10 Ways To Save Streaming Services

At the moment, streaming services are mostly keeping their focus on scripted comedy and drama. There are some documentaries like Netflix’s Making A Murderer, but it’s a very minor part of the streaming market, which is a missed opportunity for pushing new formats since streaming services have become incredibly influential when it comes to pop culture.

Let’s take panel shows as an example: they’re a curiously British thing, and are usually produced in the space of a week for peanuts. Basically the opposite of a streaming service’s content, but panel shows have developed quite a bit of a cult following in the US through people discovering them through clips on YouTube, or suggestions on websites like Reddit. So there’s a small but emerging market that any streaming service could take advantage of, but is left untouched.

Likewise, reality shows are largely ignored when it comes to original content. Netflix is happy to stream Channel 4’s Embarrassing Bodies but has no real interest in producing anything like that itself, having launched a grand total of three reality shows in total. Which might be a blessing depending on your opinion on reality TV, but is a sign of areas of content being ignored.

And let’s face it, even if it’s not exactly high art, for a lot of people, TV like Grand Designs and Come Dine With Me are peak comfort-food programming, and something that can easily suck away an entire afternoon. Which is absolutely perfect for a medium that made the idea of binge-watching TV more mainstream.