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How Did Netflix Go From TV Savior to TV Executioner?

Feb 05, 2020 Posted by in Features | Comments

Just a few years ago, when a network or cable TV show would get cancelled, fans would look towards Netflix as the savior who would renew their beloved show and give it a proper ending. However, these days, Netflix has become the service that cancels new shows just a month after they are released.

Recently the streaming service canceled both Soundtrack and Spinning Out after just one season, only a month after each was released. Your first reaction may be, well I’ve never heard of those shows…and that is the major problem with Netflix right now. It is a content factory, churning out at least a half dozen new shows and/or movies each week with little to no promotion. There are so many of these shows that most subscribers aren’t even aware of. The streaming service seems to expect its viewers to just find the shows by logging into the app and discovering them.

Netflix does send out emails to subscribers listing some top suggestions and recent additions, but these are far from extensive, only listing a few suggestions and currently popular programs, and often mentioning things that were already on your watch list. Also, the majority of the items included in these emails are just referred to by a small poster icon, without any description of the series/movie. This doesn’t really do much to inform the viewer about the new original programming.

Below I have included a comparison of what was released (and I probably missed some stuff) versus what was suggested in my emails. The emails never give an extensive list of things released that day, and often seem to promote the same shows over and over again, or mention older shows that have been around for years. Some of the new shows aren’t mentioned until days after their release, if at all—Soundtrack was never mentioned in any of my emails, and I suspect Spinning Out was only mentioned because I had viewed a screener a couple days before it was released, and so it was already on my watch list. If Netflix is using the first month to determine if a show should be canceled, viewers should be notified as soon as these new shows are added to the service, along with details about the show and a link to view a trailer!

Another thing that is detrimental to the survival of these new shows is the binge release method. This doesn’t promote any kind of long-term discussion or word of mouth. The die-hards will binge the show in a day and then forget about it for another 364 days until the next season (if there is one). Since folks don’t know how much (if any) of the season others have watched, there is not really much opportunity discussion, for fear of spoilers. Shows that release week-to-week allow for much more water cooler style discussions, since everyone is more likely to be on the same page. It is much easier to assume that folks are caught up on the latest episode when there is just 1 hour to watch in a week and not 10-13. Viewers can more easily and freely discuss the show and share their thoughts and theories with one another. This buzz and discussion goes on for months as the show plays out, rather than just a single day flash in the pan and then forgotten. There are some recent exceptions such as The Witcher, but that already had buzz from being a known property ahead of time.

While many folks prefer the binge method, I am still a fan of the week-to-week release. I found it so much easier to keep up with the new Disney+ and Apple TV+ shows when I only had one episode to watch to week, instead of waking up on a Friday morning to discover I was suddenly 13 hours behind on several shows. This kind of instant backlog made me not even want to start watching these Netflix shows.

I hope that Netflix can find a way to fix this situation—they have already started a pattern of canceling shows after a month, and now folks are just going to wait a month to see if a show is canceled before they invest their time in it, which is just going to make things worse. At the very least, Netflix should be sending out a weekly comprehensive “This Week on Netflix” email that includes descriptions of all newly added shows/movies, links to trailers for these programs, and a simple way to instantly add these items to your watch list right from the email. They shouldn’t assume that this massive amount of content will just be discovered in the app or word of mouth…that may take longer than the 30 days these programs have on their death clock.

