We are in the age of television streaming. Streaming platforms, such as Netflix, Disney+ and Hulu, have original series that they deem “must-watch television.” No matter how good those shows are, though, they can leave viewers unsatisfied — not because of bad plotlines, but rather because of how short the seasons often are.
Generally, shows no longer have seasons that are 20 episodes long. In 2023, a cable show's average length of a seasonseason for a cable show was approximately ten episodes; on streaming services, the average season was approximately nine episodes.
With shorter seasons, however, come longer episodes to further the plot. A show's run time used to come from the need to fill time slots, which gave episodes either a 30-minute or an hour time limit, equating to 21 minutes and 44 minutes without ads, respectively. On streaming services, episode lengths can vary because they are not limited to those time slots.
Although I enjoy longer episodes to some extent, they can often start to feel more like movies. With more time allotted for the shows, they can put too many plotlines within the episodes and try to wrap them up quickly, leaving people confused about how some things got resolved, if they got resolved at all. While a 40-minute episode is not too bad, pushing an hour or more for a series that is already nine episodes does not lead to a good season finale in most cases.
Another issue with the current format of television shows, specifically within streaming services, is releasing every episode of a season at once. While many do enjoy binge-watching a show, it can be tiring. For example, the first half of season four of “Stranger Things” is almost nine hours long. While binge-watching is fun when you are sick in bed, it is not ideal for watching a new show; I love the suspense an episode can give when you have to wait a week before the next episode comes out. In the week between episodes, fans can develop theories on what will happen next. One example of weekly release being better than a binge strategy is with the TV shows “The Good Place” and “Grace and Frankie.” According to a study conducted by Parrot Analytics, “Good Place maintained a more consistent level of US audience demand than the binge-released Grace and Frankie.”
Weekly releases and more episodes per season are also better for cable networks as a whole. Releasing shows weekly allows networks to build their brands better and gives them less stress about coming up with new shows every year for viewers. The cable networks also give actors the chance to explore other opportunities. Although network TV stars shouldn’t expect to earn the same paycheck that the cast of “Friends” got, it is still a steady income to earn. Even big-time actors go to network TV. Take Angela Bassett, for example. She has starred in movies like “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” and various Marvel movies, but she still continues to be on the hit show “911.”
Although streaming has its benefits, such as having all episodes available all the time and having great original shows, streaming has ruined the beauty that is network television.
Cassie is a junior studying communications at Ohio University. Please note the views expressed in this column do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk to Cassie? Email her at cb086021@ohio.edu.
