TV has gone through various changes throughout the years, most recently with online platforms gaining major influence in the industry. To comprehensively describe this, scholar Mareike Jenner builds on Roberta Pearson’s eras of TV from it’s emergence (TVI) to a new era where online platforms are TV distributors (TVIII). Jenner argues that we are now in TVIV, as these platforms now produce their own shows too. This means that platforms don’t have to depend on traditional television branding infrastructures anymore and can build their own more online-focused brands, which allows for shows that cater to more niche and diverse audiences (Jenner, 2016).

A great example of this new era of TVIV is Netflix’s 1899, a period sci-fi thriller about a ship of immigrants from different countries travelling to New York (2022). The show features a diverse cast and many different languages, as everyone speaks in their native tongue. Multilingual shows are more common in the era of TVIV, as platforms like Netflix are available globally.

Furthermore, in TVIV, audiences can control their own viewing schedules, which allows for more complex storylines. The central plot of 1899 is about the voyagers coming across another, deserted ship and everyone’s involvement in this mystery becomes increasingly intricate. This would be difficult to follow if viewers had to wait a week between episodes and also demonstrates that the show is aimed at a more niche audience, as some viewers are turned off by convoluted plotlines.

Sadly, this potential masterpiece was cancelled after just one season—a growing trend for Netflix. This has become an issue in the era of TVIV, as one can no longer determine a show’s success at a specific airtime, and platforms are less transparent with viewing metrics than traditional TV networks (Jenner, 2016: p267). Quick cancellations can feel baseless and premature, especially as most shows can’t display their true potential in just one season.

In short, 1899 exemplifies TVIV’s capacity for complex, creator-driven stories, but it also shows that big platforms like Netflix are still ultimately in control, and they might just choose to go for what makes them more money, not unlike the networks of earlier TV eras.

Written by Maisie Kelly 33752521

Bibligraphy:

Jenner, M. (2016) Is this TVIV? On Netflix, ‘TVIII and binge-watching’, New Media and Society, 18(2), pp257-273.

Filmography

1899 (2022) Directed by J. Friese and B. bo Odar. Available at: Netflix (Accessed: 11 November 2024).