This was brilliant, especially this insight: “Forgetting humans are social animals is never a good business strategy.” I had never thought about binge-watching this way before, but you’ve convinced me. Of course, I’m an older Gen-Xer who fondly remembers racing to school to discuss the latest episode of Mork and Mindy. Those conversations with friends about TV were fun!
These are brilliant observations. Who would’ve thought something so banal as how tv is delivered would have huge cultural implications? But it does! Just like social media created echo chambers instead of piazzas, this model of streaming has created crack houses rather than party houses.
As somebody who actually subscribes to Netflix, I would say that it’s current problem is it’s UI. I know that it has quite a bit of content that I might be interested in watching, but it only seems to suggest the same twenty mediocre shows. If I’ve already seen everything it is suggesting, what’s the point of opening the app?
The first show I ever binged was Sports Night, some time in the early 2000's. I don't remember exactly why. Might have been a recommendation from TV writer Alan Sepinwall.
The show was well dead by the time I got to it. Still, the experience was interesting at the time.
I think your discussion of the history and evolution of TV elides the rise of premium cable shows, which really changed the TV game in a big way and was really the pre-cursor of the era of the Netflix originals. The first show I really remember being called a "water cooler show" was The Sopranos, which was on HBO, of course.
This is exactly what I've been saying for years! Which means probably a lot of people have thought this, and clearly Disney and HBO, as you point out, realized it. But these always crystallize more when someone just lays out the argument.
I feel sort of both ways about the fragmentation of culture. I think it's actually increased polarization because people live in simultaneous but not necessarily overlapping realities. Like, someone's favorite band could be streamed millions of times by millions of people and not only might they be a band I've never heard of, they might be playing music in a genre I've never heard of.
There are obvious problems with all media needing to filter through a few channels, but the media markets are actually more consolidated now than they were before the immense fragmentation of culture. Which is not what I'd have expected!
Disney+ gained audience because it's Disney. As they added more content, more people signed on. That's it.
The binge format is still the preferred mode for many, to the point that it is hurting TV ratings as people just wait until the entire season has aired before they start to watch it. Even live sports ratings are hurting due to streaming services that will allow you to watch any time -- the need to be "in the moment" isn't there anymore.
My favorite part of this article was how you described the way this has changed the social landscape of TV. You are SO right -- if I wanted to see Squid Games now, it's way too late. The buzz is gone. Super interesting!
I'm not sure exactly the point of the Henry Ford reference, but he didn't invent anything either. He appropriated and streamlined ideas, but the automobile and the combustion engine were both invented by others, as well as the assembly line process. In essence, Ford was the Netflix to the carriage company's Blockbuster.
Great article, However, TIVO changed everything beginning in 1998-99 and should be given it’s due. And you are so right about the superiority of the British version of House of Cards! And I would add, British shows generally, accessible in the US via Acorn TV and BritBox.
Binging a series long proceeds House of cards. In fact, Netflix was already making that a regular possibility with its DVD by mail plan that long pre-dated its live streaming. You could order a entire season of just about any series and binge watch it. And you could do the same thing at Blockbuster for decades before that.
I began to subscribe to Netflix the first year. It was an existence. I loved it, and I love the idea that just because music and then film could move to a digital format on a disk that could be mailed up and did everything. But Netflix is over with and one of the best examples of this is the super lame reviews or descriptions that they give their offerings instead of telling potential viewers Something about the plot, something like an elevator pitch, such as , “ Harrison Ford returns in the long, awaited sequel to blade runner with a whole new set of problems.”
Now we get, “ supernatural thriller, created by Augustine, Martinez and Carlos Monteiro features Carla Campra.”
So what’s wrong with this? Well, first of all doesn’t tell me anything about what I’m about ready to watch and next worst is how elitist it is because if I don’t know who Augustine Martinez and Carlos Monteiro are then I guess I’m shit out of luck
It says if they’ve hired a fifth grader to do their blurbs, they don’t even care enough about their product to do any kind of promotion
For five dollars a month I get PBS all the live long day.. and for next to nothing, I get Amazon, free delivery, free, movies, free music.
None of the solutions are perfect and since most of us have affectively been shut in since Covid, we’ve all probably ran through all the good movies that we like, according to our tastes.
This was brilliant, especially this insight: “Forgetting humans are social animals is never a good business strategy.” I had never thought about binge-watching this way before, but you’ve convinced me. Of course, I’m an older Gen-Xer who fondly remembers racing to school to discuss the latest episode of Mork and Mindy. Those conversations with friends about TV were fun!
You really stan for Peter Thiel.
