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Multiple Netflix Series Will Now Drop Episodes Weekly Instead of All at Once

henhowc

henhowc

Member
Oct 26, 2017
33,787
Los Angeles, CA
This isn't the first time Netflix has done this.

I remember at least 10 years ago that this is how they released Spartacus from Starz, Legend of the Seeker, and some other random shows. I think Party Down too? But those weren't "originals".

I could actually see them doing this for some of their more popular shows. Doing week by week for less popular releases isn't going to do anything.
 
Blade30

Blade30

Member
Oct 26, 2017
4,648
Mr.Deadshot said:
Why aren't they suited for binging? I mean let me decide how I want to consume my shit. It really takes me out of the experience when I have to wait another week for the next episode. Especially when they are all so tightly connected like in modern shows. I couldn't even imagine watching 24 on a weekly basis. I mean, seriously, fuck that.

I can still discuss shows with others when they are available at once. I don't even binge most shows. But sometimes I want to watch 3 episodes at once, sometimes one during my lunch break and sometimes I watch 8 episodes because I got totally invested.
You can still discuss shows. It's not like everyone looks everything at once. Even here in this board you can safely discuss shows without getting spoiled, even months after release.

Just ask "which episode are you, ... ah cool I liked that and that, ... oh I am not that far yet but lets discuss the second episode where that and that happened ... " Not really that hard.
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They are not suited for binging because it can't sustain anticipation and hype for a long period of time, once they drop all the episodes it will only be heavily talked about for like a week or two then it disappears. With weekly shows you have constant new ads, news, reviews, conversation about the latest episode, what will happen next.... popping up here and there, it keeps the shows on people minds much longer.

I have nothing against binge watching, that's how I watch mostly anyway but it's not really healthy for new shows that want to be next Game of Thrones.
 
SuperYlvis

SuperYlvis

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,661
I hope they do this with Witcher because there are going to be so much stuff to digest each episode.
 

Glenn

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,307
It's hilarious reading all these "let me decide how to watch my tv" comments. You can decide to wait and still binge like you normally do
 
ReAxion

ReAxion

Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,882
RDreamer said:
If you can't take the week to week... then just binge right after it's all up?
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for whatever reason, things rarely fall into a category between the two for me. idk, it's more complicated than writing it out makes it seem, while also feeling extremely dumb to talk about. i just prefer the full-on drop in most cases.
 
Big-E

Big-E

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,169
Don't like this. I like knowing that the whole season is there. I now have to find out when the ending is to binge. Extra work for me which means I am more and more likely to move elsewhere.
 
daegan

daegan

#REFANTAZIO SWEEP
Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,921
CTRL+F "Terrace House"

Please save me from having to vpn in, Netflix.
 
Liquidsnake

Liquidsnake

Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,997
Syriel said:
This is not new. It is just mostly new to the US.

Netflix has been doing this for years internationally so that consumers don't have to wait for the show to finish airing in its home territory before pushing it live.

Example, there are some Korean shows that released weekly on Netflix in EU territories (as they aired on TV), but the US didn't get them until the whole season had aired in Korea and Netflix US could binge drop.

Netflix is NOT going to do this for series that it has full rights to.
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Gotcha. I hope you are right.
 
Lukar

Lukar

Unshakable Resolve - Prophet of Truth
Member
Oct 27, 2017
23,524
Eh, it's fine with me. It has its pros and cons.

+ People will have more time to digest episodes and discuss them, instead of some episodes overshadowing discussion of other ones
- If a show is more of a slow-burner where things take time to happen, people might get bored of it sooner than if they were able to binge watch it
 
zoabs

zoabs

One Winged Slayer
Avenger
May 7, 2018
1,676
I prefer this. If anyone has been to a Game of Throne watch party or Breaking Bad watch party, they'd understand how much of an event those shows were and how fun it was to theorize and really pick apart each episode at a time.

The only thing I hate about one episode at a time though is when they have midseason hiatuses and those absolutely suck.

