Is Modern Television Dying?

Alina Dewindt | Editor

With so many TV shows being released in 2022 and early 2023, there are bound to be some cuts. Throughout what I’ve seen on social media, many people have voiced their opinions about why their favorite TV shows are being canceled.

Saying things like "the day Netflix canceled Warrior Nun was the day I lost all faith in humanity," and "why must streaming services cancel all of the good shows but keep all of the ones that suck?" However, I don’t think this claim is all that true. Even in cases where it's true, it’s more complicated than just "canceling good TV shows".

As a consumer of TV shows, I have noticed a pattern of high-quality TV shows being released on either Netflix or HBO Max. I recall watching the Netflix series "I Am Not Okay With This" with my friends, and discussing how good of a plot the show had. We even came up with theories about what the second season will bring based on the show's cliffhanger. However, when the show was canceled a few months later, we became the same expressive people.

Modern television is more or less evolving in some places when it comes to visuals and CGI. However, it’s also fading away with the writing, plot and characters. In these cases, it results in these newer shows having a season with only 10 episodes. Meanwhile there were at least 25 episodes back in the day. That question will probably never be answered, unless you’re working at Netflix or HBO Max.