-episode seasons and commercial breaks. This system supported creatives through unions and residuals.
• The Rise of Premium Cable (1:48-2:42): With the introduction of basic cable, channels like HBO offered premium content with fewer ads. This led to shows like The Sopranos adopting shorter, 13-episode seasons due to budget constraints, a model later followed by other acclaimed shows like Mad Men and Breaking Bad.
• Streaming and the "Netflix Problem" (2:49-4:17): Netflix embraced this shorter season model, releasing all episodes at once to cater to "binge-watch culture." While initially successful, this led to the "Netflix problem," where many shows, like Marvel's Netflix collaborations, suffered from pacing issues with strong beginnings and ends but weak, filler-filled middles.
• Negative Impacts of Shorter Seasons (4:18-6:01): The video argues that shorter seasons are detrimental to:
  • Actors (4:56): They struggle to afford to live in expensive cities.
  • Writers (4:58): They face financial instability and are often held in "holding deals."
  • Studios (5:09): Production timelines remain long, but shows yield fewer viewers.
  • Audiences (5:17): There's less of the shows they love, and creators have less time to develop ideas.
• The Need for Time to Develop (5:31-7:08): The video emphasizes that shows, like Star Trek: The Next Generation (5:49), often need a season or two to find their footing. It highlights that even expensive productions like Rings of Power can be weak if creators don't have the time to organically develop the story, citing Vince Gilligan's approach to Breaking Bad (6:57) as an example of ideas evolving during production.
• The "Drug" of Streaming (7:38-8:12): Comedy legend Michael Sher (7:09) refers to shorter seasons as the "single biggest issue facing the future of television production," noting that streaming services treat shows like a "drug" to hook viewers, which hinders the development of long-lasting character arcs and narratives, as exemplified by The Office (7:30). The video questions if "peak TV" is still a reality or if the industry has moved past its golden age.

• Shorter seasons are problematic for various reasons (4:56-5:24):

  • Financial Strain on Creatives: Actors and writers face difficulties affording to live in expensive cities like Los Angeles (4:56). Writers, in particular, struggle with income stability and often can't work on other projects due to holding deals (4:58).
  • Reduced Viewership for Studios: While production timelines remain long, shorter seasons result in fewer episodes, leading to a significant drop in overall viewership (5:09).
  • Less Content and Creative Development Time for Audiences: Viewers get less of the shows they love, and creators have insufficient time to fully develop their ideas, leading to rushed or underdeveloped narratives (5:17).
  • Pacing Issues and "The Netflix Problem": Many shows suffer from uneven pacing, with strong beginnings and ends but weak or filler-heavy middles, a phenomenon dubbed "the Netflix problem" (4:12).
  • Lack of Character and Story Evolution: Shows need time to "figure out what it is" (5:31). Shorter seasons limit the natural evolution of characters and storylines, preventing the organic development seen in long-running series like The Office, where significant character moments, like Jim and Pam's first kiss, occurred many episodes into the series (7:23).

  • Streaming fundamentally altered TV by:

    • Adopting the Shorter Season Model (2:49): Netflix copied the playbook of premium cable channels like HBO, which introduced 13-episode seasons due to budget constraints. This became the new standard for streaming originals, aiming for more "bespoke efforts" rather than the traditional 22-episode seasons.
    • Pioneering Binge-Watching Culture (3:05): Netflix made all episodes of a season available at once, recognizing that viewers wanted to watch shows straight through. This "binge-watch culture" redefined how shows were consumed and subsequently how they were made.
    • Introducing the "Netflix Problem" (4:12): While initially successful, the pivot to this production model across almost every show led to a decline in pacing and quality. Many shows suffered from strong beginnings and ends but sagged in the middle due to filler content.
    • Shifting from Advertiser-Supported to Subscription Models (1:48): Streaming services, like premium cable before them, allowed viewers to pay for content, circumventing the traditional ad-supported model that had dominated television for decades.