The podcast discusses how Netflix broke the TV mold, changed viewer expectations, and twisted the industry. It explores the issues in the current state of TV streaming, the impact of streaming on different industries, and the future direction of the TV industry. Additionally, the podcast announces the start of their first book club and reflects on Shonda Rhimes' success.
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Quick takeaways
The streaming era has led to an oversaturation of content, making it confusing for viewers to find quality shows and diminishing compensation for creators.
The increase in quantity over quality has led to stretched narratives and difficulties in sustaining the quality of content, impacting creators' ability to monetize their work.
Deep dives
The Rise and Fall of Peak TV
The podcast episode discusses the evolution of television and the impact of streaming services like Netflix. It explores the initial excitement and success of streaming platforms with the introduction of on-demand shows and the ability to binge-watch. The golden age of TV, characterized by groundbreaking shows like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, is discussed. However, the podcast also highlights the negative consequences of the streaming era, such as the oversaturation of content and the decline in quality. The episode argues that the current state of TV is overwhelming with too many platforms, shows, and a lack of sufficient compensation for creators. It predicts a potential consolidation of streaming platforms and a return to a more structured TV model that resembles traditional cable bundling.
The Shift Towards Quantity over Quality
The podcast explores how the demand for more content on streaming platforms has led to a shift towards quantity over quality. The focus on creating large amounts of content has resulted in the elongation of ideas that would have been better suited as movies, causing some shows to struggle to sustain their narratives over multiple episodes. The episode highlights the challenges faced by creators in terms of monetization, as the shift towards streaming platforms has diminished opportunities for secondary income through syndication. This has led to concerns about the financial stability of the industry and the ability of creators to be adequately compensated for their work.
The Impact on Viewers and Content Diversity
The podcast discusses the negative impact of the streaming era on viewers and content diversity. With the abundance of shows and platforms, viewers are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of content and struggle to keep up. The episode argues that the format of TV has changed, with fewer episodic shows that allow viewers to form long-lasting connections to characters and storylines. Additionally, the shift towards streaming platforms has also affected the diversity of content, with pitches for shows that focus on marginalized communities being overlooked in favor of more mainstream and profitable options.
The Future of Streaming and Potential Consolidation
The podcast concludes by speculating on the future of streaming and potential industry consolidation. It suggests that streaming platforms may move towards a more balanced approach, incorporating elements of traditional TV by releasing episodes on a weekly basis and providing a mix of bingeable and network-style shows. The episode also explores the possibility of consolidation in the industry, with platforms potentially merging and adapting to the changing landscape. It predicts that this period of disruption and uncertainty will likely result in more challenges and changes within the streaming industry.
Netflix broke the TV mold in 2013 with ‘House of Cards.’ Now, the streaming wars may have broken TV altogether. There’s so much stuff, a lot isn’t good, it’s confusing to find, sometimes disappears entirely, and, as the writers on strike will tell you, people making it aren’t getting paid the same as they once were. Vulture’s Josef Adalian tells Sam about how the race to compete with Netflix destroyed TV as we knew it, twisted viewers' expectations, and may lead us back to the cable bundles we thought we left behind.