Email Suggestions New Releases
12/18 – 6 Underground, Star Wars: Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, V Wars, The Irishman, Fuller House 12/18 – Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer Season 1, Soundtrack Season 1
12/22 – 6 Underground, Star Wars: Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, Another Life, Dark, Glitch, Stranger Things 12/19 – After the Raid (Documentary), Twice Upon a Time Season 1, Ultraviolet Season 2
12/20 – The Two Popes (Feature), The Witcher Season 1
12/24 – V Wars, The Irishman, 6 Underground, The Witcher, The Magicians, How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Coming Soon: Dracula, Doom: Annihilation, Messiah
12/24 – Carole & Tuesday Part 2, Como Caído Del Cielo (Feature), Crash Landing on You Season 1, Lost in Space Season 2, Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020 Part 2
12/25 – Stranger Things, Star Wars: Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, The 100, Another Life, 6 Underground, Lost in Space, The Witcher
12/26 – The Witcher, V Wars, Stranger Things, White Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch 12/26 – Fast & Furious: Spy Racers Season 1, The App (Feature), The Bonfire of Destiny Season 1, You Season 2
12/29 – The Witcher, Lost in Space, You, Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch, The Irishman, How the Grinch Stole Christmas 12/27 – Kevin Hart: Don’t F**k This Up Season 1, The Gift Season 1
12/28 – Hot Gimmick: Girl Meets Boy (Feature)
12/31 – You, Lost in Space, V Wars, Stranger Things, Another Life, 6 Underground 12/30 – Alexa & Katie Season 3, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.: Reawakened Season 1
12/31 – Arashi’s Diary: Voyage Season 1, The Degenerates Season 2, The Neighbor Season 1, Yanxi Palace: Princess Adventures Season 1
1/2 – Messiah, The Witcher, Sex Explained, Disenchantment, Spider-Man Into the Spider-verse, Daybreak
Coming Soon: Dracula, AJ and the Queen, Cheer
1/1 – Ghost Stories (Feature), Messiah Season 1, Spinning Out Season 1, The Circle Week 1
1/2 – Thieves of the Wood Season 1
1/5 – The Witcher, Kevin Hart: Don’t F**k This Up, Don’t F**k With Cats, Siren, Anne with an “E”, Lost in Space
Coming Soon: AJ and the Queen, Medical Police, Cheer
1/3 – All the Freckles in the World (Feature), Anne with an E Season 3
1/4 – Dracula Season 1, Go! Go! Cory Carson Season 1
1/6 – Messiah, Anne with an “E”, Good Girls, Kevin Hart: Don’t F**k This Up, Spinning Out, The Witcher, Dracula, Messiah
1/7 – Messiah, The Witcher, Don’t F**k With Cats, In the Shadow of the Moon,El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, The Highwaymen 1/7 Live Twice, Love Once (Feature)
1/8 The Witcher, Cheer, Sex Explained, Raising Dion, Breaking Bad, Anne with an “E”
Coming Soon: AJ and the Queen, A Fall From Grace, Medical Police
1/8 – Cheer Season 1
1/13 – Cheer, AJ and the Queen, Don’t F**k With Cats, Medical Police, Spinning Out, The Witcher, Dracula, Messiah
(I had watched one episode of Spinning Out, Dracula and Messiah, so it seems like this is why these start to show up under a More for You section)
1/10 – AJ and the Queen Season 1, Giri/Haji Season 1, Harvey Street Kids Season 4, Jamtara – Sabka Number Ayega Season 1, Medical Police Season 1, The Inbestigators Season 2, Zumbo’s Just Desserts Season 2
1/13 – The Healing Powers of Dude Season 1
1/16 – AJ and the Queen, Messiah, Don’t F**k With Cats, Cheer, Spinning Out, The Witcher, The irishman, Dracula 1/14 – Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts Season 1
1/15 – Grace & Frankie Season 6, Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez Season 1, Quien a Hierro Mata (Feature)
1/16 – Ninokuni (Feature)
1/19 – Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez, Grace and Frankie, AJ and the Queen, Giri/Haji, Spinning Out, The Witcher, Dracula, Messiah 1/17 – Ares Season 1, Hip Hop Evolution Season 4, Sex Education Season 2, Tyler Perry’s a Fall from Grace (Feature), Vivir Dos Veces (Feature)
1/23 – October Faction, Sex Education,Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez, A Fall From Grace, Spinning Out, The Witcher, Dracula, Messiah, The Crown, Ares, Lost in Space 1/21 – Jim Henson’s Word Party Season 4
1/22 – Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak Season 1
1/23 – Airplane Mode (Feature), October Faction Season 1, The Ghost Bride Season 1
2/3 – Taylor Swift: Miss Americana, Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez, Cheer, Night on Earth, Spinning Out, The Witcher, Dracula, Messiah 1/24 – A Sun (Feature), Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 2, Part 1, Rise of Empires: Ottoman Season 1, The Goop Lab with Gwyneth Paltrow Season 1
1/29 – Close Enemies (Frères Ennemis) (Feature), Next in Fashion Season 1, Night on Earth Season 1, Omniscient Season 1
1/30 – Ainori Love Wagon: African Journey Season 1, The Stranger Season 1
1/31 – 37 Seconds (Feature), BoJack Horseman Season 6, Part 2, Diablero Season 2, I Am a Killer Season 2, Luna Nera Season 1, Ragnarok Season 1, Taylor Swift: Miss Americana (Documentary), Unauthorized Living Season 2
2/3 – Sordo (Feature), Team Kaylie Part 2
1/5 – The Stranger, Taylor Swift: Miss Americana, Pandemic, Spinning Out, The Witcher, Dracula, Messiah 2/5 – The Pharmacist (Documentary), They’ve Gotta Have Us Season 1