Some critics have labeled the last few
years the “Platinum Era of Scripted Television.” But are we reaching a “peak,”
as some researchers argue, or will this surge of creativity continue? And can
the marketplace sustain the growing amount of TV content? Limit:
10 responses
Entering the era of peak television has both helped and hurt the consumer. It is a struggle to figure out what to watch on a daily basis because of all the incredible options. A lot of times you sit in front of the Netflix queue, On Demand screen, Hulu, etc. scroll around for a while and before you know it, its time for bed. With all these options, you can feel like you’re missing out on a ton. That’s why there is the mission for viewers to catch up to the current season on the SVOD and then watch live. According to NBCUniversal’s president Alan Wurtzel, “80 percent of content viewing that occurs during prime time is of cable and broadcast shows, while only 13 percent represents SVOD options. SVOD "is a compliment, not a replacement" to linear TV.” Of the entire 100% of content viewing though, people will always be watching television. The reason they want to be caught up on all of it is to have something in common to talk about with coworkers, friends and family.
ReplyDeleteCreativity will continue to surge in this peak TV era because networks and other television outlets are will to take more risks on television shows. As long as Netflix will continue to bring in more subscribers and advertisers need spaces to show their ads, television will continue to be an important outlet. With all these new outlets to watch shows, networks, whether on television or an extra subscription service, will take more chances on shows. According to The Hollywood Reporter, “A record 455 scripted original series aired in 2016, and Peak TV may not have hit its actual peak yet.” 455 shows spread across 4 different types of services means that networks will compete to play shows they think will peak the interest of even a small portion of an audience.
One show that was definitely apart of the “take a chance” model was the show Mr. Robot. This show takes place in a dystopian future where a few rich people control the world. It feels incredibly realistic to a point that some of what happens in the show is almost spoken into life. This show is the network USA, a network of shows filling the same model like Suits or Burn Notice, which have the same feel. Mr. Robot is something completely different; USA took a chance on it, which has been a success. Netflix and Amazon have followed this model to its fullest potential for the same success, but sometimes the audience doesn’t even need the networks to take a chance.
Even the shows that aren’t that creative still bring in a ton of ratings. In a breakdown of the worst shows of 2016, The Hollywood Reporter mentions how CBS’ creativity affected their 2016, “From a ratings standpoint, CBS had a fine year. From a creative standpoint? Not so much. This "Worst" list surely could have included Man with a Plan … a stale attempt to revise The Amazing Race, the increasingly frustrating The Great Indoors, the pointless Rush Hour and MacGyver remakes.” CBS is a perfect example of audiences enjoying things that aren’t that creative. Not all good shows have to be incredibly challenging and thought provoking shows. Some portion of the audience likes to just throw on a comedy and not have to be super involved in the story when they watch a show. As long as that portion of the audience exists, the marketplace will continue to grow to accept these mind-numbing shows.
Goldberg, Lesley. "500 Scripted Shows?! How Netflix, Amazon Are Sending Originals to All-Time Highs." The Hollywood Reporter. N.p., 5 Jan. 2017. Web. 11 Feb. 2017.
Goodman, Tim, and Daniel Fienberg. "The Walking Dead - Critics' Picks: The 10 Worst TV Shows of 2016." The Hollywood Reporter. N.p., 23 Dec. 2016. Web. 11 Feb. 2017.
Lynch, Jason. "Advertisers Beware: Audiences Are Taking Longer Than Ever to Watch TV Shows." Adweek. N.p., 2 Aug. 2016. Web. 11 Feb. 2017.
Nyarko 1
ReplyDeleteTelevision has transformed tremendously in the recent years. Recall when TV was deemed a luxury (even in its black and white form), to televisions (and some kind of cable or network provider) being an everyday household item, to today where the future of television is being challenged by alternative services and devices (i.e. - streaming services and smart devices such as phones or tablets).
This generation of movers and shakers have changed the standard of watching listening drastically- to the point where Over the Top (OTT) services are in steady competition with legacy media outlets. Lesley Goldberg from the Hollywood Reporter reports on the 455 scripted original series that were aired in 2016, and Julie Piepekotter, FN Networks executive researcher estimates 500 scripted shows in the upcoming years. (Goldberg) Most notably, Julie Piepekotter reminds readers: “The technological transformation of the past decade in media alone is arguably more dramatic than that of the half-century prior." (Goldberg) This strongly suggests that although the markets are becoming increasingly saturated and experts have noticed the “peak,” we are not quite at the carrying capacity of original series.
