Netflix has brought a new world of television, which goes beyond how we watch television. It has also changed how TV is produced, distributed, and conceptualized. Netflix represents an emblem of TV IV-a new era that extends beyond the previous phases of television while incorporating changes in how viewers consume television (Jenner, 2018). Netflix is a significant and popular global streaming platform that has radically changed the dynamics between viewers and television content. A platform like Netflix encourages binge-watching. Historically, television has passed through phases: TV I, with few channels and network dominance. Then, TV II, with the rise of cable and satellite and TV III, defined by digital technologies and ‘quality TV’ like The Sopranos and Mad Men. Netflix, however, takes these innovations further by removing traditional release schedules and moving to global distribution, where all episodes or seasons are published at once.

Netflix and Binge-watching

Binge-watching changes how stories are consumed and how they should be written, according to Jenner (2018). One of the significant examples here is Stranger Things, written into serialized narratives meant to be experienced in one immersive stretch. That is a bit different from how earlier episodic formats worked which was tied to weekly schedules, where cliffhangers ensured viewers returned the next week. Netflix creates an ecosystem where the audience interacts strongly with content at their own pace. The platform also provides new ways of showing different forms of representation. Shows like Dear White People (2017) and Orange is the New Black (2013) share stories about race, gender, and sexuality, thus providing a space for voices not heard on regular TV. Fundamentally, Netflix represents a technological advancement and the reimagining of possibilities surrounding television. It leads us into a vibrant new age of media consumption and production through the integration of digital streaming, worldwide dissemination, and varied narratives.

Stranger Things: Popularly binge-watched show

Reference

Jenner, M. (2018) Netflix and the re-invention of television. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.

By Xindi Zhao
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