Not only that, but why do we have to wait so damn long between seasons?!
iceblnklck on
I’m currently rewatching Buffy and we really have lost the art of 9 filler episodes, 5 lore episodes and 6-9 overarching plot episodes. Everything is so compressed now, as if they’re afraid to give us a storyline that doesn’t key into the season arc.
Some of the best episodes have nothing to do with the Big Bad or the protagonist’s journey.
Imagine a world without ‘Hush’. Bring back fun filler episodes, I say.
Antiloghe on
Writers strike and pandemic doomed us to 8 episodes seasons, now I feel treated when its 10 or 12, But Elsbeth is bucking the trend
booksncoffeeplease on
Hard disagree. Few shows have been able to keep up the quality to warrant 20 episode seasons and would’ve been remembered as better TV if they had shorter seasons. FROM just had a couple of fillers and it’s only a 10 episode season. I do agree that seasons shouldn’t skip a year though. I’ve been patiently waiting for Sweetpea’s 2nd season for a long time.
dancemyselfup on
at least we have abbott 🙏🏼
PromiseOwn5995 on
I guess my unpopular opinion is that not every show needs 20+ episodes. It’s fine to have 10 very focused episodes instead of 20+ with some skippable filler.
edit: Also we can definitely agree it shouldnt take years to produce a number of episodes in between seasons. Not sure why thats been happening.
rawrkristina on
I’m very case by case. Some shows definitely need more. Like why are we getting 10 episode sitcoms? Why can’t YA tv shows have more episodes like the old days?
Like there was a time when Degrassi was having 40 episodes a season.
Now I do believe some limited series, like true crime are good being 6-10 episodes. It’s probably better not to drag those out too much. Not all shows would do well with filler episodes.
So like I said, it’s case by case.
Ponchorello7 on
I’d rather have fewer, longer episodes with better production quality.
ilikecats415 on
I feel like The Pitt has hit a nice sweet spot. It’s 15 episodes with an annual release in January.
Waiting 2+ years for 8 measly episodes is so absurd. Like, I don’t even remember your damn show anymore at that point. There are so many shows I just fizzle out on because I can’t be bothered to reacquaint myself with the story and characters after so long. I make exceptions for the rare amazing show (e.g., Severance), but mostly I just move on.
annnyywhooo on
bring back filler episodes. bring back destination episodes. bring back holiday/birthday episodes
caleblwoods on
On that second slide, I would posit that each of the pictured shows is a direct argument against the need for 20+ episode seasons. Those shows all got crazy and might have benefited from much tighter story telling.
Traditional_Maybe_80 on
Network series had 20+ episodes and ~prestige dramas had around 13! These seasons of only 8 episodes make no sense to me.
SameOreo on
Writers strike should have been a wake up call years ago.
Production companies started cutting corners, charging more for less. And we swallowed it WHOLE.
These are the consequences.
haragakudaru on
Personally always preferred British style episodic progression. 5-6 quality episodes per season, no filler, all story. The break is often long but the writers take time usually to get things right.
plumsfromyouricebox on
To me, 13-14 episodes like the wire, sopranos, mad men, six feet under (breaking bad too I think?), was perfection. It allows you to have “weirder” bottle episodes without losing time for the main story
vinearthur on
Knight of the Seven Kingdoms having 6 episodes 30 minutes each was such a pathetic joke.
Hot-Avocado-7 on
I think a happy medium of like 16 episodes is my sweet spot. After 12 I start feeling like things are too long, but sometimes less than 16 feels too short.
twila213 on
The irony is while seasons for TV shows have become so much shorter the quality and filler feels like it gets worse. A lot of the shows coming out now don’t feel like TV shows that are too short, they feel like movies that are too long.
gible_bites on
I’m watching Once Upon a Time for the first time (lol) and I forgot what a fucking treat 22 episodes were. I have so much show ahead of me!
shambean2 on
Loterally just finished my first ever watch of One Tree Hill a few months ago, did a yearly GG re-watch last month, rewatching PLL now, gonna do the OC and TVD soon, FUCK I just want teen shows with a shmillion episodes I want more fluff and fun and shenanigans and I want them with HASTE
HoDizzle69 on
It’s because of cost. Pushing for more episodes in this day and age, like 20 per season each year, is just ushering in more fucking AI.
dustinwashere on
There is no reason Severance doesn’t have more episodes considering how simple the sets are. High Potential should have at least 22 but ABC won’t comment how many they ordered for season 3…
toAnthonyBourdaintho on
The 20+ episode has been kicked to the curb and the culprit is, you guessed it, capitalism! *Immediacy, or the Style of Too Late Capitalism* by Anna Kornbluh is a great reference for why this is happening.
hannamarinsgrandma on
20+ episode seasons means that actors will max out at 3-4 seasons because they can’t continue to give raises.