Since we have not quite reached the carrying capacity, or the time where we can declare a “surplus” in scripted television, it is important to think about the sustainability of the marketplace that is growing so quickly. There cannot be “too much” content if there are people who are willing to watch the content- and faithfully. The era of social media is closely linked with this growing marketplace because social media is where trends go to be birthed and die. It would be the responsibility of the creators and producers to engage and increase social media buzz to keep up with the competition. Looking at shows like Scandal and The Walking Dead, which Nielsen reported in 2015, maintain a 24% and 23% Twittersphere loyal fan base respectively. (Nielsen) The question really becomes how invested can you get a number of people? Humans are not one-dimensional, and can be fans of multiple shows; however, as a network or show, your responsibility is to make as many people a fan of your show. John Landgraf, president of FX Networks noted: “If your business strategy is predicated on having hits and hits alone, it’s going to be very fragile.” (Littleton) The industry so far can handle all the new shows- but as a company, you must keep in mind that not every show can be a hit, but there are ways you can increase the chances of it being-and staying a hit.
As FX President John Landgraf (creator of the “Peak TV” phrase) (Goldberg, Scripted Originals Hit Record 455 in 2016, FX Study Finds) recognized, the peak is not here yet. Services like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu are providing more scripted originals with no plans of stopping, while cable (originals and premiums) and broadcast networks are decreasing (Goldberg, Scripted Originals Hit Record 455 in 2016, FX Study Finds). This insinuates that in the upcoming years, the “peak” might be determined by these OTT services- as in when they either tap out financially, or cannot have reached as many subscribers as they can. Cynthia Littleton from Variety quoted a veteran production executive likening the scripted television bubble to the “Internet bubble in the early 2000s.” (Littleton) They predicted that smaller outlets who are taking “big shots” would not be able to keep investing with the big players.
DeleteWith 266 original scripted shows in 2011, 421 shows in 2015, and 455 in 2016, it is clear that although the growth is not linear, it is happening and will continue to do so until networks (primarily the OTT providers) are unable to keep financing the new shows.
References
Goldberg, Lesley. 500 Scripted Shows?! How Netflix, Amazon Are Sending Originals to All-Time Highs. 5 January 2017. Web. February 2017.
—. Scripted Originals Hit Record 455 in 2016, FX Study Finds. 21 December 2016. Web Document. February 2017.
Littleton, Cynthia. How Many Scripted Series Can the TV Biz — and Viewers — Handle? 16 September 2014. Web. February 2017.
Nielsen. THE MAKING OF SOCIAL TV: LOYAL FANS AND BIG MOMENTS BUILD PROGRAM-RELATED BUZZ. 24 August 2015. Web Document. February 2017.
As more and more scripted content is released daily many wonder if we will soon reach a limit to the amount of shows out there. Oversaturation in a field often leads to it’s demise as there is simply too much of one good thing. Thus is this happening with scripted shows? I believe the answer is no as of right now. This “Peak TV” term is more of a scary idea for television producers than a real threat. John Landgraf is the president of FX and was one of the first people to talk about the concept of “Peak TV.” However Landgraf said that “I wrongly predicted that we’d hit the peak in 2015…its now clear that it will be in 2017” (Goldberg 1). According to Landgraf the over saturation will occur this year. I can certainly see how this could be the year of over saturation as Netflix has been releasing a lot more original scripted content, most successfully being “The Crown” and “Stranger Things.” Netflix has actually been extremely busy releasing “a total of 43 original shows, greatly outperforming the major network stations” (Goldberg 1). If Netflix continues this pace then there could be too many shows for people to watch. The investment of watching countless hours of programming might be too much for the sane binge watcher to handle. Landgraf is on to something; the amount of shows actually starts to put the viewer at a disadvantage. In a Forbes magazine article writer Adrienne Gibbs explores this new dilemma for streaming culture. Adrienne’s article pulls many tweets and posts about the influx of shows on popular streaming platforms. One such a post said, ““TV is starting to feel like homework - too much to do and piling up” (Gibbs 1). Now this is an interesting sentiment, because now people are no longer feeling comforted by the amount of content, instead the quantity has an adverse effect. I have done this myself as I have turned on Netflix and stared at the screen for almost twenty minutes overwhelmed by the amount of shows.
