With news of Apple’s new television streaming service, AppleTV+, announced at its Cupertino event on March 25, we as collective audience viewers, are faced again with an inevitable decision: do we really need television service providers anymore?
Like I have stated in past columns, I personally only watch a handful of series on network television because more and more these network series all become the same predictable garbage. Though, I find that original series from streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon seem to push boundaries and offer more for the viewer.
Amy Sherman-Palladino, writer and creator of eight-time Emmy award winning (all from its first season) series, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” has been noted to say that she will never go back to working on network television after working with Amazon on its hit series.
Sherman-Palladino, who is also the writer and creator of “Gilmore Girls,” left that series after its sixth season over contract disputes with The WB television network (which later became The CW), because they could not provide the financial stability she and her husband and writing partner, Dan, needed.
Since “Gilmore Girls’” 2007 final season debacle, which had a team of new writers and was noticeably different, Netflix gave Sherman-Palladino the chance to end her series the way she wanted and gave her a four-part miniseries in 2016.
After working with Netflix on the series and then eventually bringing her talents to Amazon, Sherman-Palladino stated that she could never return to working for network television because of the freedom she received from streaming services, both with her writing and financially.
If one of the greatest television writers of the last two decades, in my opinion, feels that she is better off with streaming services rather than network providers, could we see a shift with other writers, actors and directors as well?
This past week, Apple announced its first original series: an eight-part miniseries adapted from Stephen King’s 2006 novel, “Lisey’s Story.” Academy Award-winning actress Julianne Moore will star in the series directed by two-time Emmy-award winner J.J. Abrams.
And just like that, we can see that these services can do whatever they want. Apple, which brought in a revenue of $53.3 billion last year, can do whatever it wants – and Apple most likely will.
Amazon basically swept last year’s Emmy awards with “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and had its film “Manchester by the Sea” nominated for Best Picture at the 2017 Academy Awards. And Netflix joined the party this year with its Academy Award nomination for Best Picture with Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma.”
So, with these streaming services being recognized for their original films and series, what’s left for network television?
I have personally dropped my television service. For the past six months, I have used nothing but Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. If there is a certain sporting event going on that I want to watch, I’ll go to the local bar and grab a bite and watch the game.
There is no point in me paying for a television provider when there is nothing to watch. The series that I do watch on network television, I can wait until the next day when Hulu streams them.
If you were to look at last year’s Emmy awards, out of every single category, network television only won a total of six awards. If that doesn’t speak volumes of the state of network television, I don’t know what does.
Streaming services are the new form of watching any type of entertainment. The only purpose of network television now is to watch the news, and to be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if that eventually made its way over to streaming services as well.
Unless network television can find a way to get more financial stability, its time is over.
Ken Downey Jr. is the Features Editor for Time OFF and Packet Publications. This is a part of his series of weekly columns focusing on arts and entertainment. He can be contacted at kdowney@newspapermediagroup.com.
