Anyone who’s enjoyed a streaming service’s show, just to have it abruptly cut off without any real resolution, knows that streaming companies have been canceling shows left and right. Even a production being wildly successful won’t shield it from the risk of cancellation, despite that previously being a factor. This change is because society has moved away from watching TV, in which ratings are everything, and is now signing up for streaming services. It’s no longer lucrative for a company to keep a show on for many seasons, despite how beloved the series may be because anyone who’s interested in that particular show would have already paid for the streaming service when the first season came out. Therefore, streaming services want to constantly bring in new shows to get new viewers, and aren’t spending budget on later seasons of existing content.
Like many other artists who rely on multiple installments for their content, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery director Rian Johnson is feeling the heat. He’s explained, “It’s been horrifying. The fact that it’s becoming common practice is terrible and adds to the awfulness. In the history of the business, there has been a constant evolution of horrible things. All you can do as someone who makes stuff is ultimately put your faith in the notion that if you make something, it’s going to find its audience.”
It seems that content creators and streaming services may not be able to continue on like this. Just as artists have done in the past, it may be time for directors to find other ways to get their series out to the public. With new platforms popping up, seemingly every day, it wouldn’t be surprising if a new type of movie and TV show platform were to emerge. Until some billionaire or tech genius decides to tackle that project, we’ll stick with our Netflix shows. Just make sure not to get too invested…