ReplyDeleteThe big question still remains if “Peak TV” is what will bring down the “Platinum Era of Scripted Television.” My argument against is that there is still competition, there will still be good and bad shows. Even though there are 500 original shows out there “the dirty little secret is that lots and lots of them are bad” (Goodman & Fienberg 1). Pure competition is what will keep the good shows on and let the bad shows flounder. If anything the influx of shows will create a stronger level of competition as shows try to distinguish themselves form others. The numbers given in the Goldberg articles are large because you have to take the unsuccessful programming into account as well. There are few shows that go the distance and those are what is making this the “Platinum Age of Television.” The hope for TV is that people will embrace the good content over the bad, and let the over saturation destroy the lower quality programs that are filling up our Netflix menus.
ReplyDeleteWork Cited
Gibbs, Adrienne. "Year-End Peak TV Debate: Is There Too Much TV?" Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 27 Dec. 2016. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
Goldberg, Lesley. "500 Scripted Shows?! How Netflix, Amazon Are Sending Originals to All- Time Highs." The Hollywood Reporter. N.p., 5 Jan. 2017. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
Goldberg, Lesley. "Scripted Originals Hit Record 455 in 2016, FX Study Finds." The Hollywood Reporter. N.p., 21 Dec. 2016. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
Goodman, Tim, and Daniel Fienberg. "The Walking Dead - Critics' Picks: The 10 Worst TV Shows of 2016." The Hollywood Reporter. N.p., 23 Dec. 2016. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
In recent years, scripted shows have been popping up on channels that do not usually create scripted series. For example, Bravo TV has been an all reality television network for quite a while now. In the last year or two, the created their first ever scripted series called, “Girlfriends Guide to Divorce.” They added this show, but still kept their usual drama filled reality television series’ included “The Real Housewives.” Bravo TV is a very interesting and unique channel. While the majority of their shows include housewives and drama, they also have a reality show called “Top Chef,” which is a cooking competition, and vastly different than what Bravo TV is known for. In order for Bravo to reach a wider audience, they have been trying to make their network diverse by offering a variety of reality shows, but now scripted series.
ReplyDeleteAs broadcast and cable television networks continue to create more scripted series’, subscription video on demand services have been catching on to this growing trend by adding their own scripted series’ that are only available to subscribers. While scripted series’ are increasing from all networks, “the biggest gains came from streaming services such as Netflix, YouTube Red, and Seeso, all of which have promised more to come in 2017. Netflix is also shown to have the most scripted original series than any other network or outlet, followed by CBS and ABC,” (Goldberg 2017). Netflix and other streaming subscription services usually offer a wide variety of genres that can gain the attention of any demographic. Because these series’ are exclusive to Netflix, it makes their service more desirable and wanted by consumers.
From the consumer perspective, it is easy to see that streaming subscription services are extreme competition to traditional television networks. For many, subscriptions services are the greater platform because of the lack of advertisements, and the fact that the consumer can watch anything they please at any time, not having to wait until prime time. NBC believes they still have a fighting chance to weed out their online competitors because when “comparing the views between thirty-five days after a Netflix original series and an NBC series, the NBC brought in more viewers during those crucial first weeks,” (Lynch 2016). Although Netflix did not bring in more views for their series compared to NBC, their viewers were very close to NBC. The unique quality about Netflix is that the consumer can watch a series anytime they please. That has proven to be a downfall of NBC and other networks because it can be difficult for the consumer to catch up on a particular series if it is no longer on demand.
DeleteWith the rise in content and scripted series, networks and subscription services have to continue to bring new and innovation ideas for shows that will continue to be successful in order to keep up with the growing amount of content, especially from their competitors. The number of series’ “has grown tremendously since 2008 by seventy-three percent,” (Schechter 2016). Unique shows keep making their way to the surface and reeling in huge viewers and happy consumers. There is now so much content out there, and so much still in the making. Television networks and subscription video on demand services “have increased their spending on original content since 2014 by fifteen percent, mostly from premium networks,” (Schechter 2016). Because companies are continuing to spend large amounts of money on creating original series, there is no doubt that they will stop anytime soon. With the amount of unique shows already available, they will have to work hard to create new and creative shows to continue to engage the audience.
