In the era of media giants like Netflix, Prime Video, and Hulu releasing shows almost every day, has the quality of TV diminished? As discussed in Jenner’s “Netflix and the Re-Invention of Television”(2013); Netflix has perfected the model of binge-watching with the optimization of their platform and user interface making it easier to skip the intro, suggesting other “binge-able” shows you may like, and releasing shorter and shorter seasons for faster viewing. One thing that I have noticed with modern day TV shows, is that they are getting shorter and shorter and becoming worse as a result.

Nowadays, the typical model of release with any TV show is an 8-episode format with under an hour long episodes with a large cliff hanger at the end to keep the audience in suspense. Many shows have adopted this model which has frustrated many users of streaming platforms. Because of the short run time and limited amount of episodes, story, character writing, and overall quality of shows has worsened. We can see this best exemplified in the House of Dragon, with only a few episodes a season, the writers are highly constrained in what they can and cannot show. Resulting in more seasons but less thought out and well paced writing and story.

Shows like Emily in Paris are highly popular on Netflix because of the short amount of time it takes to binge as well as the easy storyline to follow. This shift to shorter seasons, shorter run times, and episode length all point to the monopoly short form content has had in recent years. Presenting a troubling shift in the TV world towards a more condensed, binge-able and easy to watch mediascape.

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Bibliography

Jenner, Mareike. Netflix and the Re-Invention of Television, Springer International Publishing AG, 2018. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/goldsmiths/detail.action?docID=5475331.