First COVID, then the writers strike, third times the charm and premiere dates will become obsolete.
History
When streaming came into the world a decade or so before the pandemic, it was just an easier way to enjoy our favorite shows and movies. There wasn’t a lot of original content on the original streamers like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu (anything else I’m forgetting?). You could catch up on old seasons of Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix or watch the full series of Desperate Housewives on Hulu. Now there are multiple streamers: Paramount+, Max, Peacock, Apple TV+, Disney+ (and counting) with their own original content that you can watch on their respective platforms. I looked at the shows that I watch on a weekly basis and most of the shows are only available via Netflix, Hulu, Peacock, etc. Some are on a network like NBC and then are available the next day on Peacock (or whatever the parent company uses as their exclusive streamer).
Let me get ‘off track’ for one second. Here is a show reference in an episode of Community, Abed freaks out because his favorite show Cougar Town is getting a mid-season premiere date, which back a few years ago wasn’t a good sign for a show’s survivability. Back before streaming the ideal time and date for a show to premiere was in the August/September time frame or even summer time. August/September was perfect because summer was over, families were in the house more because it’s getting colder, kids are back in school, etc. Summer wasn’t a bad sign because these seasons weren’t long and they were mini-series (or limited series) so people didn’t need to pay attention or anything like that because worst case scenario it was only on TV for three months and people needed something to do in their air conditioned houses during those hot summer nights. Mid-season is just after the winter holidays December-February or early spring March-April. If a show was pushed to mid-season on network TV it likely meant the studio and the network didn’t have a lot of faith in it, so it was probably on the chopping block. When it came to what shows would stay and what shows wouldn’t.
Back to where I was - with mid-season anxiety, this anxiety still exists it's just less so than it was before.When Brooklyn Nine-Nine was cancelled I freaked out and then it got picked up by NBC and I screamed HALLELUJAH (love me some Jake & Amy ♥️). Just recently (a show I just finished rewatching) Fox also cancelled 9-1-1 (but kept 9-1-1: Lone Star which makes sense but also doesn’t) but ABC will be picking it up (I need my Chim & Maddie wedding). But like I said, mid-season air time isn’t a stressful thing anymore.
My Prediction
Okay, this is kind of already happening but when COVID started we were all trapped at home (I don’t need to remind you of the torture, right?). Anyway, since we were all at home actors, directors, writers, producers, camera people, etc. they were at home too, so nothing was being shot or really being produced or anything for a long time. So the shows that weren’t cancelled had their premiere dates pushed back to accommodate everything and everyone. In this case the shows that survived were reduced to shorter seasons and mid-season premiere dates.
The writers’ strike that just ended is also a good example. Not a lot of shows survived (RIP - Bumper in Berlin, I LIKED IT!). But obviously the shows that did survive will premiere either at the end of the year or at the beginning of 2024. Because writers rooms usually start getting ready in the early summer they start shooting a few weeks later and it goes on repeat until the end of the summer. But since the writers’ strike started in May and ended October there is going to be quite a delay in premiere dates regardless of whether it's on a streamer or a network.
So long history shows! My prediction is this - Because of streamers, COVID, the writers’ strike (and whatever the next thing is) premiere dates or release dates will become obsolete by 2025. - Now there is no way to really prove that my prediction will come true, but I think it’s important to see the change in how my favorite medium has changed throughout the decades. I mean look how far we’ve come and how far we’ll go!
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