Works Cited
"500 Scripted Shows?! How Netflix, Amazon Are Sending Originals to All-Time Highs."The Hollywood Reporter. N.p., 5 Jan. 2017. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
Jasonlynch. "NBC Says Netflix Doesn't Yet Pose a 'Consistent' Threat to Broadcasters. Here's Why."– Adweek. N.p., 13 Jan. 2016. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
Schechter, Dan. "Will the Amount of Original TV Content Ever Stop Growing? (Guest Blog)."Yahoo! News. Yahoo!, 25 May 2016. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
"500 Scripted Shows?! How Netflix, Amazon Are Sending Originals to All-Time Highs."The Hollywood Reporter. N.p., 5 Jan. 2017. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
ReplyDelete"How Netflix and 'original' series TV are rescripting the business of television." The Conversation. N.p., 07 Feb. 2017. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
Nielsen. THE MAKING OF SOCIAL TV: LOYAL FANS AND BIG MOMENTS BUILD PROGRAM-RELATED BUZZ. 24 August 2015. Web Document. February 2017.
Angie King
ReplyDeleteAlthough the television industry has reached record-breaking numbers in terms of scripted series, it has not reached its peak yet. The change of how audiences are consuming shows might be the reason that original scripted series are spiking. However, it's not just online and mobile providers joining the trend, broadcasting and cable networks are also increasing their number of series as well. President of FX, John Landgraf, noted "I wrongly predicted that we'd hit the peak in 2015 or 2016...It now seems clear that, at a minimum, the peak will be in calendar 2017 — and there is enough inertial momentum here that we could well see the growth trend carrying over into the 2018 calendar year" (Goldberg "Scripted Originals Hit Record"). The studies and analysis predicts that there will be close to 500 scripted series in 2017. This growth comes from a surge in original series, especially from the SVOD outlet Netflix. Netflix invests $6 billion in their originals annually, which surpassed all five broadcast networks with 43 originals (Goldberg "500 Scripted Shows"). However, just because Netflix has dominated does not mean that television is obsolete. Audiences are consuming more content than ever. Therefore, there is more need for the content being produced right now.
An NBCUniversal study has alluded to the fact that scripted series will be on the rise for a while. President of research and media development for NBCUniversal, Alan Wurtzel, has noted that content is in demand right now, and the outlets are producing. The trends of higher consumption are captured in that "In 2000, people watched an average of four hours and 55 minutes per day, according to Nielsen. By last year, that number rose to five hours and 43 minutes a day. A third of that consumption is produced by platforms Nielsen doesn't normally measure..." (Lynch “NBC Says Netflix”). A recent Nielsen study also showed that U.S. adults consume an entire hour more of media per day than they did last year (Lynch “Advertisers Beware”). At this high rate of consumption, scripted series certainly have not reached their peak yet. Although the pool of scripted series may become diluted with more and more content, the rise of scripted series will not stop just yet. Consumers are spending more time than ever watching these new series, so the networks would be naive to pass up on the opportunity of producing more content.
The surge of creativity will continue because people are demanding more niche television shows at a higher rate. And the marketplace can sustain this growth because we are in an era of unlimited access. We can watch television shows live, time-shifted, or through streaming services. Time is now disposable because of the endless options. Also, a trend noted in the recent studies is that audiences who utilize time shifting have a higher income than the average consumer. Therefore, the delayed viewing is attracting younger and wealthier audiences, which will be an important selling point for advertisers in the future (Lynch “NBC Says Netflix”).
Works Cited
Goldberg, Lesley. "500 Scripted Shows?! How Netflix, Amazon Are Sending Originals to All-Time Highs." The Hollywood Reporter. 05 Jan. 2017. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
Goldberg, Lesley. "Scripted Originals Hit Record 455 in 2016, FX Study Finds." The Hollywood Reporter. 21 Dec. 2016. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
Lynch, Jason. “Advertisers Beware – Audiences are Taking Longer Than Ever to Watch TV Shows” Adweek. 02 August 2016. Web. 14 February 2017.
Lynch, Jason. "NBC Says Netflix Doesn't Yet Pose a 'Consistent' Threat to Broadcasters. Here's Why." Adweek. 13 Jan. 2016. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
Scripted television is at an all time high, with the amount of TV content surging as well as the quality of the programs produced. Many critics have labeled the past few years as the “peak” of scripted television, and the ratings certainly do confirm this. 455 scripted originals were produced in 2016 alone, and research is showing that this number will continue to increase in the coming years. (Goldberg). We are definitely hovering around a peak; it is just a matter of time for when we finally reach our limit of scripted television. Certain platforms, such as Netflix, have been pumping out an enormous amount of quality, scripted television that has boosted their ratings as a top broadcast network. It is no surprise that the company has spent billions of dollars on original content, because they are continuing to maintain their status as a top media provider for audiences (Goldberg).