Look at what’s going on with the characters in the Wolf universe. They can’t afford to have them all in the same episodes anymore because of all their salaries.
sblo on
Someone tell Scott Gemmill this so he can bring back Supriya Ganesh.
We want the damn night shift with Abbott, Shen, Ellis and Mohan, Scott.
Lonely-Storm-6542 on
Well an episode is 40+ minutes now. Essentially as long as 2 episodes.
Tricky-Stay6134 on
And stop doing remakes/sequels/prequels!
Beachcurrency on
I’m a 10 episode, 1 full hour (not 43 mins show, 17 min ads), every year kind of girl, but I support my siblings in this!
imaswannn on
And everyday we’re hearing about a remake or a reboot. Can they come up with an original idea?
Pristine_Animal9474 on
On the one hand, I think it would be good for more “commercial” shows to do this. It might keep the show more alive in internet discourse and the fans wouldn’t go crazy from starvation.
On the other hand, I wouldn’t be able to survive a 20+ season of The Summer I Turned Pretty. Nothing against it, but my best friend got the idea of us rewatching it every summer and I don’t know how to get off that compromise.
mangoisNINJA on
It’s so weird seeing people from the West get into korean dramas because we used to get like, between 16 and 42 episodes per show but now people are satisfied with eight and then beg for a season 2. That’s not season 2 baby girl, that’s literally the rest of the show.
Korean dramas are famously one season.
Quirky-Employer9717 on
To be fair, 20 episodes of Gilmore girls is not even in the same universe as what goes into the production of 8 House of the Dragon episodes
RealisticSubstance58 on
i miss filler episodes!!!! give me a christmas episode, a halloween episode!! give me an episode that has nothing to do with the plot and was just fun!!!
Cummyshitballs on
Especially when many times the quality isn’t any better either.
Secret-Ad-6253 on
looking at you, Severance! UGH! feed us more already!
godlovesaterrier__ on
Shrinkflation
LittleSodaPop13 on
I totally agree. You can’t cram everything you need into eight episodes
DadOnHardDifficulty on
Every show needs to be a big budget movie production now.
Throbbing-Kielbasa-3 on
Streaming platforms are where most people get their content from. The business isn’t about making content, it’s about running the streaming service. The content is the juicy reward we get for subscribing to that service. But running a streaming service costs a lot of money in power and data transfers. So there isn’t as much money to put towards the shows, which are already more and more expensive than ever because they keep becoming more and more cinematic.
8 episodes per season means that people are going to spend a minimum of 2 months worth of subscription fees just for that show. There are still shows that make 13-22 episodes each season, but they’re being made for network and cable broadcast still. Shows made by studios specifically for streaming platforms however, use the 8 episode model because it fits that medium better.
1970s_MonkeyKing on
Unfortunately all the bean counters saw how successful the final season Andor was with its limited episode count. While missing the point completely.
And Netflix will more likely sign off on two 7 episode seasons than one 20 episode season. While this might inspire some excellent story telling, who are kidding?
DegenGamer725 on
the only reason shows had 20+ episode seasons is because networks had to fill an entire fall to spring schedule and if a show reached 100 episodes it could go into syndication. Cable and streaming shows don’t to worry about all the same shit network shows do, and shorter season mean less filler episodes
blissfully_happy on
I started watching a cheesy show called Elsbeth and was surprised there’s 18+ episodes a season. It’s fun and campy.
SweetP101 on
Jennifer Garner almost died with the amount of shooting she had to do on Alias.
Lazy arses!
rosethrones on
Not every single series needs 20+ episodes, but I do think more of them need them than we currently have. And as a culture we really do need to bring the term ‘miniseries’ back. Limited series just sounds negative to me. Bad branding!
DwayneGretzky306 on
I would be fine with 12 episodes, which seems reasonable – once a week release and that is a true season of TV.
