Americans tend to forget that Netflix is thriving outside their borders. Yeah maybe is not what’s is used to be on the us thanks to many licenses leaving the platform, but on places like South America, India and Europe is another story. Thanks to Netflix, Spanish, Mexican, Korean and Indian productions are doing really good, and approaching a whole demographic that American cinema never could. I live in south ameRica, and Netflix is doing great, many licenses that left the American territory are still in ours, and to the people who don’t speak English there is ton of content made in places like Mexico and Spain, Netflix will be fine, maybe it will lost some power on the US, but in others is just keeps expanding.
Spanish and Mexican Netflix productions have absolutely blown up. Series like Elite and La Casa De Papel are huge across the world, with the actors gaining major traction across social media/pop culture.
I agree, Jaime. Being from Mexico, Netflix is part of the new normal and other streaming services still fall short when compared to Netflix - or worse, they’re unavailable in our countries. Saludos!
I didn't think Netflix is doing that well in India. Most local content they have invested in was underwhelming to say the least. They are lagging waaaay behind Disney+Hotstar and Prime Video in terms of subscriber numbers as well. Both these services have made it a point to invest in good quality local content and it has paid off well for them. While most of Netflix's investments have been more of PR stunts attracting big names which has resulted in mostly mediocre to bad content except for a few shows and movies. I'm not sure about how it's doing outside India but within India Netflix isn't doing all that well as it likes the world to think.
@@mateorp_31 A double entendre is essentially a phrase with two meanings, the most common use of which is for one of them to be sexual but that has come to obscure the use of the term to describe most forms of implicature. I find this phrase; both divorced of context (where it implies Netflix as an organization is out of touch and ill-socialized), and in context (where it flatly declares the incompetence of the programming management in understanding their audience) to be a delicious convergence of meaning.
The main advantage that Netflix is that's available worldwide while all other streaming services are available either only in the US or just in a couple of countries.
The shows and movies are region restricted on Netflix though, and not available worldwide. VPN's can be used to get around this but only for a short while before that VPN is blocked in your country.
That's the one thing I'll always respect about Netflix - it's available everywhere. It was quick to enter our market here in South Africa (Africa in general). The fact that Hulu and Prime never even bothered to do a global expansion large enough to consider developing markets makes me already know I don't need to bother with Disney, Apple, HBO and Peacock.
@@OdysseyTag agree. I don't know if those other companies don't know about the difference the international box office makes to movies. And I can't be that complicated or expensive to go worldwide? Netflix did it and it's a small independent company compared with the giant that are Disney, AT&T, Disney, and Comcast.
One thing the cap didn't mention is, for the better or the worst, Netflix's catalog according to the county. For example in the UE we don't have the office but friends won't go
@@JosephFlores-yn4yi PLEASE SEND ME A LINK EXPLAINING HOW TO DO THAT!!! whenever I turn my VPN on it blocks me from using the site. also, is there a site showing what shows are available and where with Netflix?
One of the issues with Netflix and just streaming in general is that they create content that caters to binging and want the sitcoms made for broadcast TV to be binged as well. But I don't think you get the same intended effect from these weekly episodics where such a long story is being told over the course of many years. Like I can't imagine watching The Office for the first time all in the course of binging it in a month and I imagine it's the same for Friends. Yet this is just the content consumption standard now.
I remember a video talking about how binge watching actually hurts your retention of shows cause instead of constantly getting something new and the ability to chew on it you just move on to the next thing without a second thought.Your not given room to think your own thoughts about the show during the show and as such you forget things much more then if you had a week to sit on what happened last episode.
The Mandalorian, in my opinion, did this well. It was the talk of the internet for such a long time and brought in a lot of viewers, and I think part of it was that it was weekly. It also had the format of some episodes being self contained stories, yet part of an overall season long arc.
I think Netflix would benefit from playing with their release format, moving some shows to weekly packs (like 3 episodes per week). But then consumers may get angry, because Netflix solidified itself as a binge service. I personally like the idea of getting an episode every 2-3 days (not on the weekends).
Love your channel, but in this case you're missing a key point - unlike RUclips (and network TV) Netflix actually *doesn't* care about watch time. At least not in the same way. What Netflix cares about is subscriber churn - it doesn't matter to them if you watch 10 hours in a month or 20, as long as you found the service compelling enough to stay signed up. So as long as they can give you at least one show a month that's worth watching they win. Whereas with RUclips and TV that are commercial-driven, more minutes viewed equals more commercials served equals more money in. As I'm sure you know that's why syndicated TV shows had the episode requirements they did - they literally existed to fill time. Now I'm in complete agreement with you about the artistic merits of comfort food TV shows, but like in all cases you have to look at the commercial circumstances in which this art was created.
Exactly! For youtube, their revenue comes from advertisements so the more people watching, the greater the ad revenue for the site. Netflix is based off subscribers. If he could show a link between the loss of tentpole sitcoms and loss of subscribers, it would be more compelling. I think Netflix realizes whether they create an awesome show or a mediocre one, as long as its subscriptions remain steady, they won't care.
I think this video should be called “the fall of the commercial television sitcom” or “serialized tv shows”. No one is making shows like friends and the office anymore. Because no one is watching basic tv programming. So if it’s up to these channels to make these shows, then we’re not going to get them.
Exactly. Basic tv is still spitting out long format sit coms. There are TONS of sit coms in existence but everyone talks about friends and the office. People aren't watching reruns of family matters and married with children (2 shows I enjoyed when they aired). Friends and the office have relatability much much beside the episode format.
@CynicalPisceanyou say their numbers haven't been good, but Netflix has continued to see huge increases in both total revenue and profit, every year since 2012. On what basis are they not doing well?
@Julián Méndez that show is now finished. Modern Family, Big Bang Theory and Brooklyn 99 were the last. The other sitcoms out there have small audiences compared to the past. That's probably because the 3 mentioned above started when streaming video was in its infancy and still had a large cable TV audience. The newer ones don't. I have not watched cable TV in years. My internet provider gave me cable free for 2 years when I phoned them up to cancel it. They are desperate for people to watch it. But I don't care about it. I now refuse to pay a monthly fee to watch commercials every ten mins. I haven't switched on the cable box in a couple of years. The baby boomers are the only ones keeping it alive. No one I know watches cable TV, and I'm 39 years old. Everything is available streaming.
Personally, I think that 8-episode seasons are frustrating when they don’t fit the narrative. I understand short seasons with Ozark, Peaky Blinders, and Altered Carbon, for example. But The Witcher and Sex Education should’ve had more episodes so that characters, story arcs, and overall structure could be fleshed out. I’m not criticizing the shows’ content in itself, though, because all the ones I mentioned are brilliant.
Just a heads up that Peaky Blinders is not a Netflix show originally unlike the others, it’s made by the BBC and Netflix has the license but they’re not affecting how it’s made. Its a thing common in UK tv formats where a lot of shows here have about 6-8 episode with 13 usually being the maximum. It doesn’t change the point you made and I agree with you but i just thought you might wanna know
@@mysticalquilava hey thanks for that because I had no idea. I figured since it’s listed as a Netflix Original it’s a Netflix show, but they just got the distribution rights from BBC apparently 😂😂 oh well
Yes! I always say that a good show leaves you with questions about it, but in recent times I've had to expand that to be meaningful/in-depth questions about it, like are you questioning the writing decisions or questioning the world/characters? When I watch buffy, I leave the show thinking "was faith buffy's shadow self, will they ever face X monsters again, is willow going to relapse, how will xander move on without (spoilers), will dawn/buffy ever get therapy for amount of pure PTSD inducing bullshit they just lived through? What will Cleveland's BellSouth be like? Will buffy and (spoilers) ever reconcile?" Whereas when I watched stuff like stranger things or other Netflix based shows I'm like "what's the point of this? Why did X happen? Wait, where did Y go? I thought they had family in Z, wouldn't they get help from them? How on earth did that seem like a reasonable decision?" (I've had buffy-level experiences with Netflix shows like bojack or unfortunate events, but it's rarer than the usual riverdale-energy, where it feels like right after you finish eating a bit too much junk food and it's greasy, queasy and you feel like you wanna nap for 12 hours)
When Disney+ started doing weekly episodes, with shows that could use space, since a chunk are arc heavy or one and dones, It didn't go over will for people first. Now jumping ahead, a weekly format is quick refreshing. I love watching Netflix shows at first, but God do I get exhausted watching them, especially dramas were the world constantly sucks for the characters. The way their going, they could do more harm on themselves and the medium.
@222ckc I don't think that's the reason they are doing weakly episodes. I don't know if you noticed but they have made it clear earlier, around the same time as D+ launch, they would stick to the weakly release format for as much of their Originals as possible. It's not about less content it's more about keeping the buzz alive for the show for weeks compared to one week for Netflix shows.
There's a different between character-driven and story-driven. Character driven benefits from more filler episodes. That's can not be the case with story-driven ones. Lost did not get better by having a shitton of episodes. In fact it got worse each season.
Exactly. Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra are other examples. A:TLA was more character driven, so it benefitted from having filler episodes and side stories. TLoK on the other hand, was more plot and lore driven than its predecessor, so it worked better just getting to the action and having limited filler. It wasn’t as successful on television, but it did do better once it was moved to Nick.com streaming.
Not to mention The Walking Dead, which got progressively worse the more episodes it had per season, having so many pointless and boring filler episodes.
@@danielmbg walking dead is a weird case for me. It's more character driven but the character they develop aren't that interesting. it was great for me, on the early saison when the zombie were the main focus and they also developed the character aside.
In my country they actually have almost everything: Friends, Community, Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Brooklyn Nine Nine... The only things they don't have are The Office and Parks&Rec. These 2 shows are on Amazon Prime.
Yea, as much a i enjoy binging Netflix shows and such, The Mandalorian only had 8 30 minute episodes and was WAY more memorable than any other streaming show I’ve seen in the past year. Like I loved the witcher but watched it all in a week and just forgot about it. Same with the boys. Stranger things season 3. Etc.
Hans Hailana It’s not an opinion dude. Humans want things now, again, human nature. But ok, you’re the only one out 7 billion that wants things later. Sure.
It bugs me he didn’t talk about the shows on Netflix that are built like sitcoms.....also he obviously hasn’t watched grace and Frankie. But ozark isn’t friends it’s kinda like apples and oranges.
Veronica Mars is such a good show. We do need more serialized shows! Cowboy Bebop is the proof that you can make a thematically coherent story with distinct episodes, I want more of that!
The level of ignorance and contempt here is staggering. Talking as a professional animator, the way you talk about animations and frames per second makes it very clear you basically have no idea what you're talking about. More frames don't make better animations. Better animations don't make better stories. Bigger budgets don't make better stories either. Shitting on stories universally praised for their great, clever writing and then stating that basically all animated movies and shows ever are overrated except for ghibli and disney movies is the height of arrogance and ignorance. Watch some other stuff and get off your high horse, you're missing on great stories.
@@punchforpound2808 I don't have the time (nor the desire tbh) to engage too much with your arguments, but I'll comment on this one. "As for number of frames, actually all else being equal, having 24 unique frames, or 30, or 60, does make the animation better than 12 unique frames." This is very simply wrong. Like 100% wrong. The last animated spiderman movie has less frame than most 3D movies, the animation is stellar. And it is stellar not in spite of the number of frames but because of it. When I learned to animate I learned that it is very useful to use varying number of frames per second depending on what the action is, to create a different feeling to what you're animating, regardless of budget or constraints. The simplest example is that slower movement benefit from more frames, and the faster, more erratic movements, benefit from fewer frames. A lot of times, more frames actually make an animation worse. So once again, you don't know what you're talking about on a technical level, but you don't sound like you have any idea how storytelling works or the reality of budgets and how animation studios work in general either. You only have "it used to be better when I was a kid", "GoT has a big budget, so they should do that too" and "they should draw more frames". Amazing.
