When you learn my publish from over the weekend about Reelgood’s newest snapshot of the ten largest streaming TV exhibits of the second, you then already know that rating contains a number of the largest collection we’re all obsessive about proper now — in addition to a couple of newcomers which might be slicing by the noise and grabbing mindshare. We’re speaking TV hits like The White Lotus, MobLand, Dying for Intercourse, The Pitt, Adolescence, and The Studio, amongst others.
One factor that’s attention-grabbing about lots of the exhibits on that checklist is the un-Netflix-like launch cadence they share. Particularly, it looks like a rising variety of crucial TV releases that we’re all speaking about are literally throwbacks to the appointment TV period — releasing new episodes weekly, versus binge-all-at-once drops.
Apple TV+’s Severance, for instance, has pushed tons of on-line dialog and buzz for a lot of the 12 months thus far. Similar with The Pitt and The White Lotus, and in addition for Paramount+’s record-setting gangster drama MobLand (take a look at my interview with the solid right here). Netflix, in the meantime, stays the odd one out right here, steadfastly clinging (for essentially the most half) to its well-established binge launch mannequin — and, relying on the place you reside and who you’re related to on-line, individuals might or might not nonetheless be speaking about lots of its largest current releases, like Adolescence.
As a result of Netflix continues to drop most new releases unexpectedly, which by definition implies that we’re not all watching on the similar time or caught up with one another, it looks like what’s typically the case is that a few of Netflix’s largest current releases like Squid Sport Season 2 and American Primeval are basically right here at this time and gone tomorrow, when it comes to large-scale consciousness. On the similar time, the regular drip of latest present episodes from rival streamers continues to drive group chats, TikTok memes, thinkpieces, and the like. Kind of like … TV used to do, again within the day.
“Adolescence was a masterpiece and the right instance of why the binge mannequin is the worst factor for our trade,” actor, author, producer Luke Barnett wrote on X. “It was the discuss of the city for ONE WEEK. The Pitt, White Lotus, The Studio, and many others? Nonetheless being talked about each single day.” I don’t know if he’s being facetious about “one week,” as a result of Adolescence was definitely an enormous deal on-line for longer than that, however I take his bigger level.
Furthermore, I don’t assume anybody would dispute the truth that the weekly launch mannequin has confirmed repeatedly to be a wonderful technique for constructing buzz, driving word-of-mouth, and retaining viewers engaged. HBO perfected it. Apple TV+ is prospering with it. Even Disney+ drops episodes weekly and has turned exhibits like The Mandalorian and Loki into sustained cultural moments. And but, Netflix — the streaming large that gave us autoplay and the “Are you continue to watching?” nudge — remains to be sprinting in the other way.
To be honest, there are causes Netflix clings to this mannequin. For one factor, it’s their signature transfer — the binge drop is a part of the Netflix model. It made them a streaming pioneer, and a few viewers nonetheless see it as a form of luxurious: Full management, no ready, and the flexibility to observe an entire season over a weekend. I suppose, from a enterprise standpoint, concentrating all of the advertising and viewership into a brief window may also make quarterly numbers look nice.
An enormous drop, an enormous viewership spike, and a fast PR victory.
However right here’s the issue: it’s all fleeting. A weekend binge doesn’t construct legacy. It builds burnout. And it makes even the perfect exhibits disappear from the dialog virtually instantly — sacrificed to the content material churn.
Right here’s a principle for you: Netflix remains to be obsessive about binge releases not as a result of it’s what audiences need — however as a result of the choice may expose simply how forgettable lots of its exhibits truly are.
I can’t assist however surprise that if most Netflix exhibits got here out weekly, the reality is perhaps laborious to disregard: Audiences would simply cease watching. No “subsequent episode” button, no background noise binge, no momentum. Simply useless air. That’s the darkish magic of the binge — it masks an absence of endurance. A weak pilot? Doesn’t matter, episode two auto-queues. Boring center episodes? You’re too lazy to show it off. However take away the binge crutch and all of a sudden, a mid-tier Netflix thriller isn’t must-see TV — it’s only a content material dump you don’t really feel dangerous skipping.
This isn’t about making each present Succession. It’s about treating tales like they’re value savoring. Weekly drops construct anticipation. They permit for dialog, theorizing, memes, and slow-burn fanbases. And most significantly, they inform you whether or not a present is definitely good, not simply good at tricking the algorithm.
The irony? Netflix already is aware of this. That’s why their actuality exhibits — like Love Is Blind and The Circle — launch weekly, or in staggered batches. Nobody needs the finale spoiled on Reddit two hours after it drops. The weekly mannequin protects the suspense. It’s logistical — and, once more, it really works. The excitement stretches for weeks, not hours.
Netflix isn’t fully allergic to alter. It continues to experiment with split-season releases, however even that looks like a half measure. The streaming panorama has matured. Viewers aren’t simply searching for comfort; they need connection. Appointment TV isn’t useless. It simply moved to streaming platforms that know how you can tempo themselves.
So right here’s my thesis: Netflix sticks with binge releases as a result of it’s afraid that with out the moment gratification entice, lots of its exhibits could be uncovered for what they are surely — content material filler, not cultural dialog.
