Episode 10, season finale. WITAF?

[Sigblaster]

Call me old, a Boomer, Gen X or whatever, I don't care.

When did it become standard for a "season" to run 6 to 10 episodes? It used to be a season was like 23 episodes or so. Now 10 is pretty much the limit.

Why?

Is it money? I doubt it. If you have enough sponsors to run 10 episodes, you should have enough to run more. Is it the short attention span of modern people? Always leave your audience hungry? Is it the lack of creativity in the writers? They can only write so much before they run out of ideas? Is it the actors who find it too much effort to make a 23 episode season?

It may be a combination of factors, but what is the main driving force behind short seasons?

 

[wtburnette]

I wish I knew because like you, I hate it. Amazon and Netflix are especially bad for it, having seasons with 6 - 8 episodes pretty commonly. What a crock. Most of them, the story deserved more episodes to flesh it out, so at the end of the season you end up feeling cheated.

 

[jamil]

I think it’s about money. At least in terms of streaming services like Amazon, or Netflix.

The Expanse final season was just 6 episodes. The producers said it was because they were given a budget by Amazon for the season, and they could either make more episodes or spend more for each episode and have fewer, but higher quality episodes. They chose the latter.

With streaming services it’s a different game. It’s not an advertising model. It’s a subscription model. It’s not the case that if they have enough sponsors for 10 episodes they have enough for more. With the exception of a few streaming services, they don’t have sponsors. The revenue they use to make content comes from you directly. With advertising, more episodes, higher cost, but more revenue. With streaming, a show is just a widget to keep you subscribed. More episodes, higher cost. Period.

I don’t like it either. But that’s what it is.

 

[gregkl]

Some shows have two seasons per year when in the past, you got one and then reruns after. Might not be the case for the shows you are referring to, but some that I have watched were this way.

That said, I do agree that with some shows a short season leaves me wanting. And I do think that writers struggle with coming up with good content. But I also see that in the older shows. After a season or two, they often seem to run out of ideas.

The last series my wife and I watched (Castle), became less interesting each season. They just didn't develop the characters enough. After 4 years working on a homicide team, you would think one would learn to do at least some things right. We stuck it out until the end but the last season was a total loser.

 

[tcecil88]

Yep, way of the world now. I hate it too. Seal Team went from 22 or so episodes on CBS for 4 seasons then switched to Paramount+ exclusively and are now down to 10. The quality of the shows has not increased either. Then they go a a year to 18 months between seasons. Stupid.

 

[Jaybird1980]

Some shows have two seasons per year when in the past, you got one and then reruns after. Might not be the case for the shows you are referring to, but some that I have watched were this way.

That said, I do agree that with some shows a short season leaves me wanting. And I do think that writers struggle with coming up with good content. But I also see that in the older shows. After a season or two, they often seem to run out of ideas.

The last series my wife and I watched (Castle), became less interesting each season. They just didn't develop the characters enough. After 4 years working on a homicide team, you would think one would learn to do at least some things right. We stuck it out until the end but the last season was a total loser.

You are spot on with Castle, I thought the same thing. It's just like it's on repeat

 

[Zig'sbird]

I know that in England this is standard and has been for years. My only guess is that the streaming platforms are following this style since they are global platforms.

Or that's at least my WAG.

 

[snorko]

I know that in England this is standard and has been for years. My only guess is that the streaming platforms are following this style since they are global platforms.

Or that's at least my WAG.

True but they often have episodes of 1 1/2 hours or so a la Sherlock. I think we need to remember that the standard 24-28 episode season was dictated by broadcast TV to run the 8 months or so outside the summer period. Works great with episodic shows but the more serial oriented ones flow and arc better with shorter runs I think. Six episode "limited series" work well, basically like a really long movie broken into bits.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I know for me, personally, there is so much time between seasons sometimes, by the time the new season starts, I’ve pretty much forgotten where the old one left off. Sometimes, I just don’t care anymore.

 

[Sigblaster]

The reason I started this thread is because of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. I like the show, and a lot of the characters. I dislike some characters, which has been true of every series after The Original Series.

I could **** and moan about some of the things in the show, but overall, I'm enjoying it. That's a topic for another thread. But 10 episodes is an insult. Just get me interested, then cut it off for who knows how many months.

Like GodFearinGunTotin said, sometimes it's so long between seasons, I don't remember where the season left off.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Like GodFearinGunTotin said, sometimes it's so long between seasons, I don't remember where the season left off.

You can always re-watch the shows. With Yellowstone for example, Paramount will often run 4 season marathons (usually on holiday weekends), and we find ourselves re-watching them. A lot of times we see things that we missed (or forgot) and it keeps the storyline fresh for when the next season starts.

 

[nipprdog]

Next season of Yellowstone will consist of two 7 episode segments

 

[KLB]

The last series my wife and I watched (Castle), became less interesting each season. They just didn't develop the characters enough. After 4 years working on a homicide team, you would think one would learn to do at least some things right. We stuck it out until the end but the last season was a total loser.

We watched it too. I think part of their problem was feeling they had to take the overall story up a notch each season, which ended up making that story line kind of stupid. A lot of shows seem to fall into that trap. IMO, they should stick to the main premise of the series and drop the stupid overriding story lines.

 

[Timjoebillybob]

I know for me, personally, there is so much time between seasons sometimes, by the time the new season starts, I’ve pretty much forgotten where the old one left off. Sometimes, I just don’t care anymore.

That's a good chunk of the reasoning behind "split seasons". Instead of 4-6 months between it's 2-3. It's supposed to keep people more interested and more likely to watch the next section. At least that's my understanding.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

That's a good chunk of the reasoning behind "split seasons". Instead of 4-6 months between it's 2-3. It's supposed to keep people more interested and more likely to watch the next section. At least that's my understanding.

I get that. Seems like all of the ones I’ve got interested in are more like (seems like anyway) a year in between. This final season of Better Call Saul went about 6 weeks and then is taking about a 3-4 week hiatus before it returns. (I figure that’s for vacations around Independence Day).

 

[Timjoebillybob]

I get that. Seems like all of the ones I’ve got interested in are more like (seems like anyway) a year in between. This final season of Better Call Saul went about 6 weeks and then is taking about a 3-4 week hiatus before it returns. (I figure that’s for vacations around Independence Day).

Yeah. Netflix used to (and maybe still does) drop and entire season at once, I'd binge watch and then jones for 9 months for the next season to drop. I was mainly referring to broadcast though, with the streaming services when they drop the entire split season at once you still have 5-6 months between if you binge.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

You can always re-watch the shows.

I do that. I have a hard drive connected to my DVR and store series there and will sometimes rewatch a bunch of them. Frankly though, most of them aren’t really fit to watch again. I’ll watch some through to the end, just to see how they end up (sunk cost fallacy, I guess) but they’re really not that good.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Yeah. Netflix used to (and maybe still does) drop and entire season at once, I'd binge watch and then jones for 9 months for the next season to drop.

Yes. I don’t have much self control, especially if they’re good.

 

[Timjoebillybob]

Yes. I don’t have much self control, especially if they’re good.

Same. There have been a few occasions where I've watched an entire season in a day.

 

[Hatin Since 87]

Im pretty sure its money. Eventually, most shows release seasons on dvd. If they put 23 episodes out, thats less seasons, which is less dvd's to sell in stores.