@@ElkiLG I would argue that more frames do make for better animation. It's just that it isn't the only way and you shouldn't have to get overworked to achieve a high standard
@@crinsombone5380 But once again, it's not true. Into the Spiderverse is animated with fewer frames than other CG animated movies by choice, it makes the animation more snappy, more dynamic. The exact same movie with more frames per second would be a lesser movie because they made the whole movie with that choice in mind. I've seen many animated movies or series from Japan with decent budget choose to animate some shots with very few frames per second (you can easily find crazy good animations with 8 frames per second), because it makes the shot simply better. So no, it's not that simple, more frames won't make your animation better, it is even often the opposite.
Lol Netflix isn’t going to fall any time soon, largest subscriber base, first movers rights and they’re the only pure streaming service. They make shows for everyone, that’s why talks about quality are so different.
This is talking about in the fairly distant future, obviously Netflix is going to be set for at least the next decade or two. However nothing is permanent, everything ends, cable networks used to be undefeatable. This video is pointing out Netflix's weaknesses and how that could bring them down in the near future
Just realize by 2025 there will be so many different TV apps that all of the best shows are gonna be heavily divided that we have to pay for four subscription services at once
More likely, most people won't pay for more than a few and after a few years some of the smaller ones will give up and license their content to whichever services end up surviving.
I think there are some things Netflix should change, and this video showed some of them. But at the end of the day, Netflix is great. Mabye in the USA other streaming services pull content from Netflix, but where I live Netflix has almost everything.
Well I think you’re missing the point. The reason this is relevant now is because of the rise of apps like “peacock” and “HBO Max”. As they take away all of their big IP’s from streaming service and put them on their own you will be left to only watch Netflix originals. (Or at least that’s how I understand the argument that’s being made, and I relatively agree with it)
@@magic75450 Here in the UK we even still have Friends because HBO Max isn't over here, in the US yeah Netflix might have not be as good but worldwide Netflix is still the best one and the only one i will have a constant sub to.
@@chancethefapper878 I somewhat agree but I never heard of peacock, Amazon Prime and Hulu aren't as popular, and HBO has been around for years, even with shows like Breaking Bad or Game of Thrones they still weren't able to take down Netflix. The only streaming service that stand a chance is Disney+, but it's not like they will include any and every shows and movies on it, they have to protect their brand. Not to mention from a global standpoint, Netflix is still the most popular options.
My favorite part of the Mandilorian that there are 3 episodes in the middle of season that are “location of the week” type episodes that don’t directly built off another episode. I was really hoping to see a few more like that. And fingers crossed for next season to have more. I think this is the kind of thing most streaming series miss.
Appreciate the take here. I gotta say though, I have avoided exploring a lot of older network shows due to the whole 10 seasons 22 eps each. Honestly who has time for that? I feel like a balance can be struck between shorter eps, less seasons and sitcommy character development.
It works both ways. For shows like Friends or The Office, I find it impossible to binge watch them. For me, those are shows that I watch a episodes of in between the show that I'm binge watching. It took me a while to get through them but it was worth it (for The Office, not FRIENDS, didn't like that one)
yeah, but you can just watch a couple eps a day or so. With longer seasons, you can just drop in and out instead of straight up binging. Like, I'm rewatching Community on Netflix and instead of doing what I did last time--which was binging all 6 seasons straight through a Hulu free trial--I've been chipping off episodes day by day. Not everything needs to be binge imo.
@JerickHerick35 I'm interested what they'll do to the start of the show. The start is very slow and uneventful (probably on purpose to make it contrast the rest of the show's seriousness).
idk about stranger things. the show become worst and worst. I think the show strengh is the cast of character and it weird but I think they should let go the horor story
For the record: Bojack Horseman deals with mental illness way better than 13 Reasons why and they canceled it while they let that shit show run for how long it wants
Honestly I think the anime that Netflix has been providing is gonna keep it afloat. Also, they're one of the few international platforms out there so that helps too. That is, I don't think Netflix was known for their originals and hopefully the know that too.
If you're talking about weaving together great stand-alone episodes into a season long narrative done right, you've gotta put Cowboy Bebop up there as one of the all time greats, even if it was just one long season.
I don’t think they are very different. What he describes in the video is the fall of Netflix. If his title was “Netflix has failed” or something then I would understand your point
You called it CM, quality over quantity really is something that most people want rn. Now Netflix is reaping what they sow. Honestly couldn’t care less
I wish Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency got a season 3 and wasn’t cancelled. That’s the only show I feel really disappointed me with it’s cancellation because of how season 2 left off
This is like meeting a long lost friend. I'm a big fan of Dirk Gently and after binging it I got to know that it was cancelled and I was heart broken. Dirk gently was actually a network show on BBC America, which was brought onto to Netflix and it was cancelled along time before.
Cap, I get where you’re coming from with your arguments. BUT, it does come down to personal opinion as to whether you believe that episodic storytelling is better than serialized storytelling (from what I’ve grasped is your argument). Using A: TLA as the best and most recent example, a lot of people in the Avatar fandom both before and after it was added to Netflix believed that Book One is the worst of the three seasons, to the point where people were turned off by the series because of it. Not that it was terrible by any means, but the episodes were too self-contained, which I do see where they were coming from. People also believed that Avatar didn’t start getting REALLY great until book 2 when they started incorporating serialized elements and season-long arcs (with the get to Ba Sing Se/Appa’s lost arc). Not saying that serialized storytelling doesn’t have its downfalls, but one isn’t inherently better AS A WHOLE than the other. Episodic storytelling is better for shows on network television, primarily with comedies and kids shows because they’re good for reruns so that people can just jump in at any point while also being able to last for longer seasons (ex. Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Office, and Friends). Serialized storytelling is better for DVDs and streaming services since they’re shorter and more condensed as well as being better for dramas series so that people can get to the story and action faster (Ex. The Legend of Korra, Breaking Bad, and The Walking Dead). Using TLOK as an example, it faired much better when it began streaming on Nick.com as opposed to airing on television. Serialized storytelling is best suited for a platform like Netflix, so I don’t see how it would prove to be its downfall. But all around, fantastic video!
I am watching Avatar: The Last Airbender for the first time. I'm just in episode 10 of Book One, and it's too self-contained. The episodes are fun and all, but I agree that it could've been better with a bit more connectivity.
1 # Exactly. The only running thread throughout most of the first season is just getting to the North Pole to master waterbending, but that’s completely sidelined at most points because they’re just dicking around and going to random towns. Not saying it ain’t fun to watch but it ain’t the best season. Book 2 is when the show starts to get REALLY good. And then Book 3 is on about the same level as Book 2.
I think the main point of the video may have been missed. Netflix's most significant asset as a service is its TV shows, but its most-watched programs are ones they have licensed instead of created. There may be several reasons why this is. Cap argues that this is because of the way Netflix has designed its TV programs to always treat a specific form of serialization as better than episodic TV. I would agree with you that neither form is superior, but I will also add that they are not mutually exclusive. Some of the most universally regarded shows like Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul are examples of being able to both serve the ongoing story and craft an individual narrative for the episode. A: TLA, as you mentioned, does the same thing even as it improves its work each season. Even episodic TV shows like The Office feature season-long arcs like the redemption of Michael Scott and Jim and Pam's romance. Cap also mentions some serialized series that he considers excellent (Show Me A Hero, Band of Brothers), which admittedly are miniseries. The crux of the video's argument, which is one that many others have already made, is that Netflix shows tend to equate serialization with treating TV as a movie. As the video mentions, Netflix's creators tend to mention in interviews that their shows are like an "(X) episode movie). This misses the point of TV shows as a form and often leads to every episode having a near-identical tone and no individual story or identity of its own. The Netflix Marvel series is an excellent example of this because many of the episodes consisted mostly of filler with extraneous plot details the audience didn't need and never paid off in a meaningful way.
@@jaredgarcia8638 Bojack is not a good guy, he's a shitty person, you could blame on his awful childhood among other things... But the point his, he does shitty things and really bad decisions and eventually have to pay the price. He isn't heroic and doesn't always wanna do the right thing, he's selfish and mostly thinks on himself and he's needs above everyone's else. But that what it makes it so great, it doesn't have a point, it's the history of a guy, and the consequence of his actions, actions that all of us can relate; because not all of us are heroes and prodigies, most of us are just Bojacks
I had to revisit this video after seeing the report about Netflix losing subscribers for the first time. I can honestly say, the main reason I even open Netflix nowadays is to watch Seinfeld (I alternate between that and The Office on Peacock to use as background noise). And they still haven’t found that formula. Maybe they should revisit some of those shows they cancelled prematurely. It would show some goodwill to the fans
The trouble with Netflix is that they were so obsessed with whether they could switch from DVDs to streaming that they never stopped to think whether they should as Ian Malcolm would say.
I feel that I’ve had some of those issues with Netflix and I especially agree with Arrested Development. Sometimes having limitations can make a better product. I did feel that way sometimes with some of the Netflix shows that I've watched that a lot of episodes did blend together and weren't as interesting. Good job discussing this topic.
I think this is where the Mandalorian succeed. Sure it had an overarching narrative, but a lot of the episodes could tell a standalone story as well. Much like the old serials they were trying to evoke.
I was in Mexico this past week and wow the Netflix content in Mexico is amazing. I was able to find AAA Blockbuster movies like Transformers, Baby Driver the Fast and Furious franchise, Marvel and DC movies (Both animated and live action) among others.
It is hard to get THAT into a show that only has six episode and then a years wait for the next batch. It's pretty much one and done then you move on. Longer series give the audience more material to get invested in over a longer period of time. Keeping the viewer on board more.
jerrygodeep I just think their the most convenient . I barely know anyone who has prime , hbo max , or even Disney plus but everyone I know has Netflix . The rest of the streaming services are playing catch up and will be for a longtime
@@Don_623 Don't think so. Disney+ already has 90 million subs after a single year. And HBO max has exploded with content and subs and will soon in second half of 2021 come to Europe, the users will also keep most of the content despite region, same with Disney+. Netflix is in decline.
@@outlawfly664 Lemme reiterate, I meant on top in terms of original content. For me personally, Netflix was the best for original content. I wasn't speaking in terms of who's on top financially. But yeah with HBO Max and Disney+ making huge strides in og content, Netflix isn't on top anymore in regards to content or financially.
I feel like the only Netflix sitcom with any potential is space force. Season one was iffy but they have a good cast and crew. Plus the deal with Nickelodeon could lead to good things.
The first season of a lot of older shows weren't their best. I definitely think space force has the potential to be really good, it follows the "case of the week leading up to a bigger narrative" format, and has a lot of talent (and already intrigue in the plot) behind it. I just don't know if people are willing to try it because of shorter media attention spans.
I like that Space Force has a over all story but blends singular episodes into the narrative without disrupting the over arching story of the season. S1 was slow but it was introducing the characters and by then end of the season: Dayumm did it get goood.