These are brilliant observations. Who would’ve thought something so banal as how tv is delivered would have huge cultural implications? But it does! Just like social media created echo chambers instead of piazzas, this model of streaming has created crack houses rather than party houses.
In 2012, before “House of Cards,” was “Lillyhammer” starring Steven Van Zandt - Netflix’s first original show.
(and since I’m here, the phrase is “old-fashioned”, not “old fashion”)
Hey look, I’m a skeuomorphic! A know-it-all, but on the internet. 😂
As somebody who actually subscribes to Netflix, I would say that it’s current problem is it’s UI. I know that it has quite a bit of content that I might be interested in watching, but it only seems to suggest the same twenty mediocre shows. If I’ve already seen everything it is suggesting, what’s the point of opening the app?
The first show I ever binged was Sports Night, some time in the early 2000's. I don't remember exactly why. Might have been a recommendation from TV writer Alan Sepinwall.
The show was well dead by the time I got to it. Still, the experience was interesting at the time.
I think your discussion of the history and evolution of TV elides the rise of premium cable shows, which really changed the TV game in a big way and was really the pre-cursor of the era of the Netflix originals. The first show I really remember being called a "water cooler show" was The Sopranos, which was on HBO, of course.
Today I learned a word: skeuomorphic
Also today I learned why I didn’t care about Tiger King and Squid Games-- I knew the mania would end soon.
You're a millenial? Doesn't vibe with the rest of the article ....
This is exactly what I've been saying for years! Which means probably a lot of people have thought this, and clearly Disney and HBO, as you point out, realized it. But these always crystallize more when someone just lays out the argument.
I feel sort of both ways about the fragmentation of culture. I think it's actually increased polarization because people live in simultaneous but not necessarily overlapping realities. Like, someone's favorite band could be streamed millions of times by millions of people and not only might they be a band I've never heard of, they might be playing music in a genre I've never heard of.
There are obvious problems with all media needing to filter through a few channels, but the media markets are actually more consolidated now than they were before the immense fragmentation of culture. Which is not what I'd have expected!
Disney+ gained audience because it's Disney. As they added more content, more people signed on. That's it.
The binge format is still the preferred mode for many, to the point that it is hurting TV ratings as people just wait until the entire season has aired before they start to watch it. Even live sports ratings are hurting due to streaming services that will allow you to watch any time -- the need to be "in the moment" isn't there anymore.
My favorite part of this article was how you described the way this has changed the social landscape of TV. You are SO right -- if I wanted to see Squid Games now, it's way too late. The buzz is gone. Super interesting!
I'm not sure exactly the point of the Henry Ford reference, but he didn't invent anything either. He appropriated and streamlined ideas, but the automobile and the combustion engine were both invented by others, as well as the assembly line process. In essence, Ford was the Netflix to the carriage company's Blockbuster.
First show I binged was CNN Headline News during the Gulf War.
Great article, However, TIVO changed everything beginning in 1998-99 and should be given it’s due. And you are so right about the superiority of the British version of House of Cards! And I would add, British shows generally, accessible in the US via Acorn TV and BritBox.
Binging a series long proceeds House of cards. In fact, Netflix was already making that a regular possibility with its DVD by mail plan that long pre-dated its live streaming. You could order a entire season of just about any series and binge watch it. And you could do the same thing at Blockbuster for decades before that.
Thanks for telling me about Golden Years! I always thought I missed the final episode. Now I will check out the Wikipedia page!
I began to subscribe to Netflix the first year. It was an existence. I loved it, and I love the idea that just because music and then film could move to a digital format on a disk that could be mailed up and did everything. But Netflix is over with and one of the best examples of this is the super lame reviews or descriptions that they give their offerings instead of telling potential viewers Something about the plot, something like an elevator pitch, such as , “ Harrison Ford returns in the long, awaited sequel to blade runner with a whole new set of problems.”
Now we get, “ supernatural thriller, created by Augustine, Martinez and Carlos Monteiro features Carla Campra.”
So what’s wrong with this? Well, first of all doesn’t tell me anything about what I’m about ready to watch and next worst is how elitist it is because if I don’t know who Augustine Martinez and Carlos Monteiro are then I guess I’m shit out of luck
It says if they’ve hired a fifth grader to do their blurbs, they don’t even care enough about their product to do any kind of promotion
For five dollars a month I get PBS all the live long day.. and for next to nothing, I get Amazon, free delivery, free, movies, free music.
None of the solutions are perfect and since most of us have affectively been shut in since Covid, we’ve all probably ran through all the good movies that we like, according to our tastes.