I think the higher budget and more high concept shows can benefit from being released weekly (The Witcher and Stranger Things), while lower budget dramas and comedies can stick to being dumped all at once.
 
sgtnosboss

sgtnosboss

Member
Nov 9, 2017
4,786
is there a gif for an extraordinary amount of unnecessary anger towards this? Because that is what I am feeling.
 
kubev

kubev

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,533
California
I'm honestly surprised they don't do this for more shows. It makes sense for a subscription service, though I do prefer it when episodes release all at once, since I prefer to binge.
 
Orayn

Orayn

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,058
They still won't let this happen for seasonal anime because the bullshit metrics fortune telling says that can't.
 
SpankyDoodle

SpankyDoodle

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,082
Glenn said:
It's hilarious reading all these "let me decide how to watch my tv" comments. You can decide to wait and still binge like you normally do
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Yeah this is how I do it. If a show airs weekly and starts June 5th and the final episode goes up August 15th, then for me the show is ready to watch August 15th. I don't want a new sub so I'm actually even doing this right now with the new Twilight Zone so that I can just binge it all during the free trial period (which is honestly exactly why streaming companies spread shit out, to try and minimize people doing this)
 
Wise

Wise

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,228
If this becomes a thing I'm actually going to cancel immediately. I am not doing that weekly thing and it's the reason why I subbed to netflix
 

Deleted member 48201

User requested account closure
Banned
Sep 29, 2018
1,469
This better not become a thing for most shows cause with the price increase, decline in quality, lack of ways to properly organize your playlist and now this it seems Netflix is really doing it's best to make me cancel.

I like to watch when it suits me not when some company decides that I should watch. Just because all episodes are released at once doesn't mean you have to bindge watch them.
 
mreddie

mreddie

Member
Oct 26, 2017
44,583
Man, this is gonna be weird, Netflix encouraged the binge culture and now might back off because Disney, WB have said some shows aren't gonna be all at once?

You opened the box Netflix!
 

Deleted member 36578

Dec 21, 2017
26,561
I hope this is the norm to be totally honest. I really prefer a weekly drop a it keeps the conversation and excitement flowing, both online and in my groups of friends.
 
StopMakingSense

StopMakingSense

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,751
mreddie said:
Man, this is gonna be weird, Netflix encouraged the binge culture and now might back off because Disney, WB have said some shows aren't gonna be all at once?

You opened the box Netflix!
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No, they aren't, this is for certain reality TV competitions. Great British Baking Show, for example, is currently airing weekly in Britain. Hell its still filming FFS!

The article, especially article title, is written very poorly.
 
NookSports

NookSports

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,228
brokeastronaut said:
I hope this is the norm to be totally honest. I really prefer a weekly drop a it keeps the conversation and excitement flowing, both online and in my groups of friends.
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This. I feel like a lot of really good shows don't have the cultural impact that they could have because they drop all at once. It doesn't foster discussion, build up or suspense.

To be honest, they don't even need to do just 1 a week. Sabrina did a baby steps version by releasing half and half of a season a few months apart. I can easily see a show that drops in 3 or 4 chunks of 2 - 4 episodes at a time. Some shows might even benefit from this, as they can have mini arcs that make sense within a larger season arc.
 
Melhadf

Melhadf

Member
Dec 25, 2017
1,578
The Flash, legends and arrow already do this on netflix Canada (I think) a day or two after us air date.
 
gforguava

gforguava

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,734
I am 100% for this, for all their stuff even.

I've never liked the 'Binge' model, especially in the way that it saps the energy out of the fan discussion side of things.
 
XaviConcept

XaviConcept

Art Director for Videogames
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
4,986
I thought this thread was about XV!

XIII ... tried. That engine gave them so much trouble that by the time they had to ship they had no real dungeons, no towns, barely any of the tools you need to tell the story properly so yeah, they shoved it all in the codec. I also find their naming choices to be very questionable, making it more confusing that it needed to be. The people who made that game probably have long nostalgic talks ver drinks about how the fuck they were able to get that game to a minimum viable product.
 