Hmm i think you are missing some key concepts in this essay. Mostly, your argument is that series are better (or at least more profitable) than mini-series. What you are calling "the old way to make TV" is just that, series. A series episode is one that you can catch in the middle of a season and understand what's happening with no problem, a mini-series however is a continuous story that keeps on going. It's called "mini" series, because its not completely serialized, not because its short like some people believe. Now, the second thing is that you are talking a lot about how people don't understand the medium they are working and that they can't do TV like this. But here's the problem, Netflix is NOT TV, they are different mediums and different rules apply to both. TV had to make series because they had to account for the fact that people might miss episodes for whatever reason, and they were forced to wait a week to see each new one, so continuous stories were hard to tell that way. Now, with Netflix you never miss an episode, and you can watch an entire season in one sitting. So the rules themselves are different, and as such, writers have to adapt. Now, you are right about one thing, and its the fact that these shows do not get as many views as the old sitcoms, but you have to consider that a lot of that comes from the fact that we did watch series like The Office when they were on TV and we had to follow it weekly for years, that kind of experience is different in streaming services, since most of the time, whole seasons release at the same time and get binged in a weekend. Some shows like Better Call Saul still release on a weekly basis, and that works even on Netflix, so maybe your whole point here is that they should focus on doing that more often and producing shows with that mentality, and maybe you are right, at least from a view count perspective, they need more shows like that. But its not that easy, because as i said, the experience of watching a streaming platform is not the same as watching tv, the same kind of experience we had viewing sitcoms before can't be quite replicated nowadays, we live in a different world. But as you said, with series like Bojack, they proved that its possible to do it right, they just need to fine tune the formula, streaming is still a pretty new medium and its hard to do the transition, what works on TV doesn't necessarily work the same way here, and realizing that and changing the game is what's hard about it.
In fairness, every episode of the Crown had its own identity because it blended historical events with the family drama, but I do see your point of it feeling like a long movie unnecessarily. I think this is why the MCU is considered a movie show, where every movie is its own thing inside a larger 'season' or saga.
Another problem with the "no filler" justification for short seasons is that all the stuff I always see complained about as "filler" -- episodes that take a detour off the main, serialized plot to sort of fritter around -- are what shows like Friends are made of. By the standards of the snobby internet nerd who defends the "ten-hour movie" format (and I've run into plenty of those guys), there are no non-filler episodes of any sitcoms! Yet those are clearly what the average audience member wants, and for some insane reason Netflix seems determined to cater to the crowd who view a TV series being tonally monotonous and heavily serialized as a marker of sophistication. It drives me nuts.
The hate for filler episodes was evident for me with Strangers Things, where El goes off to the city. So much unnecessary hate for that episode because it didn't "match pace" with the rest of the episodes. Yes, it was a different tone and setting. But, I liked the brief switch, it made me appreciate her returning to Hawkins and the gang even more. People often deride the sitcom format, but there are elements worth appreciating. I love a good, tightly woven "ten-hour movie" too. But sitcom/longer season series can have great rewatch value. The memorable episodes are memorable for a reason.
Doom patrol is really good at making stand alone episodes. I'm still waiting on a second video about that show. Second season is just as good as the first one.
I think a great example of the perfect TV format you mentioned is Doctor Who. Yes, the show has had series arcs (particularly from 2005 onwards) but its premise allows for each episode to be set in a new place in time and space with new guest characters each episode which is perfect for a weekly format. It's one of the most flexible shows I've ever seen. Even its continuity is beyond flawed and changeable.
@@Craig_Bolin I started Space Force, but I only saw the first three episodes. It's too long for a sitcom (each episode is 30-35 minutes), and many things don't work for me in the show. But yes, that was Netflix trying to make a sitcom, and each episode I saw had a satisfying ending.
@@Craig_Bolin Space Force has a serious tonal problem. Which is to say only 25% of the jokes land and you don't remember you even saw it a few days later.
I didn't watch Friends when I was growing up, I finally decided to watch a few episodes on Netflix when it was on there. And man it has not aged well at all to me.
This video really skips over the value of nostalgia and the time between episode release. It discounts a lot of the hype effect as well (no one will be watching most MCU movies 20 years from now). I can't get into those cheesy old shows, either, and most of the time people have them on as background noise. Netflix shows that are genuinely good, and not something you can ignore entire episodes of while you're chatting and cooking, are going to see their repeat views over the course of years, like rereading a novel, and will have earned their longevity in the public consciousness on their own merit. Not from spamming viewers who are practically devoid of choice.
Sorry THIS! Good lord! I mean I LIKE shows like Friends and The Office, but I almost never actually sit down and watch them. I’m always doing something else like cleaning or working out while it’s on in the background. For shows like Breaking Bad or the Netflix Marvel series (even though they are hit or miss), I’m gonna sit down and watch them, and even rewatch them to pick up on something I missed.
Hulu has a great fix to this problem in my opinion. They usually release the episode the day after it airs on tv. That feels so much better than Netflix releasing the entire season sometimes months after it finishes. (Also Hulu has live tv
Yes!!! You perfectly put into words everything I’ve been complaining about when it comes to Netflix originals. The heavy emphasis on making their content as bingeable as possible leads to episodes that feel like unsatisfyingly short movies, and seasons that feel like unbearably long ones. To me a good show feels like what a good album (again, to me) should be-something with a cohesive message and sound across all tracks, but with tracks distinct enough to hold their own meanings and provide their own musical and emotional experiences. As someone who would love to be a show runner some day, this is the approach I try to take in my writing.
Netflix is such a mixed bag. On the one hand they started it all and they have such a wide, diverse collection. On the other hand, there are some areas where other streaming services are just outperforming them and they need to do better if they want to stay relevant.
I think it's going to end up killing Netflix, and streaming in general, is the fact that there are too many services that are getting more expensive than cable
I want to point out one show not mentioned in this video, Ricky Gervais' After Life. It is 13 episodes long and very much a British sitcom with all the tropes that come attached to that, but I think it does a good job of fleshing out a world of characters each who are distinct and develop as the seasons run on. It's funny and each episode focus' on a different event or person so that discussions revolve around 'the episode with the community theatre production' or so on
I've had this frustration with Netflix a lot, too. I love a lot of their original shows, but the fact that it gets released on a season basis rather than episode by episode is really frustration. I definitely think something is lost from the fact that shows like Stranger Things are getting released a season at a time rather than one episode a week. If only one episode was available at a time, folks online would speculate more about what's to come next and any cliffhangers would hold a lot more weight. Also, character focused 'filler' episodes!! I'm personally fine with one major plot being the focus of a season, but I agree that it shouldn't be done like an 8hr long movie.
I think that for some shows it's better to release all at once, like shows that are based on existing material (Umbrella Academy, The Witcher). You can't theorize on something with the online community if there's already an answer in the internet.
I actually really like some of the "8 hour movie" kind of series and I think being able to abandon episodic storytelling is one of Netflix' biggest strengths. The opportunity to bingewatch entire seasons allows shows to be much more complex and layered than weekly formats. For example, Dark is one of my favourite shows of the last decade, but if it was a TV show (every episode needing to be self-contained, and an entire week between episodes), it would ruin the atmosphere of the show and make it far too hard to remember every character and subplot. Netflix' format allows writers to tell epic stories with a shitload of crazily convoluted ideas without ever being too confusing. This much content wouldn't fit into a 90 - 120 minute movie, but it still profits from being _written_ like a single big movie instead of independent episodes. I agree that some shows can get boring if every episode feels the same, but for these specific kinds of shows, I like that there isn't that much variety in tone and atmosphere because Netflix shows are designed to be bingewatched, and big fluctuations would be too jarring. In fact, I think an independent episode structure would get too repetitive and therefore boring - there is no repetition if one episode just flows into the next, just like the acts of a play. TL;DR: Shows like Dark really need to be structured like a movie, but a movie doesn't provide enough time to tell the story properly, and episodic storytelling wouldn't be a good fit thematically, so Netflix' model really is the best solution for them.
"The Fall of Netflix?" Lmao a bit sensationalist and click bait. Netflix is successful because they put the effort into their shows while they let classics with Near endless episodes entertain us. Netflix has more Narrative driven dramas then Character driven. Majority of Netflix shows or movies ends up trending. I think getting shows temporarily to be streamed is a great idea since that was the purpose of Netflix in the first place. I use it to watch the CW shows, and Shameless.
Yeah but how long can they keep mining the classics without creating new classics? They make pretty mediocre one season shows with zero rewatchability. That well of acquiring classic long form shows is going to dry up eventually.
The reason that Netflix became such a cultural powerhouse and continues to do so is because of one word: Personalization. Literally, if every other streaming service just learned how to better their algorithms to curate more personalized media to each viewer, they could seriously compete with Netflix and even someday bring it down. And yes I do agree with Captain M here as the only shows I still watch on Netflix and every other streaming service, are the ones that still feel like that they could be on real TV.
Kinda funny how most of the comments are about the click bait, but yeah Netflix ain’t gonna fail it’s got lots of great content and it creates some of the best shows (Stranger Things, Ozark, Daredevil)
I loved daredevil, it was my favorite of the marvel shows I remember each episode was also kinda it’s own story, building off this video thesis. The first episode was how they hired Karen. There’s the episode just focusing on matt and Foggys friendship, kingpins childhood, the explosion, etc*
A reason I think Stranger Things 4 has been so highly esteemed compared to the past three seasons (Season 2 and 3 are even hated by a lot of people) is because a lot of episodes felt like they had their own identity, mainly episode 1, 4, and 7. Episode 1 had more of a filler-type feel since it was a mostly "what everyone's doing now" plot with a few hidden plot points that led up to its wham ending. Episode 4 is so good that it might even be getting awards and breaking a record, due to how good its standalone plot is. Before season 4, I've never been able to say I had a favorite Stranger Things episode that wasn't a pilot or a finale. I really hope they continue with this style in season 5, and maybe even give each episode its own feeling and identity.
5:21 ahhhh I love Angel A good contrast to the Netflix Marvel shows is Doom Patrol, that show has standalone-ish episodes without forgetting about the larger narrative
I feel like Hulu has a chance of dying too. It's already way less popular than Netflix, and its original shows are also less popular (barring a random hit like The Handmaid's Tale). Hulu reminds me a lot of Amazon Prime Now or whatever it's called, but at least Prime comes with the entirety of Amazon, and most people have Prime for shopping rather than shows/movies. But a lot of what's on Hulu is mirrored on HBO Max, and when the Hulu contract is over, they'll be taking a huge hit.
Not exactly. Hulu has an entirely different format than other streaming services. They stream episodes of series that are currently airing on television while other services do not get the license to stream until months after the season has ended. People who use Hulu do not exactly use it to binge watch. They use it to avoid paying for cable while still having the benefit of watching their favorite show air weekly.
Definitely agree with the season format. The way Netflix goes, there's two ways to go about an original series: binge it, which is exhausting, or one episode a day, but you are never satisfied with what you've watched because you've only seen a small part of the story. As far I remember, I've never just gave up on a series I kind like before Netflix originals. It's such a huge commitment, I always dread start watching a series.
Ozark has been consistently good with some great performances from its cast especially the last season. It's easily one of the best shows on Netflix right now.
@@chanelmone4721 Season 1 of Jessica Jones would be on there but the other 2 seasons drag it down, and I didn't enjoy Luke Cage or Iron Fist. The Punisher is better than those 2 but still isn't great
If you like Stranger Things, I implore you to check out Dark (a German Netflix Original series); I started watching purely to flex my brain and keep up my German, but what I got was an incredibly complex and well made show. Admittedly ST and Dark are very different shows, but they've been compared a few times and I really love them both.
How you described how they need to be able to not be like 13 hour long movies, they need to be able to tell it's story along side case of the week style stuff as well. I feel like that's where Disney+ is going right, The Mandalorian for example, each episode built towards the final conflict while also having a sort of case of the week going on. Plus with Disney+ what's fascinating is that they don't tell the showrunners how long each episode is required to be, Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau were allowed to use whatever runtime they wanted for their show, which means each episode is a different length depending on the story they're telling. Network TV and Netflix would've told them the episode has to be 40 minutes long or whatever. So yeah it's really great the flexibility these creators appear to be getting on Disney+
I think The Mandolorian lowkey did a good job of this. A lot of episodes felt like one off episode for the week that eventually connected to the overarching stories. It was great watching the weekly adventures but it also did a great job bringing those episodes back into play towards the end
I think the appeal of tv is changing, and that's not a bad thing. This may be the appeal for you, but you grew up in a completely different time than gen z. They want something else, and Netflix is giving them that.
