Are we past the golden age of TV?

Ciroxa

It feels like there are more shows than ever, but fewer that actually stick. Is this just nostalgia talking, or has streaming, algorithms, and binge culture changed how shows are written and remembered?

PotatoStarch

It feels like it for the most part.
Also a lot of good shows were filmed in Canada in the past and not as many anymore are.

G225 code IRSGE

Hi, I think there are also too many TV channels and the content is diluted. Fewer channels and more money on the content would make better television.

Ciroxa

@PotatoStarch said:
It feels like it for the most part.
Also a lot of good shows were filmed in Canada in the past and not as many anymore are.

Yeah, I can see that. A lot of classic shows were filmed in Canada too, but fewer are now. Do you think it’s mainly budget and location shifts, or has the whole streaming/binge culture really changed what shows get made and remembered?

Ciroxa

@G225 code IRSGE said:
Hi, I think there are also too many TV channels and the content is diluted. Fewer channels and more money on the content would make better television.

Exactly, the sheer volume makes it hard for anything to stand out. It’s like quality gets lost in the noise. I wonder if focusing budgets on fewer, stronger shows would actually make them more memorable.

PotatoStarch

@Ciroxa said:

@PotatoStarch said:
It feels like it for the most part.
Also a lot of good shows were filmed in Canada in the past and not as many anymore are.

Yeah, I can see that. A lot of classic shows were filmed in Canada too, but fewer are now. Do you think it’s mainly budget and location shifts, or has the whole streaming/binge culture really changed what shows get made and remembered?

I think it's probably due to policy changes. Filming goes wherever is cheaper to film in, so if the tax incentives aren't good enough anymore they will just stay near the studios, or film somewhere cheaper.
Streaming changed how we consume tv shows, but most of it is still filmed and not for generated with AI yet.

Ciroxa

@PotatoStarch said:

@Ciroxa said:

@PotatoStarch said:
It feels like it for the most part.
Also a lot of good shows were filmed in Canada in the past and not as many anymore are.

Yeah, I can see that. A lot of classic shows were filmed in Canada too, but fewer are now. Do you think it’s mainly budget and location shifts, or has the whole streaming/binge culture really changed what shows get made and remembered?

I think it's probably due to policy changes. Filming goes wherever is cheaper to film in, so if the tax incentives aren't good enough anymore they will just stay near the studios, or film somewhere cheaper.
Streaming changed how we consume tv shows, but most of it is still filmed and not for generated with AI yet.

That makes sense—tax incentives have always been a huge driver. Streaming definitely changed consumption, but it’s interesting that production hasn’t shifted to AI-generated content much yet. I wonder how long before that starts affecting where and what gets made.

Sébastien_C

TV used to collect a huge part of ad revenue, not anymore. I remember the epoch when buying a 30-second ad on TV was synonymous of business success.

Digital platforms are attracting most revenu now and TV shows are struggling to break even.

I don’t see any signs of recovery from TV station and believe that TV is slowly dying since 2012.

Ciroxa

@Sébastien_C said:
TV used to collect a huge part of ad revenue, not anymore. I remember the epoch when buying a 30-second ad on TV was synonymous of business success.

Digital platforms are attracting most revenu now and TV shows are struggling to break even.

I don’t see any signs of recovery from TV station and believe that TV is slowly dying since 2012.

Agreed. TV lost its ad monopoly around 2012, digital ate the revenue, and without scale or margins most shows can’t justify themselves anymore. It’s a slow decline, not a comeback story.