Netflix stands by its method of releasing an entire season of a show at once; House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt are all successful shows that have used this method. How will this change the television series model? Will cable television shows lag behind due to the extra space between each episode's release? Without the concept of screen time on a network, will we see more series produced exclusively for the web, where we have unlimited space and time for television shows? How will this change the structure of each show? Will dramas continue to end each episode with suspense to ensure the viewer's return, or save the big twists for the end of the season? And, as an afterthought, will cable shows garner more fans when they are released online for streaming, versus their original premiere on a network?

Netflix is taking advantage of its model and that's that people watch Netflix to binge. If they were to release an ep once a week, it might disinterest viewers and look for another completed show to watch (one that has multiple seasons). Broadcasters release an episode per week to get viewers to come back, and leave cliffhangers to tease them. It's simply understanding your structure and using it to your advantage. – YsabelGo 10 years ago
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Live television will always have its place, for the background noise or the effect of experiencing something with thousands of people at one. However, I do believe the quality will go down. We'll see less drama that relies on you watching every week and more comedy. People come to live television to watch for a bit and then walk away. Why watch a drama on television in the coming years when you can watch the whole story from beginning to end by losing a day? Netflix will change television styles to a mixture of suspense at each episode's end and saving the big twists. They've proved that both are excellent models for television. It just depends on what kind of show you're presenting. – casswaslike 9 years ago
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What does Netflix's model of season release mean for television series?