With the advent of streaming, the definition of what “TV” is has changed drastically.
But those changes have also completely scrambled the DNA of how TV is written and produced as well.
Let’s talk about what exactly has changed, what remains the same, and what it means for those of us who are just starting out.
The good old days
For most of television’s existence, the shows themselves were underwritten by ads. Networks made their money based on the advertisements presented during the show so the more episodes you could produce, the more money you could make. Hence the old 22- or even 24-episode seasons. After all, more shows equal more ad slots and more revenue. (There was even a Fox show named for having 24-episode seasons… I forget what it was called.)
The benefit of this model is that it was sustainable and predictable. Pilot season and staffing season were as regular in Los Angeles as fire season and awards season. (The true Four Seasons here.) TV writers generally knew that they would work 40 weeks out of the year. They could buy houses and plan vacations and live something resembling a normal life.
Author: Max Perry
This article comes from No Film School and can be read on the original site.