I was really happy for the substance that came in with serialized TV, but it's been the standard for so long now that I'm getting tired of it, and as discussed in the video, it's often pushed to the point where they just try to stretch a movie into ten hours arbitrarily cut up into 40-50 minute pieces. I've come to feel that what I wanted wasn't serial stories, it was episodes that feel like they were written with their place in the entire season in mind. Foreshadowing development and lingering consequences. Less episodes that begin with "by the way, the character we're going to focus on this week has been spending every free moment in his lab for weeks" and end with "and then we will never speak of this again".
he's not necessarily talking about what appeals to him, though. he mentioned the office and friends (which he also said he wasn't a huge fan of) because they, with their many episodes and "rewatchability factor," are bigger hits for netflix than the bulk of their original content, and he's exploring a possible reason why. if they were making new, different content that was appealing to a younger generation, you'd have a point, but their tendency to off shows after a season or two often without conclusions, satisfying or otherwise, and the usual ensuing backlash suggests that's not the case. if they really had this mine of content that gen z'ers die for, you'd think they'd make more use of it a user upthread mentioned euphoria and shameless, neither of which is a netflix show and one of which has 100+ episodes. the issue is netflix not trusting their shows enough to give them long runs or deviate far from their "basically a long movie" format, which may hurt them when many of their properties that do fulfill those criteria are inevitably taken down for their owners' respective streaming services
Another good video, even if I very much disagree with some big points. I think this video, at times, displays a narrow vision of what TV shows should be like
Serialization is a trend that goes way beyond Netflix. Yeah I wish Netflix would stop enforcing it on every single one of their originals ( Ghost in the Shell ) but look at what CBS did with Star Trek: Discovery. Continuity is just how things are written now. Hopefully it'll burn out in a couple years and we'll get back to some nice episodic tv again.
Captain Midnight, I agree. Netflix doesn't make episodes that can be stand alone episodes. Each episode is a continuation from the next. But I think that this was on purpose because, unlike regular television where new shows are only shown once a week, all the episodes of a show are uploaded at once on Netflix, so they want to make each season like a long movie for people to binge watch. But I agree with you. I noticed this when I started watching Orange is the New Black. Each episode a continuation of the next, leaving off on a cliff hanger so that it entices you enough to watch the next one until you get to the end of the season. I liked this at first, but then I started to resent it. I'd rather have each new episode have its own stand alone story, which brings me to this point... I think that Netflix may be starting to realize this because there is a Netflix comedy show that does follow the stand alone episode formula: Netflix's sitcom show Mr. Inglesias. It is a comedy show by Netflix that has its own stand alone episodes, which makes it exciting to watch. I like the show a lot, though I am not too crazy about some elements. But overall, it's a good show, I think. Hopefully they'll produce more stand alone shows. Also, and even though this might be an unpopular and even resentful opinion for some here, I think that they also need to start producing more family friendly content. Not every show has to be irreverent or raunchy. And when I say "family friendly," I am not just talking about shows for kids. They can make room for more family friendly comedies without having to remove or stop the irreverent shows.
If you have seen the trailer of the new movie "Cuties" i feel bad for you. I feel bad for the kids. It is so disgusting and horrible that they are literally giving pedos material to get off to. Fucking insane
I agree 100%. When Netflix started, there was an unspoken promise you could watch new shows until they organically ended because there were no ratings attached to it. But this model is even worst than TV networks because no matter how many views or viewers the show has, if it's not driving new subscriptions, it gets cancelled: Bojack, Mindhunter, etc. You said it best, they have no experience in creating or producing, and studios have over 50 years in doing so... They keep acumulating debt to make new shows and movies, but even in today's world, their days are numbered because they can't compete against the quantity and quality of established IPs... Thanx, great analysis!!!
I think Binge watching is also a weird flaw... sure, we can watch all at once, but it can also just be tiring and over whelming... like when you want to watch a new series on Netflix, it feels like you are preparing for the whole series rather than a single episode. Plus, even when you finish it, your connection would be worse than a show you watched for 12 weeks, since you spent less time with the show... less time to watch, less time to process each episode, less time to think about what could happen next... there is so much being lost...
It seems like with every new streaming service, Netflix loses more licensed movies and shows every time. It feels like at some point pretty much all they will have available is their own original content.
When every movie studio, tv channel, companies media companies in general making their own streaming platform netflix will barely have any content for themselves besides the few good netflix originals they have.
This was a very thought provoking video. I’ve had similar discussions with some friends over time and we always arrive at the same point. Every year younger people get used to digesting something radically different... we’ve come to realize, that there just isn’t a true formula for anything anymore. Companies are so busy trying to ‘figure’ people out, that everything sort of feels like a marketing experiment, and because most things are written as an experiment and people are constantly changing their minds about what they like/don’t like, the value of TV entertainment just isn’t there anymore.
After the pathetic launches of HBO MAX and Peacock, Netflix isn't going away anytime soon. Disney+ sounds like a great offer, but it's very family-friendly. There are many things you wouldn't really find in Disney+, like stand-ups and horror. Netflix also has a big international success.
As people pointed out in other comments Netflix always preferred having their other popular shows currently airing and their future shows binge-dropped all of their episodes at once instead of releasing them on a weekly basis like what Disney+, Apple TV+, HBO Max, DC Universe and recently Prime Video is doing on their original series. Other than Patriot Act and the Great British Bake Off which are currently the ONLY Netflix series they release new episodes weekly, Netflix will continue to binge release all the episodes of a show at once instead of releasing them weekly unless if Netflix reconsiders and decides to have Season 4 of Stranger Things and future seasons of their later shows (current and Upcoming) release new episodes on weekly basis if they want to survive.
I can spend an hour trying to find something to watch on netflix. I would love a channel function where i can jump around and watch an episode of a show here or there. Something to toss on in the background like a tv channel. The ability to select what i want to watch is great, but i miss the tv style curation.
Wonderful video. Couldn’t agree more. Films and tv are vastly different. There’s a reason David Lynch was adamant on calling Twin Peaks: The Return a movie instead of a show from the very beginning. He knew the story he was structuring fit more into what a film embodies more than television. Coincidentally, Twin Peaks is proof that both can be adapted perfectly as long as you understand your own creation. I believe most people these days are more interested in hearing what others think of their creations more than what the creation actually is. This is definitely Netflix’s biggest problem.
Americans tend to forget that Netflix is thriving outside their borders. Yeah maybe is not what’s is used to be on the us thanks to many licenses leaving the platform, but on places like South America, India and Europe is another story. Thanks to Netflix, Spanish, Mexican, Korean and Indian productions are doing really good, and approaching a whole demographic that American cinema never could. I live in south ameRica, and Netflix is doing great, many licenses that left the American territory are still in ours, and to the people who don’t speak English there is ton of content made in places like Mexico and Spain, Netflix will be fine, maybe it will lost some power on the US, but in others is just keeps expanding.
Spanish and Mexican Netflix productions have absolutely blown up. Series like Elite and La Casa De Papel are huge across the world, with the actors gaining major traction across social media/pop culture.
Exactly right
I agree, Jaime. Being from Mexico, Netflix is part of the new normal and other streaming services still fall short when compared to Netflix - or worse, they’re unavailable in our countries. Saludos!
I hope netflix stays on it’s path with creating more foreign language movies/series and having a lot of arthouse stuff.
I didn't think Netflix is doing that well in India. Most local content they have invested in was underwhelming to say the least. They are lagging waaaay behind Disney+Hotstar and Prime Video in terms of subscriber numbers as well. Both these services have made it a point to invest in good quality local content and it has paid off well for them. While most of Netflix's investments have been more of PR stunts attracting big names which has resulted in mostly mediocre to bad content except for a few shows and movies. I'm not sure about how it's doing outside India but within India Netflix isn't doing all that well as it likes the world to think.
“The fall of Netflix”
“How Netflix could fail”
Those are 2 very different titles
Edit: misread one of the words
Exactly
yes but one is less appealing for clicks so I get it
One is more clickbait.
clickbaity
It says fail
"I don't think they're ever going to make their own Friends." Is just savage. The double entendre is amazing.
I don't get it. Care to explain?
Mateo Aparicio no
@@mateorp_31 A double entendre is essentially a phrase with two meanings, the most common use of which is for one of them to be sexual but that has come to obscure the use of the term to describe most forms of implicature. I find this phrase; both divorced of context (where it implies Netflix as an organization is out of touch and ill-socialized), and in context (where it flatly declares the incompetence of the programming management in understanding their audience) to be a delicious convergence of meaning.
@@morganrobinson8042 nice
Mateo Aparicio Friends as in the TV show and Netflix not having any friends
The main advantage that Netflix is that's available worldwide while all other streaming services are available either only in the US or just in a couple of countries.
Exactly! And then they complain about pirating.. How the hell are people going to watch otherwise?
The shows and movies are region restricted on Netflix though, and not available worldwide. VPN's can be used to get around this but only for a short while before that VPN is blocked in your country.
The Grey Wanderer all the originals are available everywhere
That's the one thing I'll always respect about Netflix - it's available everywhere. It was quick to enter our market here in South Africa (Africa in general). The fact that Hulu and Prime never even bothered to do a global expansion large enough to consider developing markets makes me already know I don't need to bother with Disney, Apple, HBO and Peacock.
@@OdysseyTag agree. I don't know if those other companies don't know about the difference the international box office makes to movies. And I can't be that complicated or expensive to go worldwide? Netflix did it and it's a small independent company compared with the giant that are Disney, AT&T, Disney, and Comcast.
One thing the cap didn't mention is, for the better or the worst, Netflix's catalog according to the county. For example in the UE we don't have the office but friends won't go
In Mexico we've had Avatar for years, they're getting it for the first time
Basically get VPN+Netflix
And now you can enjoy whatever you want anytime you want
In India, er don't have office and community
@@JosephFlores-yn4yi PLEASE SEND ME A LINK EXPLAINING HOW TO DO THAT!!! whenever I turn my VPN on it blocks me from using the site. also, is there a site showing what shows are available and where with Netflix?
@@JosephFlores-yn4yi what do you usually use to watch Netflix?
One of the issues with Netflix and just streaming in general is that they create content that caters to binging and want the sitcoms made for broadcast TV to be binged as well. But I don't think you get the same intended effect from these weekly episodics where such a long story is being told over the course of many years. Like I can't imagine watching The Office for the first time all in the course of binging it in a month and I imagine it's the same for Friends. Yet this is just the content consumption standard now.
I remember a video talking about how binge watching actually hurts your retention of shows cause instead of constantly getting something new and the ability to chew on it you just move on to the next thing without a second thought.Your not given room to think your own thoughts about the show during the show and as such you forget things much more then if you had a week to sit on what happened last episode.
The Mandalorian, in my opinion, did this well. It was the talk of the internet for such a long time and brought in a lot of viewers, and I think part of it was that it was weekly. It also had the format of some episodes being self contained stories, yet part of an overall season long arc.
That's why I really respect Disney+ for going with the standard weekly episode format
I think Netflix would benefit from playing with their release format, moving some shows to weekly packs (like 3 episodes per week). But then consumers may get angry, because Netflix solidified itself as a binge service.
