Netflix Is Winning Because Broadcast Networks Are Fighting A Battle They’ve Already Lost

When Netflix premiered House of Cards in 2013, it was a sign to everyone that television would never be the same. Whether you wish to call it the third golden era of TV or the age of peak TV, this chapter in television history has produced some of the most innovative and ambitious projects the medium has ever seen. However, while his surplus of content is undoubtedly a win for consumers, the rise of streaming services with deep pockets hasn’t been as kind to its traditional broadcast peers.

What started as an underdog has now become a behemoth. In 2016 it was reported that Netflix was responsible for the 50 percent drop in television viewing activity in 2015. As time has passed and Netflix and its streaming competitors have only produced more and more premium content, it seems unlikely that number has fallen. Because Netflix has made such an impact on traditional television, it’s a bit unsurprising that ABC, NBC, Fox, and CBS seemed to have taken a page from the streaming service’s book when crafting their recent slate of shows. However, playing Netflix’s game this late in TV’s evolution and without the budget or censor-free environment of the streaming service feels like a risky venture.

Netflix’s rise to cultural prominence has been one defined by big names and new seasons of cancelled classics, and those are the two elements traditional television seems to be emulating now. ABC displays this shift most clearly. The network has had more than its fair share of ambitious dramas, but The Crossing seems aggressively like a Netflix clone. The series is led by Steve Zahn, who is known for his work in movies such as War of the Planet of the Apes and Dallas Buyers Club, and it’s a sci-fi series — a genre that has had mixed results on network TV but Netflix seems to embrace. In addition to this show that ABC is surely hoping will become a must-watch event worthy of its budget, the network is unveiling two new shows from Shonda Rhimes this year, For the People and an untitled Grey’s Anatomy spin-off. Seeing as how these two series are premiering at the tail end of Rhimes’ transition to Netflix, it’s difficult not to see this move as ABC trying to get as much content from its image-defining creator as possible. That’s not all. NBC has Rise on the horizon, a 10-episode musical drama that sounds like it falls somewhere between Glee and The Get Down, and CBS has Instinct, a police-procedural based on James Patterson’s Murder Games that will feature the first openly gay lead for a show of its kind. And then there’s the Roseanne reboot.

ABC

Traditional networks may not have Apple or even Netflix money to court famous stars, but they do have the rights to their own original series. Series reboots have a built-in audience, allow networks to work with stars they already have a relationship with, and are more often than not a surefire ratings hit. Reviving beloved series is also a strategy that defined Netflix’s early years, particularly when it came to Arrested Development. NBC is perhaps one of the only networks that has executed a reboot successfully with Will & Grace, but Fox’s new season of The X-Files are still popular enough to dominate pop culture conversations at times. CBS hasn’t fully gotten on board the reboot train, but it’s hard not to look at Kevin Can Wait as anything other than a King of Queens reboot, and the overwhelming success of Young Sheldon proves the network has found a winning formula with that particular spin-off.

Most of these shows will do well or will continue to do well. However, it’s a bit difficult to not look at these announcements led by name-brand creators and beloved reboots and not think of Netflix’s early days. It’s also hard to look at this line-up and the television climate as a whole without thinking about how Netflix has evolved from its original few hits.

Photo: Netflix

There used to be a bit more order to television. Broadcast networks could be expected to produce big, middle-of-the-road hits, shows that could appeal to large audiences but still comfortably exist under network TV’s regulations. Meanwhile, it was cable’s job to cater to more niche audiences and explore the more violent and vulgar world or television. Massive hits like Lost and cult gems like Curb Your Enthusiasm existed at the same time, but never on the same network. Very quickly, Netflix’s pursuit to be everything to everyone has changed that. The streaming service is now home to both prestigious gems like The Crown and mass appeal hits like Fuller House. And that’s the most interesting part of this changing TV landscape. Netflix, a company that once defined itself by prestige television from top-level creators and talent, is now also the proud home of mass appeal shows that defined networks for decades. Fuller House, Disjointed, The Ranch, One Day at a Time, and even Stranger Things to a lesser degree all fall into that category one way or another. Shows like Master of None, Dear White People, and GLOW may be counted on to give Netflix critical praise, but the audiences that show up for its network-inspired series are likely what keeps the whole operation running.

So where does that leave network television? It’s difficult to say. On a budget level, it’s next to impossible for CBS or Fox to chase after the how, new script of the season. Likewise, the never-ending cycle of reboots can only go for so long. Fans have already expressed mixed opinions about NBC’s decision to revive The Office. However, chasing after Netflix’s strategy, especially right as Apple and Apple’s wallet is jumping into the television game, seems like a risky move.