Meh. :/

[rogueslayer452]

Honestly, the problem with the current era of streaming is how long of a wait people have in between seasons of their shows. It's a far cry from the mid-season and summer hiatuses of network television. The longest I think I had to wait for a show's return was about a year, and that was due to the writer's strike that delayed production. Today however, it seems that shows wait years before production can even happen, which makes the show suffer as a result. While the pandemic and the recent writer's/actors strike didn't help matters, it was already a problem for a lot of streaming shows. I know that initially streaming was to get away from the pressure of the traditional television model, but it has seemed to swing drastically in the opposite direction. Combined with shows having less than ten episodes a season, it just isn't enough to sustain an audience, imho. Without that regularly time schedule and proper momentum, people will lose interest. Even on the fandom side of things, despite fans loving the content they already have that steam will eventually fizzle out. They will still be active, but that enthusiasm just won't be the same. (Although this is merely subjective, since many fandoms have thrived for years long after something has ended.)

I don't know, it's been on my mind lately and with news that one of my shows being further delayed to start production (yet again) with the vague implication that its new season might not even happen at all and it'll silently be cancelled, it really just makes me so exhausted. This is just yet another issue that needs fixing in an already broken industry.

Comments

[silverusagi]

I've noticed this as well. Even with huge things like Rings of Power, Wheel of Time, House of the Dragon--there are years between seasons. And I don't think all of those were because of Covid/the strike, but I also can't be bothered to look it up. But when a new season comes out, it's just like... how long as it been? what happened? I can't even remember.

[rogueslayer452]

Yeah, and like, unless you're really fannish about a particular show most don't go back and rewatch the previous season(s) to refresh themselves on what happened, even if the seasons are relatively shorter. And it's true, I've seen interest in shows that were popular/widely talked about die down because it took forever for their seasons to come out, and that definitely hurts the show in itself because the season might not be bad but people just were tired of waiting. Network television has plenty of issues, some which streaming services are repeating ironically enough, but at least it kept audience's attention and interest by maintaining that momentum with its consistent scheduling for the most part.

[haebin]

♥

[profiterole_reads]

That's true, and I especially dislike that the seasons are getting shorter and shorter, to a point that is now ridiculous.

[rogueslayer452]

Seriously, it gives absolutely no time to explore the characters and their dynamics with each other. Never have I ever missed the 20+ episode seasons this badly.

[grayswandir]

I agree with you, to the point that I don't even watch new shows anymore, because what's the point if they're just going to be cancelled or, at best, I won't find out what happens next for like three years? I've always wondered how other people feel about this. For me, even pre-streaming, just the wait between seasons was always too long. I usually waited until a show had completely finished airing and then watched all the seasons at once (or simply stuck to watching older shows that could already be watched in their entirety). For me I think it's not just that I lose interest while waiting, but also the uncertainty about whether the next season will even get made and whether it will be any good. I can stay interested in a completed canon for basically forever, but staying invested in a canon that's incomplete seems much harder. Will it have even been worth waiting for?

(I feel like this may be one reason a lot of people are enjoying Cdramas and other Asian dramas lately. It seems like most of them tend to just have one season, and the seasons are usually around 20-50 episodes, so you get something that's both reasonably long and actually complete when you finish it...)

[rogueslayer452]

I used to be really pumped up for weekly scheduled television, but that gradually waned due to it feeling like a chore for the most part, especially if there were multiple shows a week, sometimes some on the same night. I'd figure that once it became available on DVD I would catch up then, because a lot of times even shows that were cancelled (and stop airing despite there being more episode) were put onto DVD. Nowadays however, that practice seems to have gone away for the most part, since many shows don't get released onto DVD anymore unless they are on high demand. It seems like a rare commodity, which is odd. And since streaming has begun not just cancelling but outright removing material from their services it really discourages you from watching anything.

I feel like this may be one reason a lot of people are enjoying Cdramas and other Asian dramas lately. It seems like most of them tend to just have one season, and the seasons are usually around 20-50 episodes, so you get something that's both reasonably long and actually complete when you finish it...

Yep. And while some of them might not have perfect or satisfactory endings (ends abruptly or they're rushed for time), at least there is an end to them. You go in knowing that what you see is what you get.

[pianogurl330]

I've noticed this too and don't like waiting these long periods for a favorite show to come back. The seasons are shorter and then some shows I have to wait over a year (or longer like for example Stranger Things) for the next season and then I have to re watch because I don't remember how it concluded.

[rogueslayer452]

It's ridiculous how short the seasons are now, and it's unfortunate that it's becoming more and more common. I know there's been the comparisons to British shows, which I recall some preferring in the past versus the 20+ episode order of Western shows, and while both long and short seasons have their purposes depending on the structure of the story this isn't the way to do it. I don't mind rewatching shows to get a refresher since I enjoy rewatching things anyway, but having to wait years in between so short seasons is outrageous.

It's such a sad state for Western television right now, honestly. It's been a while since I'd been excited for anything new, which is such a contrast from many years ago when there would be several newer shows that I was pumped to check out.

[verdande_mi]

I don't have anything to add, but I toally agree! It's sad!

[night_owl_9]

Your last sentence hits the nail on the head. Oy.

[elizalavelle]

Agreed. Waiting a year or more between seasons just gets too long and I forget what happened in the previous season. I also agree that when a lot of the seasons are 10-12 episodes that means there isn't enough time to really keep sustaining a fanbase.

The industry is so broken right now. Streaming is already going back to reinventing cable TV with all of the problems that made people leave cable in the first place. I was also thinking about how little they pay their actors. Pedro Pascal talking about how he was able to eat because of his Buffy residual cheques from being in one episode with a handful of lines would never happen for bit part actors today. They'd get pennies for their work.