Written By Xinqi Zhou（33837441）

In recent decades, with the popularity of digital platforms, binge-watching culture has gradually emerged. Binge-watching is the behavior of viewers watching multiple episodes or even a whole season of a TV series or other long-form content in a short period. The concept of watching multiple episodes of a show at one time became popular around 2012.

Netflix played a key role in promoting the rise of binge-watching. In 2013, Netflix decided to release all 13 episodes of the first season of the popular political drama “House of Cards” at one time, instead of releasing one episode per week. This model quickly changed the tradition of TV series release and gave rise to the popularity of binge-watching culture. This has profoundly affected the way traditional TV and film industries.

Quality television is the basis of binge-watching. Robert J. Thompson’s claim that “quality television” programs include “…a quality pedigree, a large ensemble cast, a series memory, creation of a new genre through recombination of older ones, self-consciousness, and pronounced tendencies toward the controversial and the realistic.”(Thompson, Robert J)

(Netflix, 2022)

The TV series The Crown, released by Netflix since 2016, is an example of quality television and binge-watching. The Crown is a historical drama focusing on the British royal family. The series has six seasons. It uses a non-linear, multi-time and space-crossing narrative technique to show the historical changes of the British royal family. The Crown is famous for its excellent production quality, including highly restored historical scenes, gorgeous costume design and superb photography. This “cinematic” production style blurs the boundaries between traditional television and movies, reflecting high production quality and cinematic form.

After this, an event further strengthened the gradual blurring of the boundaries between movies and television, and also reflected the controversy between traditional theaters and streaming platforms.

At the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, two films produced by Netflix, Okja and The Meyerowitz Stories, were successfully shortlisted for the main competition unit. This was the first time that Netflix original films participated in one of the world’s most prestigious film festivals. This caused great controversy and set off a heated debate within the Cannes Film Festival and the film industry about the relationship between traditional theaters and streaming platforms. Although the two Netflix films were recognized for their production quality, they were only released on the Netflix platform and there were no plans for widespread theatrical screenings. “French law mandates that a movie will not release on streaming services until 36 months — that’s three years — after its French theatrical run.” (Staff, V, 2017)And according to the traditional principles of the Cannes Film Festival, participating films should be released in French theaters.

Netflix’s distribution model was considered to be inconsistent with this requirement, sparking dissatisfaction among traditional filmmakers and theater operators. Netflix uses its strong streaming influence to promote the global distribution of films, but this model is considered to undermine the value of the traditional theater experience. The case of Netflix films participating in the Cannes Film Festival in 2017 reflects the profound changes in the film industry in the era of streaming media, and also reveals the conflict between tradition and modernity.

From binge-watching, the rise of premium TV and streaming platforms has reshaped the way movies are produced, distributed and consumed, challenging the status of traditional theaters. In the future, the film industry may need to explore a balanced model that allows theaters and streaming media to jointly serve the development of film art while adapting to the diverse needs of audiences.

Reference List:

1, Staff, V. (2017) Cannes Film Festival 2017: News and movie reviews, Vox. Available at: https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/5/15/15644364/festival-de-cannes-2017-palme-dor (Accessed: 17 November 2024).

2, Thompson, Robert J. Television’s Second Golden Age: From Hill Street Blues to ER: Hill Street Blues, Thirtysomething, St. Elsewhere, China Beach, Cagney & Lacey, Twin Peaks, Moonlighting, Northern Exposure, LA Law, Picket Fences, with Brief Reflections on Homicide, NYPD Blue & Chicago Hope, and Other Quality Dramas. Syracuse University Press, 1997. pp. 13–16.

3, Unlimited movies, TV shows, and more  Netflix. Available at: https://www.netflix.com/ (Accessed: 18 November 2024).

4, (2020) YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApzuR8_qNjs (Accessed: 18 November 2024).