In January 2007, the pioneering DVD-by-mail rental service Netflix launched a streaming media platform, introducing the concept of video on demand through an Web connection. A the time of launch, Netflix solely had 1,000 movies accessible for streaming (in comparison with over 70,000 on DVD). A month later, Netflix would mail out its billionth DVD to a buyer, which marked the start of the top. Within the following years, because of partnerships made with studios and broadcasters like Disney, Warner Bros., Viacom, DreamWorks, The CW, and AMC, Netflix’s streaming service was proving extra well-liked than the mail subscription service that constructed their firm.
However on February 1, 2013, an enormous shift occurred when Netflix launched “Home of Playing cards,” its first authentic, United States-produced collection unique to the streamer. It wasn’t only a riveting political drama, however one which additionally boasted large Hollywood names like a yet-to-be-disgraced Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright. Netflix proved that they might do extra than simply acquire licenses for hit motion pictures and TV exhibits, they might make them as properly. The early years of Netflix Unique Programming was an explosion of creativity — “Orange is the New Black,” “Sense8,” the Marvel TV exhibits, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” the beginning of Mike Flanagan’s reign of horror, “Grace and Frankie,” “One Day at a Time,” and “BoJack Horseman” have been absolute recreation changers, and Netflix was trying to distribute adventurous, artistic, and authentic characteristic movies.
However their success additionally impressed the studios and broadcasters Netflix had been buying the majority of their library from to aim to copy the mannequin for themselves, and The Streaming Wars started. The warfare has introduced forth immeasurable casualties, however the largest has undoubtedly change into the dissolution of what the phrase “authentic” truly means.
The evolution from authentic programming to unique programming
To not quote the dictionary right here, however “authentic” as outlined by the oldsters at Merriam-Webster is “not secondary, spinoff, or imitative.” In fact, all artwork is spinoff of one thing, however the preliminary run of streaming originals was way more desirous about making compelling, genuinely authentic movies and TV exhibits than the present panorama of bending and bowing to the whims of data-driven “assured hits” and algorithmically interesting poster artwork. I used to be just lately privileged sufficient to catch an early screening of “The Creep Tapes,” (coming quickly to Shudder) the collection enlargement of the “Creep” movies, initially distributed internationally by Netflix, with franchise creators Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice in attendance. At one level, Duplass talked about how a lot making the “Creep” movies meant to him as a result of they have been an outlet for him to take actually authentic artistic swings and lamented that 2014 now appears like a completely completely different lifetime. It is miserable to confess, however he is proper.
The Streaming Wars actually picked up steam in 2019 with the launch of Disney+, forcing the entire streamers to vie for subscribers, expertise, and initiatives. Whoever stated “a free market encourages competitors” was a idiot, as a result of the results of stated competitors was that studios and streamers turned extra danger averse, much less prone to push boundaries, and extra reliant on acquainted IP. The Max streaming app is trying to already reboot the “Harry Potter” franchise with a collection that can take over 10 years to finish, studios have change into depending on franchise blockbusters with irresponsibly inflated budgets, and final yr /Movie author Rafael Motamayor identified the rising pattern of “The Model Film.” As he wrote, “Apart from, who cares about individuals anyway? Not Hollywood, apparently, as a result of they’ve lastly acknowledged that the viewers’s large curiosity in recognizable IP and nostalgia means they do not care about individuals or characters, they care about merchandise.” And contemplating how many individuals “look ahead to motion pictures to hit streaming” as an alternative of going out to catch a brand new flick in a movie show, The Streaming Wars have infiltrated the panorama of theatrical releases.
The place are independently produced movies with no flashy A-lister to headline the trailer purported to go? What will we do with genuinely authentic tales that may’t be confirmed by “knowledge” to be a success as a result of it is by no means been carried out earlier than? It was once that these have been the sorts of tales that streamers fought to provide a house however now … authentic doesn’t suggest authentic, it simply means “unique.”
It is time to push again in opposition to the streaming panorama
Make no mistake, there are lots of nice movies and TV exhibits nonetheless popping out as exclusives to streamers (I can’t relaxation till everyone seems to be watching “How To Die Alone” on Hulu” on Hulu), however in talking with a handful of filmmakers (who’ve requested to stay nameless for apparent causes), they’ve all agreed that in the case of pitching to streamers, if it isn’t one thing that may very well be associated to an IP or runs the danger of rocking the boat, they do not waste their time. So what will we do? What can we as customers do to assist flip the tide?
A number of years in the past, I wrote about the pattern of followers begging studios to #ReleaseThe___Cut and why giving in to the loudest voices is not at all times a superb factor, as a result of lots of very loud individuals may also be very incorrect! However the factor is … I acknowledge that this technique works. Studios and streamers are frightened of a PR nightmare above absolutely anything, which is why there was a report in October of 2024 about studios growing “superfan focus teams” to discover ways to “keep away from frightening fandoms within the first place.” Make no mistake, that is grotesquely bending to the whims of absolutely the worst individuals within the universe, nevertheless it’s proof constructive that studios and streamers are TERRIFIED of their audiences.
It is time to battle hearth with hearth. It is time to push again in opposition to “authentic” that means “unique.” It is time to cease accepting the slop they toss at us and anticipate us to devour like obedient little piggies. It is time to demand authentic tales and inventive swings, and take a web page out of the loudmouth jerkwads who’ve fully screwed up the trade by making these in command of the magic greenlight assume that enjoying it secure is the important thing to success. Once they go low, we have to meet them at their degree after which drag them to hell.
Netflix Unique, Max Unique, Peacock Unique, and Solely on Paramount+ need to be an indication of high quality and a real mark of originality. In any other case, what are we even doing right here?
