How streaming ruined HBO

We consider the period of time in which HBO programs had both creative and economic success to have come to an end. The fault lies with Netflix.

The transformation of HBO Max into Max alone is more than just a rebranding; contrary to what has been said, it has not resulted in the demise of HBO. This is because the brand continues to be perfectly defined within the umbrella that is Max, which encompasses everything from the platform’s classic series to reality shows about dating while under the influence of marijuana. In spite of this, HBO has been struggling for quite some time for other reasons, and it is not exactly the birth of Max that is the cause of this; rather, it is the death of a method of producing television.

How does Peak TV work? It is a lengthy and recent stage of television production that is characterized by the high quality of its programs, in a manner that is more or less consensual. Peak TV, also known as Prestige TV or, should we say, The Golden Age of Television, is another name for this stage. With the premiere of ‘The Sopranos’ in 1999, we may build a beginning that is just as excellent as any other. On the other hand, its bounds are, as they usually are in situations like these, ambiguous. Are there any further examples? ‘The West Wing’ (1999), ‘The Wire’ (2002), ‘Lost’ (2004), ‘Battlestar Galactica’ (2004), ‘Mad Men’ (2007), ‘Breaking Bad’ (2008), ‘The Walking Dead’ (2010), ‘Game of Thrones’ (2011), or ‘House of Cards’ (2013) are some examples of television shows that have been recognized for their outstanding work.

What is the significance of HBO? It is clear from a cursory examination of that list that HBO (or even, beyond that, the “HBO style,” which is characterized by the consumption of programs that were not originally produced by the cable platform, such as “Breaking Bad”) had a significant role in the formation of this stamp. Nevertheless, it reached a point where it started to suffer from a downturn. In addition, there are numbers: for instance, in the year 2023, there were 516 original series that were released, which was a decrease of 14% compared to the previous year. This period of decline had already been forecast for years, with analysts talking about the decline of Peak TV for 2016 or 2017… nevertheless, they did not count on the explosion of streaming, which breathed a breath of fresh air into the production of series. In truth, this phase of decline had already been expected for years.

This is a bad time for the HBO method. With the arrival of the new century and the introduction of programs such as “The Sopranos” and “The Wire,” HBO made a surprising change in terms of the pace of their programming. Increasing the requirement to present a story that required ten hours or more to be narrated resulted in the imposition of slow rhythms that were frequently reflective. These rhythms were in direct opposition to the frenetic manner of traditional television. On the other hand, this style is beginning to change as a result of the regulations that have been imposed on streaming services, particularly those that are enforced by Netflix. Netflix, which distributes whole seasons simultaneously, favors binges and, as a result, lighter episodes that prevent viewers from becoming bored.

The year 2023, the year of the terrible. The current period of decline in Peak TV coincides with a series of circumstances that have generated a crisis that goes beyond HBO: two creators’ strikes that have put the industry in check; an actor as powerful as Warner kicking off cuts and restrictions that began at HBO Max and has ended up spreading to other platforms, such as Disney+ ; Netflix announcing dizzying subscriber losses in 2022 which, although it was a setback that has now been overcome , also inaugurated a period of cuts for the streaming giant … all of this has impacted quality television, which is very expensive to produce and is now in a clear recession.

Television has entered a new era. Obviously, every ascent has its fall, and it is no longer a question of whether or not Peak TV will have to come to an end at some point in the future. In the year 2020, following the pandemic, there was a surge in the number of streaming productions that had never been seen before. This was due to the proliferation of platforms that were responsible for the limits that were imposed in conjunction with COVID. Variety addressed this phenomenon in this report.

As a result of the hangover from the tsunami, the frenetic production pace of streaming has been swept away, but it has also imposed visual and budgetary codes that are very different from those that HBO had at the beginning of the century. This incredible output was not sustainable, and now we are experiencing the recession.

A low-cost television. Netflix has imposed visual and budgetary codes that are far from the luxurious style of Peak TV. These codes include a reduction in economic investment, an increase in television-like aesthetics and a decrease in cinematic aesthetics, an abundance of computer-generated imagery, and digital texture that is attempted to be camouflaged with garish colors.

In addition to all of these restrictions that come with a recession like the one that is currently occurring, Netflix has also imposed these codes. According to the aforementioned Variety article, Netflix is responsible for 46 percent of the content that is created in the streaming industry. Therefore, it is not surprising that the platform has imposed its own style and its own codes. We have reached the end of the period in which television was more than just television.

How streaming ruined HBO

By ki0nk

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