They lost me this year. I had been a subscriber for 12 years.
Between the ads and the complete inability to let a show run more than 2 seasons unless it's a global hit... I'm no longer interested.
I've had a kid - and my viewing habits have changed. I can't always watch a show right when it drops. The reality of my life is that I have other things going on, and I rarely have 10+ hours of uninterrupted time.
But now... by the point I have time to watch a show, more often than not Netflix has already announced its cancellation, and I have zero interest in a catalog of dead shows. None. Nadda.
My take is that Netflix is hot fucking garbage at determining the quality of their own shows, and that really - they don't have the creative side down at all. It's too much focus on the stats, and timelines that are too short.
Some of the most widely watched shows in history had fairly lackluster first seasons (see: Parks & Rec, The Office, Friends). Netflix is busy killing off everything that's not a sizzle in the pan. But those flare up and burn out. They need the slow burn shows that grow into their own - and they've ruthlessly slaughtered them all because the numbers aren't great at first.
I dont have a kid, but between work, chores, and other hobbies, I can only have 1 or 2 hours a day to watch anything. I can only slot a movie or a single episode within that time frame. Also, it’s something I do together with my partner so we always pick something that suits us both. And our backlog is getting bigger as we are adding older movies.
The cancellation of 1899 was a big blow for me. It’s the kind of show you can’t really binge watch as it requires focus to really follow what’s going on. And I think it would have grown its audience organically over time.
> complete inability to let a show run more than 2 seasons unless it's a global hit
It just needs to be a slight success. If the show is cheap to make they'll keep it running forever. The only things that seem to get canceled are expensive or complete failures. I'd be interested if you have any examples that this doesn't ring true for.
> My take is that Netflix is hot fucking garbage at determining the quality of their own shows, and that really - they don't have the creative side down at all. It's too much focus on the stats, and timelines that are too short.
Most TV shows are canceled very few keep going forever.
> Some of the most widely watched shows in history had fairly lackluster first seasons (see: Parks & Rec, The Office, Friends).
Go look at the viewership of those even at the start they were good enough and cheap enough for a second season. Shows almost never grow after the first season. This idea that so many shows just need to get there legs under them is bullshit.
> Most TV shows are canceled very few keep going forever.
I don't expect them to go forever - I expect them to END. Ending is a (hugely) different proposition than being canceled.
A show that wraps up the plot (even if not executed particularly well) is a-ok.
A show that starts a story and then dies is not.
One of them has value in watching, one is a complete waste of time.
I also don't really care how they work out the budget - A show getting a mini-series as the final season because they don't want to invest in a full one? Fine - just resolve the fucking plot.
Personally - I don't even care if the show is only one season (or two) as long as it wraps up. What I do mind - quite a bit - is the start of a story that we know will never end.
If netflix wants to be so axe-happy, that's fine. Buy freaking mini-series and wrap them in a season.
Or set a more strict budget if the creators want to run multiple seasons.
My whole point about them being garbage at this is that I don't really care all that much how the wrap their shows. I just want a story to consume.
Personally - I really think production budgets are set far too high in an attempt to make them global hits, and it's really, really not panning out for them.
Between the ads and the complete inability to let a show run more than 2 seasons unless it's a global hit... I'm no longer interested.
I've had a kid - and my viewing habits have changed. I can't always watch a show right when it drops. The reality of my life is that I have other things going on, and I rarely have 10+ hours of uninterrupted time.
But now... by the point I have time to watch a show, more often than not Netflix has already announced its cancellation, and I have zero interest in a catalog of dead shows. None. Nadda.
My take is that Netflix is hot fucking garbage at determining the quality of their own shows, and that really - they don't have the creative side down at all. It's too much focus on the stats, and timelines that are too short.
Some of the most widely watched shows in history had fairly lackluster first seasons (see: Parks & Rec, The Office, Friends). Netflix is busy killing off everything that's not a sizzle in the pan. But those flare up and burn out. They need the slow burn shows that grow into their own - and they've ruthlessly slaughtered them all because the numbers aren't great at first.