You’re right, but part of the problem is also shows getting the axe so quickly. I used to be willing to jump in on a new show and see if I’ll like it, but now with studios and streamers shitcanning things left and right, I’m way more hesitant about giving a new show time.
Doubly so with shows almost always focusing on cliffhangers and setting up the next seasons. If every season was a completely standalone thing, it wouldn’t be as bad if they were getting axed. But I don’t want to watch a show knowing there’s a 90% chance none of the interesting questions will ever get answered.
Exactly. Whereas shows that are encapsulated seasons or even one offs, I’m in for. As an example, my wife and I recently watched Culprits, which as far as I know is a one and done, but even if there’s a second season, the first season is a full and complete story, and my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
We’re also enjoying Shōgun, and while this is a remake, it’s also a single season complete story.
I’m not saying every show should be one and done. I like ongoing shows too, I’m just not nearly as willing to invest time into a new show when the cancellation axe is so hanging over everything
Shows that “nobody” watches tend to get cancelled. And if everyone is waiting five years to watch the first season… “nobody” is watching.
But I do agree that Lost/JJ is part of the problem. Not so much because of the concept of cliffhangers (the Alf series finale is one of the funniest things ever made) or even serialized stories (that goes WAY back). Like a lot of things, it comes back to being about media illiteracy because every single influencer who paid half attention to high school literature class is there to spend an hour explaining to you why HIMYM’s ending is still bad. And Lost was very much during the rise of this kind of content.
Yes, some shows end on a genuine cliffhanger. The vast majority don’t. They know they might get cancelled and the showrunners try to make for an “okay” stopping point. PLENTY of youtubers love to point out that Stargate SG-1 had like four series finales.
But “Warrior was fucking good and season 3 ends with a really interesting status quo change that I really hope we can somehow explore. But the themes of the show, and particularly the season, are such that this ISN’T really a status quo change and symbolizes how we are doomed to suffer if we don’t unite against hate” is not “good TV”. Instead “Fucking Zaslav fucked us again. Fucking Warrior ends on the biggest cliffhanger in TV history and retroactively ruined the show for me. I am going to spend the next month rewatching every single episode and talking about how it is now shit because of that bullshit finale. All of this is going to really hurt my mental health. Do you know what website I like to use when my mental health needs a tune up? Well that is the sponsor of today’s video!”. Let alone any “and the adventure continues” style ending (… can you imagine how horrifying the reaction to Quantum Leap would be?).
At the end of the day? We all have limited free time. it isn’t “am I going to watch Seinfeld or Frasier re-runs?” it is “am I going to watch this new show or play fortnite or watch twitch?”. And having an easy out like “Well, I guess I won’t try this new show because it might end some day” or “Ugh. I want something new, not something in a cinematic universe” is an easy way to downselect to a “known good”.
You’re right, but part of the problem is also shows getting the axe so quickly. I used to be willing to jump in on a new show and see if I’ll like it, but now with studios and streamers shitcanning things left and right, I’m way more hesitant about giving a new show time.
Doubly so with shows almost always focusing on cliffhangers and setting up the next seasons. If every season was a completely standalone thing, it wouldn’t be as bad if they were getting axed. But I don’t want to watch a show knowing there’s a 90% chance none of the interesting questions will ever get answered.
It’s like every show is made by JJ Abrams.
Exactly. Whereas shows that are encapsulated seasons or even one offs, I’m in for. As an example, my wife and I recently watched Culprits, which as far as I know is a one and done, but even if there’s a second season, the first season is a full and complete story, and my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
We’re also enjoying Shōgun, and while this is a remake, it’s also a single season complete story.
I’m not saying every show should be one and done. I like ongoing shows too, I’m just not nearly as willing to invest time into a new show when the cancellation axe is so hanging over everything
Shows that “nobody” watches tend to get cancelled. And if everyone is waiting five years to watch the first season… “nobody” is watching.
But I do agree that Lost/JJ is part of the problem. Not so much because of the concept of cliffhangers (the Alf series finale is one of the funniest things ever made) or even serialized stories (that goes WAY back). Like a lot of things, it comes back to being about media illiteracy because every single influencer who paid half attention to high school literature class is there to spend an hour explaining to you why HIMYM’s ending is still bad. And Lost was very much during the rise of this kind of content.
Yes, some shows end on a genuine cliffhanger. The vast majority don’t. They know they might get cancelled and the showrunners try to make for an “okay” stopping point. PLENTY of youtubers love to point out that Stargate SG-1 had like four series finales.
But “Warrior was fucking good and season 3 ends with a really interesting status quo change that I really hope we can somehow explore. But the themes of the show, and particularly the season, are such that this ISN’T really a status quo change and symbolizes how we are doomed to suffer if we don’t unite against hate” is not “good TV”. Instead “Fucking Zaslav fucked us again. Fucking Warrior ends on the biggest cliffhanger in TV history and retroactively ruined the show for me. I am going to spend the next month rewatching every single episode and talking about how it is now shit because of that bullshit finale. All of this is going to really hurt my mental health. Do you know what website I like to use when my mental health needs a tune up? Well that is the sponsor of today’s video!”. Let alone any “and the adventure continues” style ending (… can you imagine how horrifying the reaction to Quantum Leap would be?).
At the end of the day? We all have limited free time. it isn’t “am I going to watch Seinfeld or Frasier re-runs?” it is “am I going to watch this new show or play fortnite or watch twitch?”. And having an easy out like “Well, I guess I won’t try this new show because it might end some day” or “Ugh. I want something new, not something in a cinematic universe” is an easy way to downselect to a “known good”.