SecretElsa19 on
It’s called The Neighborhood, it ran for 8 seasons, and no one on this sub watched it
wukemon on
Worth noting that 20+ episodes on network TV were meant to keep you tuning in week after week so that you’d *see the commercials*. So in order for 20+ episode seasons to return, audience viewing habits would have to support them.
Dummyact321 on
Nah. Hate tuning in weekly for filler episodes. 10 max, and make them count.
ThreadLaced on
Even with 12-16 episodes, you could still have some character study episodes, flash back episodes, “monster of the week” (aka single, one-off adventures) episodes, and still honor your overall arc!
49 Comments
Not only that, but why do we have to wait so damn long between seasons?!
I’m currently rewatching Buffy and we really have lost the art of 9 filler episodes, 5 lore episodes and 6-9 overarching plot episodes. Everything is so compressed now, as if they’re afraid to give us a storyline that doesn’t key into the season arc.
Some of the best episodes have nothing to do with the Big Bad or the protagonist’s journey.
Imagine a world without ‘Hush’. Bring back fun filler episodes, I say.
Writers strike and pandemic doomed us to 8 episodes seasons, now I feel treated when its 10 or 12, But Elsbeth is bucking the trend
Hard disagree. Few shows have been able to keep up the quality to warrant 20 episode seasons and would’ve been remembered as better TV if they had shorter seasons. FROM just had a couple of fillers and it’s only a 10 episode season. I do agree that seasons shouldn’t skip a year though. I’ve been patiently waiting for Sweetpea’s 2nd season for a long time.
at least we have abbott 🙏🏼
I guess my unpopular opinion is that not every show needs 20+ episodes. It’s fine to have 10 very focused episodes instead of 20+ with some skippable filler.
edit: Also we can definitely agree it shouldnt take years to produce a number of episodes in between seasons. Not sure why thats been happening.
I’m very case by case. Some shows definitely need more. Like why are we getting 10 episode sitcoms? Why can’t YA tv shows have more episodes like the old days?
Like there was a time when Degrassi was having 40 episodes a season.
Now I do believe some limited series, like true crime are good being 6-10 episodes. It’s probably better not to drag those out too much. Not all shows would do well with filler episodes.
So like I said, it’s case by case.
I’d rather have fewer, longer episodes with better production quality.
I feel like The Pitt has hit a nice sweet spot. It’s 15 episodes with an annual release in January.
Waiting 2+ years for 8 measly episodes is so absurd. Like, I don’t even remember your damn show anymore at that point. There are so many shows I just fizzle out on because I can’t be bothered to reacquaint myself with the story and characters after so long. I make exceptions for the rare amazing show (e.g., Severance), but mostly I just move on.
bring back filler episodes. bring back destination episodes. bring back holiday/birthday episodes
On that second slide, I would posit that each of the pictured shows is a direct argument against the need for 20+ episode seasons. Those shows all got crazy and might have benefited from much tighter story telling.
Network series had 20+ episodes and ~prestige dramas had around 13! These seasons of only 8 episodes make no sense to me.
Writers strike should have been a wake up call years ago.
Production companies started cutting corners, charging more for less. And we swallowed it WHOLE.
These are the consequences.
Personally always preferred British style episodic progression. 5-6 quality episodes per season, no filler, all story. The break is often long but the writers take time usually to get things right.
To me, 13-14 episodes like the wire, sopranos, mad men, six feet under (breaking bad too I think?), was perfection. It allows you to have “weirder” bottle episodes without losing time for the main story
Knight of the Seven Kingdoms having 6 episodes 30 minutes each was such a pathetic joke.
I think a happy medium of like 16 episodes is my sweet spot. After 12 I start feeling like things are too long, but sometimes less than 16 feels too short.
The irony is while seasons for TV shows have become so much shorter the quality and filler feels like it gets worse. A lot of the shows coming out now don’t feel like TV shows that are too short, they feel like movies that are too long.
I’m watching Once Upon a Time for the first time (lol) and I forgot what a fucking treat 22 episodes were. I have so much show ahead of me!
Loterally just finished my first ever watch of One Tree Hill a few months ago, did a yearly GG re-watch last month, rewatching PLL now, gonna do the OC and TVD soon, FUCK I just want teen shows with a shmillion episodes I want more fluff and fun and shenanigans and I want them with HASTE
It’s because of cost. Pushing for more episodes in this day and age, like 20 per season each year, is just ushering in more fucking AI.
