Thomas Roach on whether Netflix is the future of television…
With some saying the movie industry is in decline and many people are favouring TV over cinema, could Netflix be the future of all television? Whilst there are plenty of films on Netflix this allows audiences to watch lots of films for a small fee each month. However Netflix has now had some successful shows produced in house, with the likes of House of Cards, Orange Is the New Black and Hemlock Grove all being well received and earning multiple seasons.
Most recently Netflix released a new animated series entitled BoJack Horseman. If you have watched BoJack Horseman Netflix may have contacted you asking you to complete a survey. BoJack Horseman seems to have been more of a risk for the internet streaming service but it has received several good reviews (including ours). Netflix asking viewers’ opinions shows that they do care about what audiences think, and will likely produce more and more original shows over the next few years, such as the upcoming Marvel series for Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and The Defenders.
Actor Kevin Spacey, who plays Frank Underwood in House of Cards, has praised the streaming service and claims that it is giving power back to the viewer. Other than producing its own original content there is a great deal of television programmes, films and stand up comedy for everyone to enjoy. Spacey said: “Give people what they want, when they want it, in the form they want it and at a reasonable price, and they will more likely pay for it instead of stealing.”
Netlfix follows this really well. The price of the subscription to Netflix is far cheaper than a single cinema ticket and your whole household can watch the range of shows and films that the service offers. Many attribute the decline of the movie industry to piracy, but can you blame people for piracy? The cinema costs a fortune and at the end of the day it is not worth it. Instead of reducing the ticket prices, the cost is bumped up and tickets to 3D films cost even more. By having films in 3D this is an attempt to stop people filming in the cinema but it is not working. Many pirated films that are of good quality are likely stolen from a cinema.
The more people that join Netflix, the more original content they will produce, and may even start producing their own feature films in the future. I do feel the movie industry is solely based on greed and a service like Netflix offers people a great deal. It is cheap and is producing great original content. If the film industry wants to keep up with streaming services like Netflix they need to rethink how much they are charging.
Many viewers have stated that they like to binge watch television and Netflix allows you to do exactly that. Whereas shows on other networks release an episode every week or so, Netflix allows you to stream the whole series on the same day. This way it is more like watching a 10 hour film rather than 45 minutes a week. However releasing the whole series at the same time can be somewhat problematic. Viewers who watch the show in one day usually have to wait another year or more for the next season to get made. But if Netflix produces lots of original content that can be re-watched, then waiting a year for a second series is not really a problem.
Netflix is a godsend for those who love good quality entertainment, and I can see it taking over the film industry over the next few decades, especially as other streaming services are now beginning to create their own content. Do you think the Netflix model is the future of the television industry? Let us know…
Thomas Roach
Originally published September 11, 2014. Updated April 13, 2018.