I personally like the idea of getting an episode every 2-3 days (not on the weekends).
weekly episodes suck imo
Love your channel, but in this case you're missing a key point - unlike RUclips (and network TV) Netflix actually *doesn't* care about watch time. At least not in the same way. What Netflix cares about is subscriber churn - it doesn't matter to them if you watch 10 hours in a month or 20, as long as you found the service compelling enough to stay signed up. So as long as they can give you at least one show a month that's worth watching they win. Whereas with RUclips and TV that are commercial-driven, more minutes viewed equals more commercials served equals more money in. As I'm sure you know that's why syndicated TV shows had the episode requirements they did - they literally existed to fill time. Now I'm in complete agreement with you about the artistic merits of comfort food TV shows, but like in all cases you have to look at the commercial circumstances in which this art was created.
Exactly! For youtube, their revenue comes from advertisements so the more people watching, the greater the ad revenue for the site. Netflix is based off subscribers. If he could show a link between the loss of tentpole sitcoms and loss of subscribers, it would be more compelling. I think Netflix realizes whether they create an awesome show or a mediocre one, as long as its subscriptions remain steady, they won't care.
I think this video should be called “the fall of the commercial television sitcom” or “serialized tv shows”. No one is making shows like friends and the office anymore. Because no one is watching basic tv programming. So if it’s up to these channels to make these shows, then we’re not going to get them.
Exactly. Basic tv is still spitting out long format sit coms. There are TONS of sit coms in existence but everyone talks about friends and the office. People aren't watching reruns of family matters and married with children (2 shows I enjoyed when they aired). Friends and the office have relatability much much beside the episode format.
What about american housewife? That one was recent and pretty decent
you see, making the title actually fit the video will lead to less comments, and less algorithm optimization in turn
@CynicalPisceanyou say their numbers haven't been good, but Netflix has continued to see huge increases in both total revenue and profit, every year since 2012. On what basis are they not doing well?
@Julián Méndez that show is now finished.
Modern Family, Big Bang Theory and Brooklyn 99 were the last. The other sitcoms out there have small audiences compared to the past. That's probably because the 3 mentioned above started when streaming video was in its infancy and still had a large cable TV audience.
The newer ones don't. I have not watched cable TV in years. My internet provider gave me cable free for 2 years when I phoned them up to cancel it.
They are desperate for people to watch it.
But I don't care about it. I now refuse to pay a monthly fee to watch commercials every ten mins. I haven't switched on the cable box in a couple of years.
The baby boomers are the only ones keeping it alive. No one I know watches cable TV, and I'm 39 years old. Everything is available streaming.
Personally, I think that 8-episode seasons are frustrating when they don’t fit the narrative. I understand short seasons with Ozark, Peaky Blinders, and Altered Carbon, for example. But The Witcher and Sex Education should’ve had more episodes so that characters, story arcs, and overall structure could be fleshed out. I’m not criticizing the shows’ content in itself, though, because all the ones I mentioned are brilliant.
Just a heads up that Peaky Blinders is not a Netflix show originally unlike the others, it’s made by the BBC and Netflix has the license but they’re not affecting how it’s made. Its a thing common in UK tv formats where a lot of shows here have about 6-8 episode with 13 usually being the maximum. It doesn’t change the point you made and I agree with you but i just thought you might wanna know
@@mysticalquilava hey thanks for that because I had no idea. I figured since it’s listed as a Netflix Original it’s a Netflix show, but they just got the distribution rights from BBC apparently 😂😂 oh well
Sex Education was a great show, 10 to 12 episodes is the perfect length.
Yes! I always say that a good show leaves you with questions about it, but in recent times I've had to expand that to be meaningful/in-depth questions about it, like are you questioning the writing decisions or questioning the world/characters?
When I watch buffy, I leave the show thinking "was faith buffy's shadow self, will they ever face X monsters again, is willow going to relapse, how will xander move on without (spoilers), will dawn/buffy ever get therapy for amount of pure PTSD inducing bullshit they just lived through? What will Cleveland's BellSouth be like? Will buffy and (spoilers) ever reconcile?"
Whereas when I watched stuff like stranger things or other Netflix based shows I'm like "what's the point of this? Why did X happen? Wait, where did Y go? I thought they had family in Z, wouldn't they get help from them? How on earth did that seem like a reasonable decision?" (I've had buffy-level experiences with Netflix shows like bojack or unfortunate events, but it's rarer than the usual riverdale-energy, where it feels like right after you finish eating a bit too much junk food and it's greasy, queasy and you feel like you wanna nap for 12 hours)
When Disney+ started doing weekly episodes, with shows that could use space, since a chunk are arc heavy or one and dones, It didn't go over will for people first. Now jumping ahead, a weekly format is quick refreshing. I love watching Netflix shows at first, but God do I get exhausted watching them, especially dramas were the world constantly sucks for the characters. The way their going, they could do more harm on themselves and the medium.
Not related to the vid,but why did you quit youtube?
Agreed, plus it was fun getting up and watching The Mandalorian every week
@222ckc Uh, no, it has a ton of content, original content it is currently lacking in.
Huge difference
@222ckc I don't think that's the reason they are doing weakly episodes. I don't know if you noticed but they have made it clear earlier, around the same time as D+ launch, they would stick to the weakly release format for as much of their Originals as possible. It's not about less content it's more about keeping the buzz alive for the show for weeks compared to one week for Netflix shows.
You know, having the option to watch something doesn't take away your ability to watch at the pace you enjoy.
There's a different between character-driven and story-driven.
Character driven benefits from more filler episodes.
That's can not be the case with story-driven ones.
Lost did not get better by having a shitton of episodes. In fact it got worse each season.
Exactly. Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra are other examples.
A:TLA was more character driven, so it benefitted from having filler episodes and side stories.
TLoK on the other hand, was more plot and lore driven than its predecessor, so it worked better just getting to the action and having limited filler. It wasn’t as successful on television, but it did do better once it was moved to Nick.com streaming.
You're right, I kept thinking the same during the entire video
Not to mention The Walking Dead, which got progressively worse the more episodes it had per season, having so many pointless and boring filler episodes.
@@danielmbg walking dead is a weird case for me. It's more character driven but the character they develop aren't that interesting. it was great for me, on the early saison when the zombie were the main focus and they also developed the character aside.
@Collin Williams so true, I just like saison 1 honestly (insane mystery + characters).
The only good thing it really has now is the partnership with nickelodeon
With Avatar The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. Yeah. Sad that SpongeBob won't be on Netflix tho. :(
I'd take spongebob over korra any day
Teddy Furstman it is
In my country they actually have almost everything: Friends, Community, Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Brooklyn Nine Nine...
The only things they don't have are The Office and Parks&Rec. These 2 shows are on Amazon Prime.
1 # friends Big Bang and how I met your mother are great plus it has rick and morty
TV can never be replaced. To an extent. The slow build up episode to episode has its charm.
Yea, as much a i enjoy binging Netflix shows and such, The Mandalorian only had 8 30 minute episodes and was WAY more memorable than any other streaming show I’ve seen in the past year. Like I loved the witcher but watched it all in a week and just forgot about it. Same with the boys. Stranger things season 3. Etc.
Hell no 😂 There is not one human who would tell you they’d rather wait. It’s literally human nature gtfoh
As a weeb, I understand that charm of waiting for the next episode.
@@mikegomez3515 yes, no one else can have a differing opinion. Of course.
Hans Hailana It’s not an opinion dude. Humans want things now, again, human nature. But ok, you’re the only one out 7 billion that wants things later. Sure.
"The Fall of Netflix"
Me: But "Dark" and "The Umbrella Academy" both got new seasons
Dark ended.
@@ieh6 season 3 came out like last week or so though
The umbrella academy is super awesome
@@ivancerecer5758 oh. Okay
Stranger things,
It bugs me he didn’t talk about the shows on Netflix that are built like sitcoms.....also he obviously hasn’t watched grace and Frankie. But ozark isn’t friends it’s kinda like apples and oranges.
@222ckc Welcome to RUclips
He also omitted Orange Is The New Black, a serialized show with several seasons that mirrored network television exactly.
Veronica Mars is such a good show. We do need more serialized shows! Cowboy Bebop is the proof that you can make a thematically coherent story with distinct episodes, I want more of that!
Yes, just look at The Mandalorian on Disney Plus
The level of ignorance and contempt here is staggering. Talking as a professional animator, the way you talk about animations and frames per second makes it very clear you basically have no idea what you're talking about.
More frames don't make better animations. Better animations don't make better stories. Bigger budgets don't make better stories either.
Shitting on stories universally praised for their great, clever writing and then stating that basically all animated movies and shows ever are overrated except for ghibli and disney movies is the height of arrogance and ignorance. Watch some other stuff and get off your high horse, you're missing on great stories.
@@punchforpound2808 I don't have the time (nor the desire tbh) to engage too much with your arguments, but I'll comment on this one.
"As for number of frames, actually all else being equal, having 24 unique frames, or 30, or 60, does make the animation better than 12 unique frames."
This is very simply wrong. Like 100% wrong.
The last animated spiderman movie has less frame than most 3D movies, the animation is stellar. And it is stellar not in spite of the number of frames but because of it. When I learned to animate I learned that it is very useful to use varying number of frames per second depending on what the action is, to create a different feeling to what you're animating, regardless of budget or constraints. The simplest example is that slower movement benefit from more frames, and the faster, more erratic movements, benefit from fewer frames. A lot of times, more frames actually make an animation worse.
So once again, you don't know what you're talking about on a technical level, but you don't sound like you have any idea how storytelling works or the reality of budgets and how animation studios work in general either. You only have "it used to be better when I was a kid", "GoT has a big budget, so they should do that too" and "they should draw more frames". Amazing.
@@ElkiLG I would argue that more frames do make for better animation. It's just that it isn't the only way and you shouldn't have to get overworked to achieve a high standard
@@crinsombone5380 But once again, it's not true. Into the Spiderverse is animated with fewer frames than other CG animated movies by choice, it makes the animation more snappy, more dynamic. The exact same movie with more frames per second would be a lesser movie because they made the whole movie with that choice in mind.
I've seen many animated movies or series from Japan with decent budget choose to animate some shots with very few frames per second (you can easily find crazy good animations with 8 frames per second), because it makes the shot simply better.
So no, it's not that simple, more frames won't make your animation better, it is even often the opposite.
One of the reasons I liked the Mandalorian so much. While it did build up a season finale, nearly every episode was self contained.
Nearly every episodes were boring af
Maybe I’m just used to serialized storytelling but the self contained episodes had me feeling like I was wasting my time a little bit
@@paulbeen459 Thank you! I thought I was the only person who thought that show was boring and super overrated
Midnight Jay Yeah it honestly comes down to personal opinion whether serialized or episodic storytelling is better than one another as a whole.
@@immanuela209 depending on the story and the universe, one is more suited.
Lol Netflix isn’t going to fall any time soon, largest subscriber base, first movers rights and they’re the only pure streaming service. They make shows for everyone, that’s why talks about quality are so different.
Watch the video dude
Joey Animationz watched it, still agree with my initial point
This is talking about in the fairly distant future, obviously Netflix is going to be set for at least the next decade or two. However nothing is permanent, everything ends, cable networks used to be undefeatable. This video is pointing out Netflix's weaknesses and how that could bring them down in the near future
lizard ledgend that’s the thing tho, if we’re talking Innovation legacy media won’t be able to keep up with the company from Silicon Valley.
Joey Animationz Watched, totally disagreed with what he said, having different tones each episode is so bullshit for any shows that’s now sitcom
Just realize by 2025 there will be so many different TV apps that all of the best shows are gonna be heavily divided that we have to pay for four subscription services at once
*Piracy intensifies*
@@JosephFlores-yn4yi ruclips.net/video/yRh-dzrI4Z4/видео.html
More likely, most people won't pay for more than a few and after a few years some of the smaller ones will give up and license their content to whichever services end up surviving.
