Nineties and early 2000s kids can reminisce about their favourite television shows having a runtime of 22-24 episodes. Of course, animated shows or miniseries might have less episodes, but typically we could look forward to nearly two dozen episodes each season for whichever show.
In addition to a departure from that norm, today, however, seasons are taking longer and longer to debut. Gone are the days when networks released new TV seasons with more than 20 episodes every year. Platforms like Netflix, Max, and Prime Video are known to take two or more years to release episodes, leaving viewers with just 10 or fewer episodes to keep them entertained.
Seasons of TV series are becoming increasingly shorter in this age of streaming and digital platforms. It Is becoming more common to see 16, 12, 10, and even as little as six episodes. Although this is advantageous for higher-quality content, it results in less bingeable media.
Arguably, shorter seasons allow the production crew to focus on creating higher quality content, resulting in a better overall viewing experience. Writers and producers can dedicate more time to developing each individual episode, making sure that every moment counts. Nevertheless, it may leave the audience dissatisfied when the show feels rushed, ending after only six or 10 episodes with loose ends remaining.
Early 2000s TV shows like ‘The O.C.,’ ‘One Tree Hill,’ ‘Dawson’s Creek,’ and ‘Supernatural’ all had 22-23 episodes per season, with the shows pumping out a new season every year consistently. This had viewers hooked on to them and loyal to their fandoms. You knew that the show would return after seven or eight months if it was renewed after a 22-episode run.
With shows now taking one, or even 2-3-year gaps between season releases, viewership can tend to be frustrating. Fans can grow distant or even grow out of the show as they mature and develop different tastes and interests.
When it comes to networks, they are less prone to facing risk when TV seasons are shorter. It used to be that a TV show could fail and have 15 more episodes remaining, necessitating the network to either cancel it and incur losses to keep promoting it. With shorter seasons, networks can better respond to fan demands. It is possible for a shorter TV show to fail as well, but it is not as devastating as a 22-episode show that fails to attract viewers
Regardless, do short seasons really make good TV? Sometimes, short seasons have a higher chance of leading to lower-quality TV. One of the issues that no amount of good writing can make up for is not spending enough time with the characters (the Marvel and Star Wars shows on Disney+ are notorious letdowns when it comes to shorter TV seasons).
While this isn’t to say that every show with a short season is bad and every show with a long season is good, there is something about having enough episodes to really dig into the story you’re trying to tell as a screenwriter.
It’s conceivable that short TV seasons can reduce the burden of filler episodes, but that doesn’t render such episodes completely useless. The large overarching plot of the season might not be at the forefront of a filler episode, but they are commonly used to develop characters and their relationships or establish new dynamics that will play important parts later in the season.
The natural pauses between episodes give the illusion of a longer journey. It gives you a break from the story arcs and provides opportunities for the characters, especially side characters, to grow.
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