There is no reason Severance doesn’t have more episodes considering how simple the sets are. High Potential should have at least 22 but ABC won’t comment how many they ordered for season 3…
The 20+ episode has been kicked to the curb and the culprit is, you guessed it, capitalism! *Immediacy, or the Style of Too Late Capitalism* by Anna Kornbluh is a great reference for why this is happening.
20+ episode seasons means that actors will max out at 3-4 seasons because they can’t continue to give raises.
Look at what’s going on with the characters in the Wolf universe. They can’t afford to have them all in the same episodes anymore because of all their salaries.
Someone tell Scott Gemmill this so he can bring back Supriya Ganesh.
We want the damn night shift with Abbott, Shen, Ellis and Mohan, Scott.
Well an episode is 40+ minutes now. Essentially as long as 2 episodes.
And stop doing remakes/sequels/prequels!
I’m a 10 episode, 1 full hour (not 43 mins show, 17 min ads), every year kind of girl, but I support my siblings in this!
And everyday we’re hearing about a remake or a reboot. Can they come up with an original idea?
On the one hand, I think it would be good for more “commercial” shows to do this. It might keep the show more alive in internet discourse and the fans wouldn’t go crazy from starvation.
On the other hand, I wouldn’t be able to survive a 20+ season of The Summer I Turned Pretty. Nothing against it, but my best friend got the idea of us rewatching it every summer and I don’t know how to get off that compromise.
It’s so weird seeing people from the West get into korean dramas because we used to get like, between 16 and 42 episodes per show but now people are satisfied with eight and then beg for a season 2. That’s not season 2 baby girl, that’s literally the rest of the show.
Korean dramas are famously one season.
To be fair, 20 episodes of Gilmore girls is not even in the same universe as what goes into the production of 8 House of the Dragon episodes
i miss filler episodes!!!! give me a christmas episode, a halloween episode!! give me an episode that has nothing to do with the plot and was just fun!!!
Especially when many times the quality isn’t any better either.
looking at you, Severance! UGH! feed us more already!
Shrinkflation
I totally agree. You can’t cram everything you need into eight episodes
Every show needs to be a big budget movie production now.
Streaming platforms are where most people get their content from. The business isn’t about making content, it’s about running the streaming service. The content is the juicy reward we get for subscribing to that service. But running a streaming service costs a lot of money in power and data transfers. So there isn’t as much money to put towards the shows, which are already more and more expensive than ever because they keep becoming more and more cinematic.
8 episodes per season means that people are going to spend a minimum of 2 months worth of subscription fees just for that show. There are still shows that make 13-22 episodes each season, but they’re being made for network and cable broadcast still. Shows made by studios specifically for streaming platforms however, use the 8 episode model because it fits that medium better.
Unfortunately all the bean counters saw how successful the final season Andor was with its limited episode count. While missing the point completely.
And Netflix will more likely sign off on two 7 episode seasons than one 20 episode season. While this might inspire some excellent story telling, who are kidding?
the only reason shows had 20+ episode seasons is because networks had to fill an entire fall to spring schedule and if a show reached 100 episodes it could go into syndication. Cable and streaming shows don’t to worry about all the same shit network shows do, and shorter season mean less filler episodes
I started watching a cheesy show called Elsbeth and was surprised there’s 18+ episodes a season. It’s fun and campy.
Jennifer Garner almost died with the amount of shooting she had to do on Alias.
Lazy arses!
Not every single series needs 20+ episodes, but I do think more of them need them than we currently have. And as a culture we really do need to bring the term ‘miniseries’ back. Limited series just sounds negative to me. Bad branding!
I would be fine with 12 episodes, which seems reasonable – once a week release and that is a true season of TV.
It’s called The Neighborhood, it ran for 8 seasons, and no one on this sub watched it
Worth noting that 20+ episodes on network TV were meant to keep you tuning in week after week so that you’d *see the commercials*. So in order for 20+ episode seasons to return, audience viewing habits would have to support them.
Nah. Hate tuning in weekly for filler episodes. 10 max, and make them count.
Even with 12-16 episodes, you could still have some character study episodes, flash back episodes, “monster of the week” (aka single, one-off adventures) episodes, and still honor your overall arc!