I'm beginning to dislike Netflix (re: Archive 81, 1899, Warrior Nun etc cancellations)

[Undrave]

Doesn't mean it's not true, but the idea that "something good just wasn't given enough of a shot" long predates Netflix.

Fox was infamous for it. Death slots, changing the time slot multiple times, airing episodes out of order...

 

[Undrave]

'Prestige TV' being witten like a movie is why I don't care much for it. I'm watching television because I like television. I don't want a 5 hours movie drip fed to me in 45 minute chunks. I want episodes.

 

[payn]

That may be, but lack of promotion pretty much assured that. So what's the internal logic of that?

This had the feeling of being a red headed step child. Netflix took it on to add content, but never really believed in it. Attention went elsewhere, which is limited.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Fox was infamous for it. Death slots, changing the time slot multiple times, airing episodes out of order...

Action was an amazing comedy. And Profit was a great show.

Both of them fell before the Fox axe.

Fox was just doin' Netflix before Netflix got around to it.

 

[Ryujin]

The series just felt outclassed by X-men and The Boys. While I enjoyed some of the writing, it also had a made for TV feel. This is the type of thing that would have lived on SyFy, but im not sure where that type of product lives anymore in the stream age?

Not everything can be a "tent pole" production. You need a little meat and potatoes, to go with that dessert.

 

[payn]

'Prestige TV' being witten like a movie is why I don't care much for it. I'm watching television because I like television. I don't want a 5 hours movie drip fed to me in 45 minute chunks. I want episodes.

The best prestige feels like episodic TV of old, but nails the serial part. Much of it now misses the mark in the new era. However, I've been arguing that the old episodic method often missed the serial mark. I know you are talking preference here, but I think the issue isnt format, but of quantity over quality in product. Which has always been an issue in television.

 

[payn]

Not everything can be a "tent pole" production. You need a little meat and potatoes, to go with that dessert.

I think you have that backwards. The tent poles are the meat and potatoes and desert is often spared when culling is necessary.

 

[Ryujin]

I think you have that backwards. The tent poles are the meat and potatoes and desert is often spared when culling is necessary.

No, I meant it precisely as I wrote it.

If they were doing it right then the "good enough" (meat and potatoes) shows would be enough that they could get by with just them, instead of putting everything into the "tent pole" productions (dessert). You can anticipate dessert, but you can't survive on it. The need to show immediate returns has them concentrating on the wrong part of the "meal." This is why viewers are fickle and switch back and forth between streamers, instead of being retained. Making tent pole productions your business model is financially unsustainable. You can't make enough of them to carry your business, nor should you.

 

[payn]

No, I meant it precisely as I wrote it.

If they were doing it right then the "good enough" (meat and potatoes) shows would be enough that they could get by with just them, instead of putting everything into the "tent pole" productions (dessert). You can anticipate dessert, but you can't survive on it. The need to show immediate returns has them concentrating on the wrong part of the "meal." This is why viewers are fickle and switch back and forth between streamers, instead of being retained. Making tent pole productions your business model is financially unsustainable. You can't make enough of them to carry your business, nor should you.

Unfortunately, folks don't sign up for shows like The Imperfects, even piles of them.

 

[Ryujin]

Unfortunately, folks don't sign up for shows like The Imperfects, even piles of them.

No, but like I said you need some good shows to retain the viewers that your tent pole productions bring in. If you're constantly cancelling them then the reason for sticking around doesn't really exist. As a result people go elsewhere. This drives the perceived need for even more expensive shows, more often, robbing the streamer of funding for the "good enough" shows. It's a vicious circle.

EDIT - The service that figured this out may well be the one that people end up sticking with, while burning through the free 30 day trials on the other streaming services.