The transformation of television is an on-going process, the transformations of technologies and content streamed on platforms with the representation of transgender and non-binary TV shows can be understood as linked. A consequence of internet distributed television is that television is now created for more specific target audiences. As a result, a wider breadth of television is created and made accessible. Interfaces are also tailored to an individual’s taste through the use of algorithms leading to more differentiated uses of portals which vary among viewers (Lotz 2017). Consequently, if a viewer was particularly more interested in transgender and non-binary TV and had watched previous shows in relation to this they are more likely to see other similar suggestions on their portal. Also, if a new popular show had been released such as Euphoria (2019) it is likely to be one of the first shows the viewer sees on their portal.

The show such as Euphoria (2019) is therefore more likely to reach a larger audience depending where it has been placed on the viewers portal and whether it’s one of the first shows the viewer sees on their portal. New models created by online streaming services have certainly created more space for niche viewers providing more accessibility to shows which would otherwise be far less present on cable and satellite TV. These models put the audience at the heart of television with platforms such as Netflix that have a strong capability to cultivate a viewer’s tastes. Euphoria (2019) was an extremely successful show reaching wider audiences with a diverse range of narratives through the variety of characters and backgrounds portrayed. Most notably in season 2 the main character Rue forms a romantic relationship with transgender character Jules.

This challenges classic narratives of heteronormative romances in TV shows by representing a transgender romantic narrative. This highlights how some TV shows have ascetically progressed by platforming Trans TV. This can be understood by the access created to more niche audiences from the models of internet distributed television which creates spaces for these audiences.  

Lotz, A. D. (2017). Portals: A treatise on internet-distributed television. Michigan Publishing, University of Michigan Library.

Euphoria. (2019) Sam Levinson

Zara Bloom – 33751437