Pirate content ;^)
It happened a few years ago.
Every RUclipsrs have been making the same clickbait videos for years, yet no matter how much people hate it, almost everyone still uses it
I think there are some things Netflix should change, and this video showed some of them.
But at the end of the day, Netflix is great. Mabye in the USA other streaming services pull content from Netflix, but where I live Netflix has almost everything.
Exactly, nothing new here. Same rehashed arguments meanwhile Netflix dropped 10 new shows everyone is talking about since this video was uploaded lol
Well I think you’re missing the point. The reason this is relevant now is because of the rise of apps like “peacock” and “HBO Max”. As they take away all of their big IP’s from streaming service and put them on their own you will be left to only watch Netflix originals. (Or at least that’s how I understand the argument that’s being made, and I relatively agree with it)
@@magic75450 Here in the UK we even still have Friends because HBO Max isn't over here, in the US yeah Netflix might have not be as good but worldwide Netflix is still the best one and the only one i will have a constant sub to.
@@chancethefapper878 I somewhat agree but I never heard of peacock, Amazon Prime and Hulu aren't as popular, and HBO has been around for years, even with shows like Breaking Bad or Game of Thrones they still weren't able to take down Netflix.
The only streaming service that stand a chance is Disney+, but it's not like they will include any and every shows and movies on it, they have to protect their brand. Not to mention from a global standpoint, Netflix is still the most popular options.
My favorite part of the Mandilorian that there are 3 episodes in the middle of season that are “location of the week” type episodes that don’t directly built off another episode. I was really hoping to see a few more like that. And fingers crossed for next season to have more.
I think this is the kind of thing most streaming series miss.
Exactly some people didn't like how they did that but I loved it
The mandilorian was good for like 3 episodes than it just got boring.
@@zionistsarewarcriminals I agree with you but in the same time my favorite episode is the one with bill burr
@@zionistsarewarcriminals yeah the dialogue, bill burr and the rising tension make it highly entertaining for me
Appreciate the take here. I gotta say though, I have avoided exploring a lot of older network shows due to the whole 10 seasons 22 eps each. Honestly who has time for that?
I feel like a balance can be struck between shorter eps, less seasons and sitcommy character development.
I totally agree, he praises the filler episodes but I can’t stand them 😆
It works both ways. For shows like Friends or The Office, I find it impossible to binge watch them. For me, those are shows that I watch a episodes of in between the show that I'm binge watching. It took me a while to get through them but it was worth it (for The Office, not FRIENDS, didn't like that one)
yeah, but you can just watch a couple eps a day or so. With longer seasons, you can just drop in and out instead of straight up binging. Like, I'm rewatching Community on Netflix and instead of doing what I did last time--which was binging all 6 seasons straight through a Hulu free trial--I've been chipping off episodes day by day. Not everything needs to be binge imo.
Who has time for that? Your mind will be blown if that's your stance.
As long as Netflix keeps making shows like Umbrella academy and Stranger things, I'm good
@JerickHerick35
I'm interested what they'll do to the start of the show. The start is very slow and uneventful (probably on purpose to make it contrast the rest of the show's seriousness).
Add glow and Ozark to that list as well
@JerickHerick35 Pointless remake.
idk about stranger things. the show become worst and worst. I think the show strengh is the cast of character and it weird but I think they should let go the horor story
add also bojack horseman god what a wonderful show it was i thought it just gonna concentrate just on comedy but damn how i was wrong
Last time I was this early Netlfix was on the rise
For the record: Bojack Horseman deals with mental illness way better than 13 Reasons why and they canceled it while they let that shit show run for how long it wants
Any show could handle mental illness better than 13 reasons why
@@somedude2278 fax
@@somedude2278 bojack does it REAAAAALY well tho
i just started watching bojack and it's already my favorite show of all time
@@backporchb3126 strap in, it's better with every season and it ends with the highest possible note :P
It really says something that I fundamentally disagree with a majority of the points made in this vid, yet I still enjoyed it
Honestly I think the anime that Netflix has been providing is gonna keep it afloat. Also, they're one of the few international platforms out there so that helps too. That is, I don't think Netflix was known for their originals and hopefully the know that too.
If you're talking about weaving together great stand-alone episodes into a season long narrative done right, you've gotta put Cowboy Bebop up there as one of the all time greats, even if it was just one long season.
Cowboy Bebop is Cowboy Bebop-Tier
isn't netflix making a bebop live action show loll
@@elijahbucklin7664 They've been "making" one for a while now...
a video ahead of it's time
Make up your mind, those 2 titles are so different, "the fall of netflix" or "how netflix could fall"?
bobbywrtm you could think of it as title/subtitle like The Fall of Netflix: How Netflix Could Fail
I don’t think they are very different. What he describes in the video is the fall of Netflix. If his title was “Netflix has failed” or something then I would understand your point
It's not a big deal
It’s just a clickbait title and he obviously means how Netflix could fall since it hasn’t fallen off yet.
You called it CM, quality over quantity really is something that most people want rn. Now Netflix is reaping what they sow. Honestly couldn’t care less
Whenever a Captain Midnight video surfaces, I have to stop what I’m doing and dedicate the next 10-15 minutes of my life to it.
"Surfaces"
I wish Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency got a season 3 and wasn’t cancelled. That’s the only show I feel really disappointed me with it’s cancellation because of how season 2 left off
I got into that show before I knew it was canned. So frustrated that I finally found a great new show to watch . . . And wit was already gone. :(
This is like meeting a long lost friend. I'm a big fan of Dirk Gently and after binging it I got to know that it was cancelled and I was heart broken. Dirk gently was actually a network show on BBC America, which was brought onto to Netflix and it was cancelled along time before.
RIP all the Marvel shows, Santa Monica Diet, Bojack, etc...
Agreed, although Dirk wasn't a show you could just dive into.
Cap, I get where you’re coming from with your arguments. BUT, it does come down to personal opinion as to whether you believe that episodic storytelling is better than serialized storytelling (from what I’ve grasped is your argument).
Using A: TLA as the best and most recent example, a lot of people in the Avatar fandom both before and after it was added to Netflix believed that Book One is the worst of the three seasons, to the point where people were turned off by the series because of it. Not that it was terrible by any means, but the episodes were too self-contained, which I do see where they were coming from. People also believed that Avatar didn’t start getting REALLY great until book 2 when they started incorporating serialized elements and season-long arcs (with the get to Ba Sing Se/Appa’s lost arc).
Not saying that serialized storytelling doesn’t have its downfalls, but one isn’t inherently better AS A WHOLE than the other. Episodic storytelling is better for shows on network television, primarily with comedies and kids shows because they’re good for reruns so that people can just jump in at any point while also being able to last for longer seasons (ex. Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Office, and Friends).
Serialized storytelling is better for DVDs and streaming services since they’re shorter and more condensed as well as being better for dramas series so that people can get to the story and action faster (Ex. The Legend of Korra, Breaking Bad, and The Walking Dead). Using TLOK as an example, it faired much better when it began streaming on Nick.com as opposed to airing on television. Serialized storytelling is best suited for a platform like Netflix, so I don’t see how it would prove to be its downfall.
But all around, fantastic video!
I am watching Avatar: The Last Airbender for the first time. I'm just in episode 10 of Book One, and it's too self-contained. The episodes are fun and all, but I agree that it could've been better with a bit more connectivity.
1 # Exactly. The only running thread throughout most of the first season is just getting to the North Pole to master waterbending, but that’s completely sidelined at most points because they’re just dicking around and going to random towns. Not saying it ain’t fun to watch but it ain’t the best season. Book 2 is when the show starts to get REALLY good. And then Book 3 is on about the same level as Book 2.
BEAUTIFULLY PUT👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
I think the main point of the video may have been missed. Netflix's most significant asset as a service is its TV shows, but its most-watched programs are ones they have licensed instead of created. There may be several reasons why this is. Cap argues that this is because of the way Netflix has designed its TV programs to always treat a specific form of serialization as better than episodic TV.
I would agree with you that neither form is superior, but I will also add that they are not mutually exclusive. Some of the most universally regarded shows like Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul are examples of being able to both serve the ongoing story and craft an individual narrative for the episode. A: TLA, as you mentioned, does the same thing even as it improves its work each season. Even episodic TV shows like The Office feature season-long arcs like the redemption of Michael Scott and Jim and Pam's romance. Cap also mentions some serialized series that he considers excellent (Show Me A Hero, Band of Brothers), which admittedly are miniseries.
The crux of the video's argument, which is one that many others have already made, is that Netflix shows tend to equate serialization with treating TV as a movie. As the video mentions, Netflix's creators tend to mention in interviews that their shows are like an "(X) episode movie). This misses the point of TV shows as a form and often leads to every episode having a near-identical tone and no individual story or identity of its own. The Netflix Marvel series is an excellent example of this because many of the episodes consisted mostly of filler with extraneous plot details the audience didn't need and never paid off in a meaningful way.
It's kinda telling you always go back to Bojack whenever you need an example of Netflix doing something well, huh.
Not that i have a problem with bojack, but shit that shows kinda depressing
@@jaredgarcia8638 isn't that the point of the show
@@samuelkibunda6960 what is the point. Im genuinely asking
@@jaredgarcia8638 Bojack is not a good guy, he's a shitty person, you could blame on his awful childhood among other things...
But the point his, he does shitty things and really bad decisions and eventually have to pay the price.
He isn't heroic and doesn't always wanna do the right thing, he's selfish and mostly thinks on himself and he's needs above everyone's else.
But that what it makes it so great, it doesn't have a point, it's the history of a guy, and the consequence of his actions, actions that all of us can relate; because not all of us are heroes and prodigies, most of us are just Bojacks
I kinda stopped watching it after season 5. It was just to depressing
I had to revisit this video after seeing the report about Netflix losing subscribers for the first time. I can honestly say, the main reason I even open Netflix nowadays is to watch Seinfeld (I alternate between that and The Office on Peacock to use as background noise). And they still haven’t found that formula. Maybe they should revisit some of those shows they cancelled prematurely. It would show some goodwill to the fans
The trouble with Netflix is that they were so obsessed with whether they could switch from DVDs to streaming that they never stopped to think whether they should as Ian Malcolm would say.
I feel that I’ve had some of those issues with Netflix and I especially agree with Arrested Development. Sometimes having limitations can make a better product. I did feel that way sometimes with some of the Netflix shows that I've watched that a lot of episodes did blend together and weren't as interesting. Good job discussing this topic.
But RUclips can watch is weekly xdxs
I think this is where the Mandalorian succeed. Sure it had an overarching narrative, but a lot of the episodes could tell a standalone story as well. Much like the old serials they were trying to evoke.
I was in Mexico this past week and wow the Netflix content in Mexico is amazing. I was able to find AAA Blockbuster movies like Transformers, Baby Driver the Fast and Furious franchise, Marvel and DC movies (Both animated and live action) among others.
this aged well :)
It is hard to get THAT into a show that only has six episode and then a years wait for the next batch. It's pretty much one and done then you move on. Longer series give the audience more material to get invested in over a longer period of time. Keeping the viewer on board more.
If I remember correctly, an 8 episode season is the minimum requirement for an Emmy nomination
Aged like fine wine
Netflix isn’t going anywhere
Of course not. I don’t think they’ll stay the top service forever though.
jerrygodeep I just think their the most convenient . I barely know anyone who has prime , hbo max , or even Disney plus but everyone I know has Netflix . The rest of the streaming services are playing catch up and will be for a longtime
Netflix will continue to be on top for awhile, but that might change in a couple years
@@Don_623 Don't think so. Disney+ already has 90 million subs after a single year. And HBO max has exploded with content and subs and will soon in second half of 2021 come to Europe, the users will also keep most of the content despite region, same with Disney+. Netflix is in decline.
