Less is More

I remember when I used to tune in every week to watch ‘How I Met Your Mother’. Naturally, the last season could only be classed as a schoolboy error, but other than that, it was the joy of knowing that for 20 or so weeks of my life, I was dedicating my time to it. The multi-award-winning show, ‘The Bear’, released 8 episodes in its first season. 8. Nowadays, a show needs three seasons to match the episode count of a single season from the past. Most of our TV shows, especially dramas, have lost the art of the 20+ episode season, instead settling for just 10 episodes every 11 months. I will age a year before the next season comes out, then watch it in a single day – I feel so used afterwards, but I know that I will do it again. Then enters the bane of my existence but also the object of all of my desires – the limited series.

Everywhere I turn, I see a limited series. It’s a show with a one season arc, typically 6-10 episodes. Think ‘The Dropout’, ‘Dopesick’, ‘The Queen’s Gambit’, ‘Chernobyl’ or basically any TV show with Nicole Kidman in it. In the 1990s, there was a growth in fan culture, hence the domination of long runnings and long seasons with ‘Full House’, ‘Home Improvement’, ‘Sister Sister’ etc; there were mini-series that had been coming out since the 1950s but they definitely weren’t as popular. But now, in binge culture, there is a need to watch things immediately, with social media adding to the quick content mix. The surge in mini-series production was largely due to the dominance of streaming services. In 2013, Netflix released ‘House of Cards’ and ‘Orange is the New Black’ and released 13 episodes for each show all at once and this brought shorter seasons into the mainstream. In the same way, the mini-series was a fantastic answer to satisfying an easily distracted audience.

As traditional TV demand was slowly diminishing, so was the need for longer shows and syndication. Syndication is when a show’s rights are sold to multiple networks to broadcast it on other stations – that’s why ‘Friends’ is always on Comedy Central for the UK. The ‘Friends’ cast get around $20 million annually EACH for a show that ended over 20 years ago. Syndication typically applies to shows with at least 80 episodes, but in the streaming era, success is about capturing mass appeal quickly with minimal commitment. They would rather make many shows that have a clear beginning and end than invest a lot in a long form show without the guarantee of syndication. To keep up, broadcast TV has created more mini series as well. The demand for limited series has grown exponentially in recent years by audiences, so let’s break down the pros and cons of the continued rise.

Pros

• An Assured End

Mini-series don’t get canceled because they are designed as one-season stories, ensuring a planned ending. When a show isn’t chasing renewal, there is an unparalleled freedom to shape the show. With longer shows, when the lore is built up for seasons, there is pressure for an excellent ending, which doesn’t always happen (‘How I Met Your Mother’, ‘Lost’).

• Short Attention Spans

With fully released limited series, you don’t have to wait for next week’s episode. It’s a bingeing afternoon. I can’t express how quickly I watched ‘Bridgerton’ season 1. It came out on Christmas Day and I didn’t see my family until dinnertime. It’s not a limited series but definitely has the same effect.

• Event TV

Because they are limited to a few episodes, there are no fillers. Every episode is important and carries weight. Also, since they aren’t chasing syndication, the episodes typically don’t grow stale, whereas longer shows can turn into a race to episode 100. A Slate article said it well: “But the need to leave the door open, to keep the story going a little bit longer, and then a little bit longer, is an artistic impediment.”

• Cash Dollar

Less episodes means more money to spend on production and actors. Have you noticed that mini-series carry prestigious actors with it? Robert De Niro on the small screen for ‘Zero Day’?! Movie actors can commit to a few high-quality episodes with clear character arcs and can explore anthology formats, knowing that it is all temporary.

• International Status

Other countries like the UK and Korea have BEEN doing short seasons because they don’t rely on syndication like the US, and the shows are internationally renowned. It makes sense for the US to adapt to international trends, especially since big Hollywood names already attract global attention.

Cons

• Short Attention Spans

Yes, I put it in both. I can’t fully endorse pandering to our loss of concentration. The first step is admitting you have a problem. Mini-series can make us less patient with slow-burn storytelling and the anticipation that comes with it.We struggle to focus if something is too long. Congratulations if you even got this far into the blog entry.

• Joys of the Story

I know mini-series are designed to be self-contained, but sometimes, I just want more. When I think of the greatest shows out there, they are long and they are beautiful. The joy of seeing a character from season 1 to season 7 is unparalleled. Sometimes, a limited series can be a waste of a good character – we want to see more!! The evolution of Walter White from ‘Breaking Bad’ or Olivia Pope from ‘Scandal’. A mini-series can’t replicate that and the one-and-done complex can be unsatisfying.

• Audience Fatigue

Cheryl said that too much of anything can make you sick. There are so many mini-series being released now. How many must-watch shows must I watch?A limited series is a one-time emotional rollercoaster—once it’s over, there’s no going back. We keep having these short relationships with shows, and guys, we must settle down and build roots at some point.

• No New Kids on the Block

Because mini-series attract A-list Hollywood, it doesn’t give many opportunities to up-and coming actors in television. Even if they do get a side role, there aren’t enough episodes to dig into their lives extensively, unless they’re the killer or something. 

• Journeying Together

If it’s not part of an established franchise like Marvel’s ‘WandaVision’, there is less time to really build a universe in a mini-series and this creates a disconnect.  Unlike other short series around the world that may be more character focused (Korean dramas and British shows), American limited series are usually more plot-driven and it can feel more like an extended movie rather than a TV experience, which is less immersive.

Quality over Quantity?

So, what are the concluding thoughts on the limited series? I don’t know about you, but I am in favour of them in moderation. There are some that I ABSOLUTELY love, but the art of longer TV formats cannot be forgotten – in fact, it should be encouraged so please make more. Whether it’s 8 or 80 episodes, I love TV. But for real though, someone put me on a show so I can get it syndicated and get $20 million like Courtney Cox. I can sing, dance and act so I am a triple threat if that helps. My email is in the Contact section of the website, speak soon!