Netflix: One Day at a Time

[Faulkner]

I thought his message was clear: in a time when TV was becoming more adventurous, instead of following in the HBO mode of being disruptive creatively, Netflix is churning out formulaic schlock based on viewing patterns and algorithms. People in the comments are awfully defensive. 

[Khan]

I guess that was bound to happen.  Netflix apparently had something fantastic going; so, naturally, they had to find ways to muck it up.

[DramatistDreamer]

 

Except Netflix is also doing movies that compete with those in the movie theaters, while HBO is not.  I would think that, for that reason alone, the Hollywood establishment regards HBO much more favorably than Netflix.

As great at HBO has been over decades, they are not going to compete directly with the movie theaters. HBO is disruptive, but there is a limit to that level of disruption.  What HBO is doing is not threatening to the movie theater industry, while Netflix is clearly intent on going there.

[Faulkner]

Right, which is different. Netflix is more disruptive in terms of the medium and not necessarily artistically. I think Netflix has been aiming at a sort of total world domination and complete changing of the rules that HBO had never aimed for, which is why HBO is suffering such growing pains as AT&T is forcing them to adopt Netflix’s model of pumping out a high volume of content with only a glancing regard to quality. Netflix wants to be everything to everyone, which means a lot of middle-of-the-road sh!t. HBO has HBO Films, which had Warner as a distributor for their theatrical releases like the SATC movies, which had normal theatrical windows. And things like Leaving Neverland simply air on the channel, so there hasn’t been that conflict.

[DramatistDreamer]

 

Netflix is trying to pull an Amazon, in terms of trying to gobble up market share but entertainment is not like warehousing stuff to sell, so we'll see how/whether this strategy works. I have my own ideas on the matter but I'm just going to observe for now to see what becomes of all this.

[Vee]

[Juliajms]

And taking on loads of debt to do it.  I like Netflix well enough. I think they've made some pretty good original shows and they have given a platform to a more diverse group of people. They are the ones who gave Sense 8 and One Day at a Time a chance after all, but I have doubts about the business model. I'm guessing they are going to have to raise the subscription fee substantially in the coming years.

[Vee]

I think Netflix still does a lot of great work. But like HBO and other emergent giants, they are caught between what they market and what they hope to be. They can't have it all and continue to claim to be for the little guy and the biggest gun while operating like a basic network. They don't have an equilibrium when they expect ODAAT fans to binge it all in a couple days so it can compete with, I dunno, Daredevil in the past, or Stranger Things (which I love). It's apples and oranges. Holding it all to the same standard is hypocrisy. It's the fault of the model.

Edited March 20, 2019 by Vee

[Faulkner]

 

 

[DramatistDreamer]

Netflix's contracts will likely cause creatives to think twice about signing on the dotted line with them in the future. Just because this contract model has worked in the past, doesn't mean it will continue to work.  So far, money has allowed Netflix to enforce their standard of placing a moratorium on most series that streamed on their platform (even the author claims that ODAAT might be an exception) Creatives value their freedom and will be side-eyeing these agreements going forward, some may even bypass Netflix and their big $$$ in favor of more freedom with their projects.

 

One aspect that I don't like about that Deadline article is that there are still many unknowns presented in the way that Netflix does its business.  "I hear" and "as far as I have heard" is cited a lot in this article, which tells me virtually nothing as it offers no concrete proof that this is actually the way Netflix does their business.  I like to go on facts before I go off on Netflix  or HBO or any company, for that matter, lol.

Edited March 21, 2019 by DramatistDreamer

[Vee]

[DramatistDreamer]

I didn't know that Phil Lewis was directing now!  I recognize him from the ton of sitcom work that he has done.  

Edited March 22, 2019 by DramatistDreamer

[DramatistDreamer]

With the advent of Apple's streaming service, I wonder how/if this will affect Netflix and other streaming services like Amazon and Hulu?

[Vee]

[Juliajms]

I wonder that as well. Will most people just add Apple or will they drop other services for Apple.  I can't guess.  For my part,  I'm at my limit. I'm happy with the Netflix/Hulu/Amazon trifecta.  Sometimes I drop Hulu and pick it up for a show like The Handmaids Tale.  Apple would have to have some damn good content to get me to switch.

 

Still, if someone asked me to pick between the two companies, I would choose Apple to win.  Apple has a proven track record.  They actually turn a profit and they have more cash than the old gods and the new.  So far Netflix has borrowed one hell of a lot of money and spent it on content. 

 

Don't get me wrong Netflix came up with a great product when they started shipping DVD's.  Then they saw the sea change and developed streaming instead of trying to hold onto an outdated business model and getting beaten to the punch.  There were obviously some smart people in charge during this time.  I'll be interested to see what happens, but I never bet against Apple long term.