@@outlawfly664 Lemme reiterate, I meant on top in terms of original content. For me personally, Netflix was the best for original content. I wasn't speaking in terms of who's on top financially. But yeah with HBO Max and Disney+ making huge strides in og content, Netflix isn't on top anymore in regards to content or financially.
I feel like the only Netflix sitcom with any potential is space force. Season one was iffy but they have a good cast and crew. Plus the deal with Nickelodeon could lead to good things.
The first season of a lot of older shows weren't their best. I definitely think space force has the potential to be really good, it follows the "case of the week leading up to a bigger narrative" format, and has a lot of talent (and already intrigue in the plot) behind it. I just don't know if people are willing to try it because of shorter media attention spans.
I saw the first three episodes, and they weren't bad, but they also weren't that good. I may continue it at some point.
I like that Space Force has a over all story but blends singular episodes into the narrative without disrupting the over arching story of the season. S1 was slow but it was introducing the characters and by then end of the season: Dayumm did it get goood.
Y'all can't be serious
Once Netflix loses all of the outsourced content to their owners, and it’s only originals left. Netflix will be in trouble, they don’t own any big IP.
Hmm i think you are missing some key concepts in this essay. Mostly, your argument is that series are better (or at least more profitable) than mini-series. What you are calling "the old way to make TV" is just that, series. A series episode is one that you can catch in the middle of a season and understand what's happening with no problem, a mini-series however is a continuous story that keeps on going. It's called "mini" series, because its not completely serialized, not because its short like some people believe.
Now, the second thing is that you are talking a lot about how people don't understand the medium they are working and that they can't do TV like this. But here's the problem, Netflix is NOT TV, they are different mediums and different rules apply to both. TV had to make series because they had to account for the fact that people might miss episodes for whatever reason, and they were forced to wait a week to see each new one, so continuous stories were hard to tell that way. Now, with Netflix you never miss an episode, and you can watch an entire season in one sitting. So the rules themselves are different, and as such, writers have to adapt.
Now, you are right about one thing, and its the fact that these shows do not get as many views as the old sitcoms, but you have to consider that a lot of that comes from the fact that we did watch series like The Office when they were on TV and we had to follow it weekly for years, that kind of experience is different in streaming services, since most of the time, whole seasons release at the same time and get binged in a weekend. Some shows like Better Call Saul still release on a weekly basis, and that works even on Netflix, so maybe your whole point here is that they should focus on doing that more often and producing shows with that mentality, and maybe you are right, at least from a view count perspective, they need more shows like that. But its not that easy, because as i said, the experience of watching a streaming platform is not the same as watching tv, the same kind of experience we had viewing sitcoms before can't be quite replicated nowadays, we live in a different world. But as you said, with series like Bojack, they proved that its possible to do it right, they just need to fine tune the formula, streaming is still a pretty new medium and its hard to do the transition, what works on TV doesn't necessarily work the same way here, and realizing that and changing the game is what's hard about it.
Man, sitcomes didn't work nowadays.
Depends on who makes it
I agree! People like nostalgia, not inherently sitcoms.
In fairness, every episode of the Crown had its own identity because it blended historical events with the family drama, but I do see your point of it feeling like a long movie unnecessarily. I think this is why the MCU is considered a movie show, where every movie is its own thing inside a larger 'season' or saga.
Watching Community on Netflix in the background as I type this right now.
I see you’re a man of culture.
At least Community is on Netflix despite that Missing episode for no good reason.
Should I watch it?
@@jamiesalley604 Hell yeah, Community is amazing!
I think Luke Cage was pretty solid until Mahershela Ali's character died
Did you like season 2. I thought it was pretty underrated
@@thanosamazing72 I really liked season 2. Bushmaster was awesome
Another problem with the "no filler" justification for short seasons is that all the stuff I always see complained about as "filler" -- episodes that take a detour off the main, serialized plot to sort of fritter around -- are what shows like Friends are made of. By the standards of the snobby internet nerd who defends the "ten-hour movie" format (and I've run into plenty of those guys), there are no non-filler episodes of any sitcoms! Yet those are clearly what the average audience member wants, and for some insane reason Netflix seems determined to cater to the crowd who view a TV series being tonally monotonous and heavily serialized as a marker of sophistication. It drives me nuts.
The hate for filler episodes was evident for me with Strangers Things, where El goes off to the city. So much unnecessary hate for that episode because it didn't "match pace" with the rest of the episodes. Yes, it was a different tone and setting. But, I liked the brief switch, it made me appreciate her returning to Hawkins and the gang even more.
People often deride the sitcom format, but there are elements worth appreciating. I love a good, tightly woven "ten-hour movie" too. But sitcom/longer season series can have great rewatch value. The memorable episodes are memorable for a reason.
@@renee1309 not a great example for me. I liked the different setting but those episode weren't really good.
Agree
renee I totally agree! Anytime I’ve rewatched the show, I skip it!
@@ThisIsSoDamaris I don't understand you skip it because you like it ?
Doom patrol is really good at making stand alone episodes. I'm still waiting on a second video about that show. Second season is just as good as the first one.
Yes Doom Patrol is perfect! It's a damn shame the second season was cut to only 9 episodes.
I think a great example of the perfect TV format you mentioned is Doctor Who. Yes, the show has had series arcs (particularly from 2005 onwards) but its premise allows for each episode to be set in a new place in time and space with new guest characters each episode which is perfect for a weekly format. It's one of the most flexible shows I've ever seen. Even its continuity is beyond flawed and changeable.
Community, you're saying they need to make the next Community.
He totally forgot to mention Space Force, which is exactly what he said he wants.
@@Craig_Bolin
I started Space Force, but I only saw the first three episodes. It's too long for a sitcom (each episode is 30-35 minutes), and many things don't work for me in the show.
But yes, that was Netflix trying to make a sitcom, and each episode I saw had a satisfying ending.
Community was very bingworthy
@@catsthemovie4692 until season 5 when it fell apart
@@Craig_Bolin Space Force has a serious tonal problem. Which is to say only 25% of the jokes land and you don't remember you even saw it a few days later.
I didn't watch Friends when I was growing up, I finally decided to watch a few episodes on Netflix when it was on there. And man it has not aged well at all to me.
This video really skips over the value of nostalgia and the time between episode release. It discounts a lot of the hype effect as well (no one will be watching most MCU movies 20 years from now).
I can't get into those cheesy old shows, either, and most of the time people have them on as background noise. Netflix shows that are genuinely good, and not something you can ignore entire episodes of while you're chatting and cooking, are going to see their repeat views over the course of years, like rereading a novel, and will have earned their longevity in the public consciousness on their own merit. Not from spamming viewers who are practically devoid of choice.
Sorry THIS! Good lord! I mean I LIKE shows like Friends and The Office, but I almost never actually sit down and watch them. I’m always doing something else like cleaning or working out while it’s on in the background. For shows like Breaking Bad or the Netflix Marvel series (even though they are hit or miss), I’m gonna sit down and watch them, and even rewatch them to pick up on something I missed.
Hulu has a great fix to this problem in my opinion. They usually release the episode the day after it airs on tv. That feels so much better than Netflix releasing the entire season sometimes months after it finishes. (Also Hulu has live tv
Yes!!! You perfectly put into words everything I’ve been complaining about when it comes to Netflix originals. The heavy emphasis on making their content as bingeable as possible leads to episodes that feel like unsatisfyingly short movies, and seasons that feel like unbearably long ones. To me a good show feels like what a good album (again, to me) should be-something with a cohesive message and sound across all tracks, but with tracks distinct enough to hold their own meanings and provide their own musical and emotional experiences. As someone who would love to be a show runner some day, this is the approach I try to take in my writing.
Hey midnight. On your last video I asked you to talk about bojack and you did. Thank you so much!
Netflix is such a mixed bag. On the one hand they started it all and they have such a wide, diverse collection. On the other hand, there are some areas where other streaming services are just outperforming them and they need to do better if they want to stay relevant.
I think it's going to end up killing Netflix, and streaming in general, is the fact that there are too many services that are getting more expensive than cable
I agree 100%. Physical media will make a comeback.
I want to point out one show not mentioned in this video, Ricky Gervais' After Life. It is 13 episodes long and very much a British sitcom with all the tropes that come attached to that, but I think it does a good job of fleshing out a world of characters each who are distinct and develop as the seasons run on. It's funny and each episode focus' on a different event or person so that discussions revolve around 'the episode with the community theatre production' or so on
I've had this frustration with Netflix a lot, too. I love a lot of their original shows, but the fact that it gets released on a season basis rather than episode by episode is really frustration. I definitely think something is lost from the fact that shows like Stranger Things are getting released a season at a time rather than one episode a week. If only one episode was available at a time, folks online would speculate more about what's to come next and any cliffhangers would hold a lot more weight. Also, character focused 'filler' episodes!!
I'm personally fine with one major plot being the focus of a season, but I agree that it shouldn't be done like an 8hr long movie.
I think that for some shows it's better to release all at once, like shows that are based on existing material (Umbrella Academy, The Witcher).
You can't theorize on something with the online community if there's already an answer in the internet.
I actually really like some of the "8 hour movie" kind of series and I think being able to abandon episodic storytelling is one of Netflix' biggest strengths. The opportunity to bingewatch entire seasons allows shows to be much more complex and layered than weekly formats. For example, Dark is one of my favourite shows of the last decade, but if it was a TV show (every episode needing to be self-contained, and an entire week between episodes), it would ruin the atmosphere of the show and make it far too hard to remember every character and subplot. Netflix' format allows writers to tell epic stories with a shitload of crazily convoluted ideas without ever being too confusing. This much content wouldn't fit into a 90 - 120 minute movie, but it still profits from being _written_ like a single big movie instead of independent episodes.
I agree that some shows can get boring if every episode feels the same, but for these specific kinds of shows, I like that there isn't that much variety in tone and atmosphere because Netflix shows are designed to be bingewatched, and big fluctuations would be too jarring. In fact, I think an independent episode structure would get too repetitive and therefore boring - there is no repetition if one episode just flows into the next, just like the acts of a play.
TL;DR: Shows like Dark really need to be structured like a movie, but a movie doesn't provide enough time to tell the story properly, and episodic storytelling wouldn't be a good fit thematically, so Netflix' model really is the best solution for them.
"The Fall of Netflix?" Lmao a bit sensationalist and click bait. Netflix is successful because they put the effort into their shows while they let classics with Near endless episodes entertain us. Netflix has more Narrative driven dramas then Character driven. Majority of Netflix shows or movies ends up trending. I think getting shows temporarily to be streamed is a great idea since that was the purpose of Netflix in the first place. I use it to watch the CW shows, and Shameless.
Yeah but how long can they keep mining the classics without creating new classics? They make pretty mediocre one season shows with zero rewatchability. That well of acquiring classic long form shows is going to dry up eventually.
The reason that Netflix became such a cultural powerhouse and continues to do so is because of one word: Personalization. Literally, if every other streaming service just learned how to better their algorithms to curate more personalized media to each viewer, they could seriously compete with Netflix and even someday bring it down. And yes I do agree with Captain M here as the only shows I still watch on Netflix and every other streaming service, are the ones that still feel like that they could be on real TV.