Deleted member 36578

Dec 21, 2017
26,561
nazgul_hunter said:
This. I feel like a lot of really good shows don't have the cultural impact that they could have because they drop all at once. It doesn't foster discussion, build up or suspense.

To be honest, they don't even need to do just 1 a week. Sabrina did a baby steps version by releasing half and half of a season a few months apart. I can easily see a show that drops in 3 or 4 chunks of 2 - 4 episodes at a time. Some shows might even benefit from this, as they can have mini arcs that make sense within a larger season arc.
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That would be cool too if it were just a couple eps at a time. I like your idea of certain story arcs working well with the format.
 
Mr.Deadshot

Mr.Deadshot

Member
Oct 27, 2017
20,285
Blade30 said:
They are not suited for binging because it can't sustain anticipation and hype for a long period of time, once they drop all the episodes it will only be heavily talked about for like a week or two then it disappears. With weekly shows you have constant new ads, news, reviews, conversation about the latest episode, what will happen next.... popping up here and there, it keeps the shows on people minds much longer.

I have nothing against binge watching, that's how I watch mostly anyway but it's not really healthy for new shows that want to be next Game of Thrones.
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False. A good TV show stays in my mind. That has nothing to do with how it is published. And what do I care about online discussion, "hype", ads, reviews and news?! Is just want to watch it for myself or with my wife. Why has everything to be a "social experience" nowadays?


Glenn said:
It's hilarious reading all these "let me decide how to watch my tv" comments. You can decide to wait and still binge like you normally do
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Just like you can watch it weekly when all episodes drop at the same day. No one is forcing you to watch all the episodes at once.
 
CatAssTrophy

CatAssTrophy

Member
Dec 4, 2017
7,686
Texas
This seems more like a way to artificially keep people on their subs and less about caring about the way shows are digested by the audience.

I prefer to binge because of the way my personal life and free time is structured, so I'm personally not a fan.

EDIT: Also shows can be written/designed/paced knowing they will be binged and thus different than a show created with the assumption it's going to be slowly released like other shows. For example, I don't think Russian Doll would work well as a slow release, as the end of each episode didn't really feel like other shows, and you almost kind of have to keep going to make sure you're still following what's happening. (I'm not saying it's deep or confusing or complex that it requires Smart(tm) people to watch and follow it)

I don't think slow dripping works for all shows nor does releasing as binge, but at least with dropping a whole season you have the choice of how you're going to watch is, whereas with slow drip you're forced to sit on a monthly sub until the whole season is out and then you can watch it. Otherwise cancel a sub for one show and wait? It just seems completely unnecessary.
 
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Reedirect

Reedirect

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,064
Good.

Let's return to having meaningful discussions and theories about TV shows again instead of amazing shows being replaced by the next best thing after a few days in the spotlight. A collective mania like with Twin Peaks or Game of Thrones is way more fun than binging your way through eight episodes of Stranger Things and waiting for another year and a half for that single afternoon in front of your TV.
 
RDreamer

RDreamer

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,114
Mr.Deadshot said:
Just like you can watch it weekly when all episodes drop at the same day. No one is forcing you to watch all the episodes at once.
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But you can't really talk to anyone about it. Pace is all over the place. You get a bunch of bingers finishing within hours then everyone else scattered and those that are behind clam up for fear of getting spoiled. It just does not work. The stranger things threads here show that. Compare it to Game of Thrones or Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul.

With a weekly drop you can talk weekly and bingers can still binge at finale and talk to people about the entire show immediately.

With all at once you practically are forced to watch as quickly as you can.

Mr.Deadshot said:
I just want to watch it for myself or with my wife. Why has everything to be a "social experience" nowadays?
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So why in the world would you care about weekly releases? Just binge at the end then. You're advocating ruining the social experience for nothing then. You don't get anything out of it.
 
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