The Eight Episode Formula: Binge Watching, Filler Complaints, Streaming TV Services & The Consequences
Does anyone else remember how there used to be a certain point in time where TV shows used to have at least 23 episodes per season and each episode was about a maximum of 45 minutes long? Where each episode would be released weekly and everybody would talk about it the next day? If you ask me, that was the golden age of TV in my opinion. The seasons had plot lines, character arcs and development and occasionally, a good filler episode to give us a break from the main serialized plot point.
Unfortunately, a lot of new shows are lacking these same things, and I think it’s not just a downgrade in writing or quality in general, but I think it’s got something to do with the new formula shows use by dropping 8 episodes per season, each of which being an hour long, which majorly damaged the pacing and the overall writing of the show.
Now, it’s worth noting that this formula could work for some series, depends on the type of show it is. But, most producers aren’t considering this aspect and trying to apply this formula to every series possible, which is making TV shows more boring to watch, as now, TV has become a lot less enjoyable.
While it’s not exactly easy for many to put their finger on why this is the case, I have a few possible suggestions as to how this formula makes shows less enjoyable to watch.
Disclaimer: This is a matter of personal opinion and is not intended to attack any specific people. This is only centered around criticism.
1. Binge Watching
The first thing that I think of when it comes to this topic is the influence of binge-watching. Now, I understand some shows are better off being binge watched within the span of a few hours. But, that can only apply to so many shows. A show like Avatar: The Last Airbender isn’t meant to be watched and finished in one day. It’s not written for that sort of formula. But, nowadays, shows are all trying make their shows binge-able that can be finished within a day. And, it’s not really making shows more enjoyable.
For one, the writing itself is rushed. Even if the episodes are an hour long, it still feels like there’s too much being crammed into one episode more often than not. There’s not much time to develop characters or do any world building because they’re too focused on working on the main plot. There’s little to no subplots, no character arcs, no side quests, just this one plot point that’s the only purpose of the entire story. There’s no underlying theme or anything, which I guess is fine, but if the story has little to nothing else going for it besides a singular plot line that they rush through, than what’s the point?
Now after you binge watch a show, you don’t feel the same way you would when you would binge to catch up on the most recent weekly episodes you had missed of a show you liked. Now, it’s just over with and that’s that. The story barely sticks and half the to, you probably can’t even remember what it’s about because it rushed through everything and there was too much to take in.
Because they’re trying to make shows to be binge-watched rather than just watched at a normal rate, they’re not working on actually making a story worth watching or caring about. They’re just making a quick cash-grab that will have its fifteen minutes of fame before everyone forgets about it.
Which is another reason why binge-watching has an effect on shows, mainly their ability to continue them. When everyone binge watches a show, everyone has seen it all and its popularity is short lived. They don’t try to keep the audience invested. When they made weekly episodes, it increased the interest because everyone would wait to see it, and then they’d be intrigued to get to the next episode when it airs. Its fame lasts longer when everyone would be exposed to the same amount of content at the same time and they’d all be on the same page to talk about it. Now, everyone talks about it for at least a month or two and then it dies down. So, even if they did make a second season, it wouldn’t get as much viewers because nobody was anticipating it or even cared about it.
So, it was almost as if it was all in vain.
2. Streaming Services
Arguably streaming services and the binge watching thing go hand in hand, since it’s streaming services who mainly advise this formula. With streaming services, there’s no wait, since all of the episodes are dropped at the same time. So, naturally, they get binge-watched. But, that’s mainly the thing that Im referencing in their context. When I mention streaming services, I’m focusing more on their lack for care of shows.
Along with binge watching leading to the fast fashion of shows where they only trend for a few weeks but then eventually become irrelevant and everyone moves onto the next trending show, it also causes streaming services to not care for their shows anymore. A lot of times, streaming service have a habit a canceling shows that made a lot of money and earned a lot views, that would gain even more had there been a second season. But, due to their tendency to rather follow trends as a cash grab than actually continuing a pre-established enjoyable show with a wide audience, they cancel it.
And, it’s a shame, since they usually cancel shows that are genuinely good, with good stories and good characters and a lot of potential. Only because it doesn’t fit what’s currently trending. These streaming services seem to care more about what they think the people want than what they’d actually prefer. They don’t treat these forms of media as art pieces (even though they are) they treat them like products to sell.
And as I mentioned before, there are some shows that were originally intended to have a minimum of 15-20 episodes. But, due to them being produced by streaming service companies (Netflix for example), they’re forced to cut it down to the 8 episodes format, which ends up causing writers and actors to make adjustments to their pre-planned work, which leads to more working, it also makes it difficult for them to write it properly since the show might be cancelled after the first season. They try to get in as much as they can as possible out of fear that they might not get a chance to continue the story and even if they did, they won’t be allowed to do it the way they originally planned to. And it often ends in the writing becoming a bit sloppy.
So, in the end, there’s no benefit to it. Their work has been ruined compared to what it was originally supposed to be and it’s most likely going to be cancelled, so the struggle would be all for nothing.
3. Filler Episodes Complaints
Okay; This one might be a little obscure, but I felt as if it was worth referencing. When shows actually were making the 20 episode seasons, there was a common complaint. At least 1/3 of those episodes were filler episodes or episodes that didn’t dwell on the main serialized plot point. They just served as little breakaways from the intensity of the main storyline. And, people hated that.
There was a never-ending hatred for filler episodes, as many believed they didn’t serve any purpose in the story and that they were useless. So, instead of just skipping filler episodes, the more reasonable thing to do, they instead advocated for shows to stop doing filler episodes as a whole. Only have episodes that center around the main plot, since filler served little to no purpose in the quality of the story.
Except, now that there’s a severe lack in filler episodes, in fact, they practically don’t do filler episodes anymore, it becomes more apparent just how important they were. When watching shows now, it’s more common to find it hard to care about any of the relationships or the characters or anything. Now, a lot of shows feel hollow, incomplete. Practically unfinished.
There’s no character development, no backstory, no arcs, no world building, none of those things despite them being key factors to making a good story. And, that’s when it became obvious as to why filler episodes are important.
Filler episodes give the writers time to flesh out the characters and show other sides of them that we don’t get to see during the main episodes. It shows us how the characters are when they’re actually in a normal situation, and gives us insight to their personalities. Filler episodes could also be used to flesh out characters backstories as well and could be used to give characters more development.
They also allow for little side quests and subplots, that allow for more world building. Filler episodes could give writers a chance to explore the world outside of the main plot, and main characters. It gives us a chance to fully indulge in the world and fall in love with it. Develop an attachment to it, so vital moments within the story are much more impactful.
Filler episodes helped further develop worlds and characters as a whole. But, due to people complaining about filler episodes, since they wanted to only focus on the main plot, studios have decided to eliminate them altogether, making the shows shorter. And the effects became obvious within the writing.
Filler could contribute to the writing just as much as other episodes. They make the audience develop an attachment.
TL: DR
The 8 Episode Per Season TV Format has become a repeated pattern amongst newer shows now, and it’s having an effect on the quality and enjoyability of shows.
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