ReplyDeleteAn interesting trend that we have seen is the revival of once-popular television series on streaming platforms. “The X-Files” is an example of this, and shows that creative, original content is still being sought after by audiences. If revivals of older series can entertain an audience of new viewers, it is clear that original, scripted shows should continue to be created. The television industry has been booming and spending a lot of money on content, so the executives should ensure that they are focusing on providing quality entertainment to audiences.
I believe the surge of creativity is going to continue because technology has continued to innovate and expand to create new platforms to view media. It is quite clear that we are heading towards streaming services as our prime way to consume media, so these platforms are going to continue to create creative content to maintain their audiences. An interesting thing to take into consideration is if we are going to see television stray away from reality TV and take a route more towards scripted television. Personally, this is something I would like to see, especially for networks such as MTV. Many of these networks have the potential to garner a large audience if they produce quality creative content, however, they have lacked quality content in recent years. I would like to see these networks begin to produce original content again that does not feature reality television as the main focus; I feel as if it is something that is very over-done. According to Nielsen Media, adults aged 18-49 viewed scripted programs the most (Rodriguez). There is clearly still a large audience seeking original content, so I do believe the marketplace can sustain the amount of TV content. The amount of platforms allow for a lot of creativity to continue, it is just a matter of the producers and networks putting out the right content to keep them on top.
DeleteWorks Cited
Goldberg, Lesley. "Scripted Originals Hit Record 455 in 2016, FX Study Finds," The Hollywood Reporter 21 Dec. 2016. Web.
Goldberg, Lesley. "500 Scripted Shows?! How Netflix, Amazon Are Sending Originals to All-Time Highs"," The Hollywood Reporter 21 Dec. 2016. Web.
Rodriguez, Rene. "The Future of Your TV Viewing Is Being Decided in Miami Beach This Week." Miamiherald. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
Danial Donnelly
ReplyDeleteScripted TV has been on the growing more and more popular in the past few years, and a lot of it has to do with the various ways people are watching TV. In 2016, there were 455 scripted original series on TV. 93 of those 455 came from online servies such as Netflix, which is up from the 46 shows that they aired in 2015 (Goldberg). Netflix also leads the league with the amount of scripted originals, totaling 43 original shows. CBS is next with 32, but further down the list are HBO and Amazon, which combine for 29 original shows. Theses numbers for scripted shows will continue to grow, but not for the broadcast networks like CBS and NBC, but for the online services such as Netflix, Amazon, and even HBO with HBO GO.
Part of recognizing the success scripted TV has had is to recognize why they are having such success. It is because of the online services that people use to watch the shows. Even with the major networks, online viewing is popular for watching new episodes. Networks are starting to put the episodes up online after they air them live for the first time. This is a huge reason for the recent success because posting episodes online gives the viewer the chance to watch the episode on their own time. They do not have to tune in at the right time each week or wait up late to watch their show. Now they can either just record it, or go to that TV station’s website and the episode is more often than not there to watch.
The availability of Netflix is one of the main reasons for this change in TV viewing. Part of the reason Netflix is so popular is because they have their episodes available to watch at the convenience of the viewer. Because of Netflix’s success, they were able to release 43 original shows with many of their most popular shows releasing this past year. They also plan on releasing over 20 new original shows in 2017, including The Biggest Loser and a much anticipated sequel to The Stranger Things (Palladino). Even though Netflix has already spent roughly $6 million on originals already, I believe this number will continue to grow (Goldberg). NBCUniversal’s Alan Wurtzel is not worried about the recent success however. "I don't believe there's enough stuff on Netflix that is broad enough and consistent enough to affect us in a meaningful way on a consistent basis” (Lynch). Wurtzel has claimed that the death of broadcast TV networks has been greatly exaggerated. He sates that after about 3 weeks of Netflix, people always return to their old viewing habits of watching TV shows live on TV, “as it should be.” Nonetheless, the success of Netflix should be alarming to TV networks. I think this is just the beginning of the change in media and TV.
DeleteWorks Cited
Goldberg, Lesley. "500 Scripted Shows?! How Netflix, Amazon Are Sending Originals to All-Time Highs"," The Hollywood Reporter 21 Dec. 2016. Web.