Kinda funny how most of the comments are about the click bait, but yeah Netflix ain’t gonna fail it’s got lots of great content and it creates some of the best shows (Stranger Things, Ozark, Daredevil)
I loved daredevil, it was my favorite of the marvel shows
I remember each episode was also kinda it’s own story, building off this video thesis. The first episode was how they hired Karen. There’s the episode just focusing on matt and Foggys friendship, kingpins childhood, the explosion, etc*
A reason I think Stranger Things 4 has been so highly esteemed compared to the past three seasons (Season 2 and 3 are even hated by a lot of people) is because a lot of episodes felt like they had their own identity, mainly episode 1, 4, and 7. Episode 1 had more of a filler-type feel since it was a mostly "what everyone's doing now" plot with a few hidden plot points that led up to its wham ending. Episode 4 is so good that it might even be getting awards and breaking a record, due to how good its standalone plot is. Before season 4, I've never been able to say I had a favorite Stranger Things episode that wasn't a pilot or a finale. I really hope they continue with this style in season 5, and maybe even give each episode its own feeling and identity.
That 72% report is old... Latest report said that originals are leading the viewership...
Anyone else remember the "Get Netflix for just 8 bucks a month." Now its $16, I hate being old.
I feel like the title should be "How Netflix could Fail" .
EDIT: I mean it's already the thumbnail, so why the clickbaity title?
To get clicks
Clickbait
5:21 ahhhh I love Angel
A good contrast to the Netflix Marvel shows is Doom Patrol, that show has standalone-ish episodes without forgetting about the larger narrative
I feel like Hulu has a chance of dying too. It's already way less popular than Netflix, and its original shows are also less popular (barring a random hit like The Handmaid's Tale). Hulu reminds me a lot of Amazon Prime Now or whatever it's called, but at least Prime comes with the entirety of Amazon, and most people have Prime for shopping rather than shows/movies. But a lot of what's on Hulu is mirrored on HBO Max, and when the Hulu contract is over, they'll be taking a huge hit.
Disney have 67% stake in Hulu..
@@alexinc. That seems guaranteed that it will fail. HBOMax and Disney will take their associated properties from Hulu and leave it barebones.
Not exactly. Hulu has an entirely different format than other streaming services. They stream episodes of series that are currently airing on television while other services do not get the license to stream until months after the season has ended. People who use Hulu do not exactly use it to binge watch. They use it to avoid paying for cable while still having the benefit of watching their favorite show air weekly.
Hulu won’t fail because Disney owns 100% of it. They also bundle Disney plus with Hulu.
Definitely agree with the season format. The way Netflix goes, there's two ways to go about an original series: binge it, which is exhausting, or one episode a day, but you are never satisfied with what you've watched because you've only seen a small part of the story. As far I remember, I've never just gave up on a series I kind like before Netflix originals. It's such a huge commitment, I always dread start watching a series.
Ozark has been consistently good with some great performances from its cast especially the last season. It's easily one of the best shows on Netflix right now.
I still stand by that Marvel's Daredevil and Stranger Things are the best Netflix Originals ever made
Orange is the new black is definitely up there. Umbrella academy is good as well and what about the other marvel shows.
Think you meant punisher
@@alltheglorytogod7402 Punisher is good but doesn't compare to Daredevil
@@chanelmone4721 Season 1 of Jessica Jones would be on there but the other 2 seasons drag it down, and I didn't enjoy Luke Cage or Iron Fist. The Punisher is better than those 2 but still isn't great
If you like Stranger Things, I implore you to check out Dark (a German Netflix Original series); I started watching purely to flex my brain and keep up my German, but what I got was an incredibly complex and well made show. Admittedly ST and Dark are very different shows, but they've been compared a few times and I really love them both.
It's funny how I get recommended this a few days after the cuties announcement
How you described how they need to be able to not be like 13 hour long movies, they need to be able to tell it's story along side case of the week style stuff as well.
I feel like that's where Disney+ is going right, The Mandalorian for example, each episode built towards the final conflict while also having a sort of case of the week going on. Plus with Disney+ what's fascinating is that they don't tell the showrunners how long each episode is required to be, Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau were allowed to use whatever runtime they wanted for their show, which means each episode is a different length depending on the story they're telling.
Network TV and Netflix would've told them the episode has to be 40 minutes long or whatever. So yeah it's really great the flexibility these creators appear to be getting on Disney+
I think The Mandolorian lowkey did a good job of this. A lot of episodes felt like one off episode for the week that eventually connected to the overarching stories. It was great watching the weekly adventures but it also did a great job bringing those episodes back into play towards the end
I think the appeal of tv is changing, and that's not a bad thing. This may be the appeal for you, but you grew up in a completely different time than gen z. They want something else, and Netflix is giving them that.
I was really happy for the substance that came in with serialized TV, but it's been the standard for so long now that I'm getting tired of it, and as discussed in the video, it's often pushed to the point where they just try to stretch a movie into ten hours arbitrarily cut up into 40-50 minute pieces. I've come to feel that what I wanted wasn't serial stories, it was episodes that feel like they were written with their place in the entire season in mind. Foreshadowing development and lingering consequences. Less episodes that begin with "by the way, the character we're going to focus on this week has been spending every free moment in his lab for weeks" and end with "and then we will never speak of this again".
he's not necessarily talking about what appeals to him, though. he mentioned the office and friends (which he also said he wasn't a huge fan of) because they, with their many episodes and "rewatchability factor," are bigger hits for netflix than the bulk of their original content, and he's exploring a possible reason why. if they were making new, different content that was appealing to a younger generation, you'd have a point, but their tendency to off shows after a season or two often without conclusions, satisfying or otherwise, and the usual ensuing backlash suggests that's not the case. if they really had this mine of content that gen z'ers die for, you'd think they'd make more use of it
a user upthread mentioned euphoria and shameless, neither of which is a netflix show and one of which has 100+ episodes. the issue is netflix not trusting their shows enough to give them long runs or deviate far from their "basically a long movie" format, which may hurt them when many of their properties that do fulfill those criteria are inevitably taken down for their owners' respective streaming services
Another good video, even if I very much disagree with some big points. I think this video, at times, displays a narrow vision of what TV shows should be like
Serialization is a trend that goes way beyond Netflix. Yeah I wish Netflix would stop enforcing it on every single one of their originals ( Ghost in the Shell ) but look at what CBS did with Star Trek: Discovery. Continuity is just how things are written now. Hopefully it'll burn out in a couple years and we'll get back to some nice episodic tv again.
Who's here after the shitshow that is Cuties?
Here!
Santa Clarita was striking the balance well, but it got cancelled. That was a heart-breaker, I really enjoyed that couple.
That's why "Atlanta" is one of my favorite shows right now
Captain Midnight, I agree. Netflix doesn't make episodes that can be stand alone episodes. Each episode is a continuation from the next. But I think that this was on purpose because, unlike regular television where new shows are only shown once a week, all the episodes of a show are uploaded at once on Netflix, so they want to make each season like a long movie for people to binge watch. But I agree with you. I noticed this when I started watching Orange is the New Black. Each episode a continuation of the next, leaving off on a cliff hanger so that it entices you enough to watch the next one until you get to the end of the season. I liked this at first, but then I started to resent it. I'd rather have each new episode have its own stand alone story, which brings me to this point...
I think that Netflix may be starting to realize this because there is a Netflix comedy show that does follow the stand alone episode formula: Netflix's sitcom show Mr. Inglesias. It is a comedy show by Netflix that has its own stand alone episodes, which makes it exciting to watch. I like the show a lot, though I am not too crazy about some elements. But overall, it's a good show, I think. Hopefully they'll produce more stand alone shows.
Also, and even though this might be an unpopular and even resentful opinion for some here, I think that they also need to start producing more family friendly content. Not every show has to be irreverent or raunchy. And when I say "family friendly," I am not just talking about shows for kids. They can make room for more family friendly comedies without having to remove or stop the irreverent shows.
If you have seen the trailer of the new movie "Cuties" i feel bad for you. I feel bad for the kids. It is so disgusting and horrible that they are literally giving pedos material to get off to. Fucking insane
I agree 100%. When Netflix started, there was an unspoken promise you could watch new shows until they organically ended because there were no ratings attached to it. But this model is even worst than TV networks because no matter how many views or viewers the show has, if it's not driving new subscriptions, it gets cancelled: Bojack, Mindhunter, etc. You said it best, they have no experience in creating or producing, and studios have over 50 years in doing so... They keep acumulating debt to make new shows and movies, but even in today's world, their days are numbered because they can't compete against the quantity and quality of established IPs... Thanx, great analysis!!!
And then *Cuties* came along... RIP Netflix.
I think Binge watching is also a weird flaw... sure, we can watch all at once, but it can also just be tiring and over whelming... like when you want to watch a new series on Netflix, it feels like you are preparing for the whole series rather than a single episode.
Plus, even when you finish it, your connection would be worse than a show you watched for 12 weeks, since you spent less time with the show... less time to watch, less time to process each episode, less time to think about what could happen next... there is so much being lost...
Time to make to make a part 2 cause of you know what
It seems like with every new streaming service, Netflix loses more licensed movies and shows every time. It feels like at some point pretty much all they will have available is their own original content.
Which is a problem cause no one watches Netflix original shows and netflix originals have a problem with being called cheesy and also virtue signaling
When every movie studio, tv channel, companies media companies in general making their own streaming platform netflix will barely have any content for themselves besides the few good netflix originals they have.
This was a very thought provoking video. I’ve had similar discussions with some friends over time and we always arrive at the same point. Every year younger people get used to digesting something radically different... we’ve come to realize, that there just isn’t a true formula for anything anymore. Companies are so busy trying to ‘figure’ people out, that everything sort of feels like a marketing experiment, and because most things are written as an experiment and people are constantly changing their minds about what they like/don’t like, the value of TV entertainment just isn’t there anymore.
As someone that has netflix and only watch stuff there
This worries me
Same
Don't worry, Netflix is making billions and is creating tons of original content, it's not going anywhere.
Worst case it gets bought and folded into another networks streaming service it wont disappear.
After the pathetic launches of HBO MAX and Peacock, Netflix isn't going away anytime soon. Disney+ sounds like a great offer, but it's very family-friendly. There are many things you wouldn't really find in Disney+, like stand-ups and horror. Netflix also has a big international success.
that this comment exists on an online video streaming platform appears lost on everyone
I also feel that Amazon Prime understands the allure and appeal WAY better than Netflix ever did/does.
Sand with Disney plus
Only reason I dislike Netflix is that they cancelled Daredevil
I blame Disney more than Netflix for that.
As people pointed out in other comments Netflix always preferred having their other popular shows currently airing and their future shows binge-dropped all of their episodes at once instead of releasing them on a weekly basis like what Disney+, Apple TV+, HBO Max, DC Universe and recently Prime Video is doing on their original series.
Other than Patriot Act and the Great British Bake Off which are currently the ONLY Netflix series they release new episodes weekly, Netflix will continue to binge release all the episodes of a show at once instead of releasing them weekly unless if Netflix reconsiders and decides to have Season 4 of Stranger Things and future seasons of their later shows (current and Upcoming) release new episodes on weekly basis if they want to survive.
I can spend an hour trying to find something to watch on netflix. I would love a channel function where i can jump around and watch an episode of a show here or there. Something to toss on in the background like a tv channel. The ability to select what i want to watch is great, but i miss the tv style curation.
Try the shuffle feature, it’s helped me a lot lol
Michael Pollard There’s a SHUFFLE feature?! Have I been using Netflix wrong this whole time?! 👀
Immanuel Arriaga oh yeah !! It’s relatively new but it plays episodes and series at random based on you’re likes and dislikes and similar titles
Wonderful video. Couldn’t agree more. Films and tv are vastly different. There’s a reason David Lynch was adamant on calling Twin Peaks: The Return a movie instead of a show from the very beginning. He knew the story he was structuring fit more into what a film embodies more than television. Coincidentally, Twin Peaks is proof that both can be adapted perfectly as long as you understand your own creation. I believe most people these days are more interested in hearing what others think of their creations more than what the creation actually is. This is definitely Netflix’s biggest problem.