If people know as a film/TV superfan (and if you read The Playlist, odds are you are in that demographic), then you probably hear something similar to this on a daily basis: “Hey, you really need to watch [Insert New TV Show]. It’s really good!” What ends up happening is that you’re left with a Netflix (or whatever streaming service) queue about a mile long of new TV series that you say to yourself that you’ll eventually watch, but you just never seem to find time to do it. Gotta love this era of Peak TV.
And according to a new research report from FX, it’s now a proven fact – there is entirely too many scripted TV shows each year and it’s impossible to keep up. And no matter your good intentions, “Ozark” will forever collect dust as you attempt to feverishly make it through the glut of new TV shows arriving on a weekly basis.
FX has released a brand-new research document, detailing the sheer amount of scripted TV series released in the last calendar year. According to the network’s calculations, 2018 saw the release of a whopping 495 scripted series, as the number rises over the previous high set last year of 487. And for the first time ever, the number of online series (from Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, etc…) has beaten the totals from Basic Cable, Premium Cable, and Network TV.
Oh, and guess what? 2019 sees the launch of new streaming services (with plenty of new TV series) from Disney, WarnerMedia, and Apple, to name a few.
As far as growth goes, when you take the entire decade from 2011 to present, some interesting trends emerge. First, the number of online series has grown from six (yes, only 6) in 2011 to 160 in 2018. Even more startling is the fact that in 2015 the number of streaming shows only came to 49, meaning the growth has been exponential in the last 3 years.
For the other services, like Basic Cable, Premium Cable, and Network TV, the growth/decline has been marginal. Premium Cable (with HBO and the like expanding their offerings lately) has seen moderate growth. However, Basic Cable has seen its numbers dwindle, dropping a total of 31 series from 2017 to 2018. That is the clearest indicator yet that many creators are jumping ship to streaming services from Basic Cable. Network TV, on the other hand, has stayed in the same general vicinity for years.
Overall, there is some moderately good news. It appears that the total number of scripted series is starting to level off, meaning the era of Peak TV might actually be at its proverbial peak somewhere around 500 shows per year. Will we soon be entering the era of Post-Apocalyptic Peak TV, where the best of the best fight it out for your attention in a survival of the fittest scenario? We’ll soon find out, as the streaming space gets more crowded and Cable tries to stay relevant.
One thing is for sure, those “OMG, you gotta see…” suggestions aren’t ending anytime soon.
Here’s the full report:
