Viewers of their favorite TV shows have noticed the number of episodes that make up a single season have grown shorter, from 13 episodes down to about 10. Even at 13, that was a dramatic shift in policy for the TV networks from was the standard 22 episode season. Here are some of the biggest reasons why this shift has taken place.
1. Money
This shouldn’t surprise us. The number of new TV shows produced every year continues to grow, and networks need to make room for not only summer seasons, but for breaks during the holiday season when students are on break and working people tend to use up their available vacation days. The math is simple. Networks can air five 10 week seasons in a 52 week year instead of two or maybe three. It gives viewers the opportunity to weigh in on new shows while giving the networks time to schedule production for potentially popular shows.
2. Star management.
Series stars have considerably more power in negotiating not only their per episode paydays, but also how often they are willing to do the show. As they say, just follow the money trail. Obviously shows need to be produced ahead of time, and there has to be room for unexpected delays in production. When it comes to a series that has multiple stars, everyone has to be on the same production page. It is easier to coordinate 10 weeks of scheduling than 13 or 22.
3. Binge watchers
It is a huge mistake to exclude the power of the individual viewer who simply does not have the time to watch 22 hours of a single season in a single sitting. Whether school or work prevents us from turning into a tub of artificial butter, most binge watchers prefer to watch an n entire season non-stop rather than pause 3 episodes before the end due to exhaustion. Ten episodes is a 10 hour session, easily manageable for the weekend binger.
4. Higher quality episodes
Okay, so it is not all about the money. The history of the best TV series have missing details in the storyline or character development that is left untouched because of time constraints. A reduced number of episodes allow the writers and producers to improve the overall quality of the show by delving deeper into a character’s quirkiness. This seems to be a win-win for everyone.
5. Streaming on Netflix and Hulu
If anything has significantly impacted traditional television and cable it is the streaming models of Netflix, Hulu, and the like. The competition no longer exists in time slots where viewers have to choose between programs, they can watch the latest episode at their convenience. Now quality trumps time slots with the result that many viewers have stopped counting episodes but are more interested in online availability. Combined with the large number of new series being trotted out by the networks, streaming companies can save and store them for viewing at the consumer’s leisure.
Ask yourself if you are worried about missing an episode of Game of Thrones because you have to work late or something else comes up. Gone are the days when you have to wait for a rerun or the entire season to come out on DVD before catching up on a missed episode. Shorter seasons mean more money for the networks and a wider range of viewing choices for the consumer.
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