Lynch, Jason. "NBC Says Netflix Doesn’t Yet Pose a ‘Consistent’ Threat to Broadcasters. Here’s Why," Ad Age 13 Jan. 2017. Web.
Palladino, Valentina. "Netflix Plans to Debut 20 Original, Unscripted Shows in 2017." Ars Technica. N.p., 06 Dec. 2016. Web. 14 Feb. 2017.
ReplyDeleteThe last decade has seen a continuous growth in scripted television. Year after year, different networks have released creative and groundbreaking series that grab the attention of audiences all over the world. Within the last few years, especially with the upcoming trends of SVODs, there have been almost so many shows that it is difficult to keep up with. Hundreds of shows are being produced, Leslie Goldberg reported, “A record 455 scripted original series aired in 2016, and Peak TV may not have hit its actual peak yet” (Goldberg). Even with this increase of shows and scripted television, I agree with Goldberg’s statement and do not believe that we are reaching a “peak”. Regardless of there being such a large number of new shows, that does not mean that they are all creative and of high quality. Goodman and Fienberg touch upon this by stating, “We may be enduring the Peak TV era of countless new additions, but the dirty secret is that lots and lot of them are bad” (Goodman & Fienberg). It is not as if all of the creative energy is being put into the 455 shows in 2016, but instead there are only a handful that truly capture the attention of a large audience and even go on to win these prestigious awards.
There are new creative ideas that are being thought of everyday, especially now with SVOD’s such as Netflix and Amazon, however, there could come a point where it could be overwhelming. Netflix continues to produce original content, just last year it “topped all five broadcast networks with a total of 43 originals” (Goldberg). A total of 43 original shows is huge for one year, it makes it very difficult for the consumer to keep up to date with everything that Netflix puts out which makes you wonder why Netflix is spending these billions of dollars to make it happen.
It is clear that the creativity isn’t ceasing anytime soon, which adds to the fact that I do not believe we have reached our peak in scripted television. The number of people that watch television grows every year, in fact, “U.S adults consume an entire hour more of media per day than they did last year” (Lynch). Audiences are spending more time to watch these shows, and it will continue for at least another few years. Many of these broadcast networks have ideas for the future in order to expand, while hopefully this is able to filter out all of the terrible shows, I have no doubt that more shows will continue to be made, and consumers will continue to try and stay up to date in whatever way they can.
Works Cited
Lynch, Jason. "Advertisers Beware: Audiences Are Taking Longer Than Ever to Watch TV Shows." Adweek. N.p., 2 Aug. 2016. Web. 12 Feb. 2017.
Goodman, Tim, and Daniel Fienberg. "The Walking Dead - Critics' Picks: The 10 Worst TV Shows of 2016." The Hollywood Reporter. N.p., 23 Dec. 2016. Web. 12 Feb. 2017.
Goldberg, Lesley. "500 Scripted Shows?! How Netflix, Amazon Are Sending Originals to All-Time Highs." The Hollywood Reporter. N.p., 5 Jan. 2017. Web. 12 Feb. 2017.
To put it plainly and straightforward. I believe that these past few years have indeed been an era that could be labeled as a “Platinum Era of Scripted Television” with the plethora of new scripted content being released by networks on both cable and subscription streaming services. However, although we have not hit it yet, this surge of creativity will eventually hit a peak of some kind in the somewhat near future.
ReplyDelete“Not since the early 1980s — when cable became a serious challenger to the decades-old hegemony of Big Three broadcaster’s ABC, CBS, and NBC — has the television industry experienced such rapid growth…” (Adalian) However, now the industry faces the very real threat of over-saturation. With so many networks creating so many shows, the boards or directors of the big companies need to begin to ask themselves ‘Who watches all of this?’ With so many shows out there, the quality of the content will soon begin to become diluted and consumers will begin drop them.
As we learned in previous week’s blog, Netflix, the “King of SVOD services” is spending around $6 billion on their new original content. Much of that content, albeit not all of it is or will be scripted television. “With spending estimated at $6 billion on originals, it should come as little surprise that Netflix topped all five broadcast networks with a total of 43 originals.” (Goldberg) The FX study shows that the only platform that has showed growth from 2015 to 2016 in original scripted television shows is the online streaming services, such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon. All other platforms (Broadcast, Basic Cable, and Pay Cable) showed a decline in original scripted series. “Of the 2016 findings, the number of basic cable originals dipped (down seven), as did premium cable (off one) as well as broadcast (off five), while streaming exploded (from 46 to 93).” (Goldberg 2) Despite the fact that cable is decreasing its original televisions series’, I believe that the peak for original scripted television series has not yet occurred, but will soon be upon us. I believe that the peak for creating original scripted television series will come once the US market has become saturated, and networks look to gain international presence.
We also learned in the previous weeks that Netflix has big plans for entering new markets abroad by expanding their streaming service to more countries around the globe. “IHS expects Amazon Prime to hit 64 million subscribers worldwide by 2020, more than double the 30.5 million it has today. Netflix, which reported 86 million subscribers as of the third quarter of this year, should see that figure top 130 million globally by 2020, predicts IHS.” (Roxborough) With a rise in international subscribers, creates a demand for more internationally appealing original content. Netflix has the opportunity to create a wave of new original television series tailor made specifically for the enjoyment of their new international markets. These new international television series then also could be used in niche markets back at home in the United States.
All in all, I believe that because of over saturation in the US market, and opportunities to expand abroad, the peak of original television series overall will come in the next few years. However, the peak of television series in online subscription services could potentially be prolonged past the peak of the other platforms.
Works cited
Goldberg, Lesley. "500 Scripted Shows?! How Netflix, Amazon Are Sending Originals to All-Time Highs." The Hollywood Reporter. N.p., 05 Jan. 2017. Web. 14 Feb. 2017. .
Roxborough, Scott, and Georg Szalai. "Why 2017 Will Be Crunch Year for the Global Ambitions of Netflix and Amazon." The Hollywood Reporter. N.p., 28 Dec. 2016. Web. 14 Feb. 2017. .
Adalian, Josef, and Maria Elena Fernandez. "The Business of Too Much TV." Vulture. N.p., 18 May 2016. Web. 14 Feb. 2017. .
Goldberg, Lesley. "Scripted Originals Hit Record 455 in 2016, FX Study Finds." The Hollywood Reporter. N.p., 21 Dec. 2016. Web. 14 Feb. 2017. .
Meghan Kane
ReplyDeleteThis topic is very intriguing to me at the moment. I am a pretty big fan of scripted shows of all kind. I find myself keeping up with too many TV shows just based on recommendations from friends, family and strangers. I read an interesting article from last summer that touched on the slow oncoming demise of scripted TV series. They mention how live broadcasted series are losing most viewers’ interest. I do not agree with this. I agree with the article written by Leslie Goldberg about the recent rise of scripted original series. The creativity of these writers is astonishing. TV writers are breaking boundaries everyday with their content. I do think that these scripted series can continue to grow, however it is the platform that is in danger. Broadcasted series, cable and premium cable series have all dropped in numbers, (minimally), in the past few years. Streaming networks like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon have absolutely exploded (Goldberg 2016). Broadcast networks tend to do much better with their live programs, such as sports and competitions. It seems as though scripted series for cable and broadcast will in fact diminish quite harshly.
In the article about the decline in viewers for cable and broadcast scripted series, Nathanson says, “The shift in consumption and programming patterns has all but killed the 30-minute broadcast sitcom.” (Crupi 2016). I think that this quote speaks wonders to what we are witnessing in the Television market. It isn’t what we watch; it is all about how we watch. In a time where SVOD services are so popular and in high demand, everyone else is shadowed. As I said earlier, I try to keep up with several different TV series, however I don’t necessarily watch them through cable. My smart TV at home has Netflix, Hulu and Amazon all available with just a press of a button on the remote. I know many families who have completely unsubscribed from their cable providers because it has become more of a waste of money.
I think that we are in the “peak” right now. I think that original scripted series are at their high. There might be room for a little more creativity but not much. I am also not saying that now we will see a major decline in original series. I think that we will stay at a plateau for a few years. The content that has been created and released even so far in 2017 has topped the charts.
Works Cited
Goldberg, Lesley. "500 Scripted Shows?! How Netflix, Amazon Are Sending Originals to All-Time Highs." The Hollywood Reporter. N.p., 5 Jan. 2017. Web. 11 Feb. 2017.
Goldberg, Lesley. "Scripted Originals Hit Record 455 in 2016, FX Study Finds." The Hollywood Reporter. N.p., 21 Dec. 2016. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
Crupi., Anthony. "Scripted TV Is Dying a Slow Death." Advertising Age Media RSS. N.p., 09 June 2016. Web. 14 Feb. 2017.