9 Huge TV Industry Ramifications Of Ripper Street's Amazon Instant Video Resurrection

9. More Shows, More Variety

More collaboration means more cash for traditional broadcasters. In the case of Ripper Street, the BBC has effectively become the commissioning broadcaster, collaborating with Amazon Instant Video on funding. As Amazon will be putting up most of the money, this frees up BBC cash for investment in new programming. BBC drama boss Ben Stephenson has already gone on record saying that the Ripper Street deal provides, €œexcellent value to the licence fee-payer, ensuring that the BBC can also commission an entirely new, yet-to-be-announced drama series". So we€™re going to get more television for our money. This can only be a positive outcome for audiences. It leaves us with just one problem - how will we find the time to watch all of this new programming? If funding arrangements like the one proposed between the BBC and Amazon become the norm, we could see an end to the frustrating cancellation of popular programmes to make room for something new. Ripper Street€™s axing doesn€™t mark the first time the BBC have dropped a relatively successful show to make way for fresh viewing. In 2007 the BBC received over 3,000 comments requesting the return of 1920s Liverpool based drama, Lilies. The show was never recommissioned due to a full schedule and a lineup of newly commissioned period dramas. Subscription services are not tied to a restrictive timetable. Boasting an unlimited schedule, they have room for a much wider range of shows, allowing those with cult audiences to continue while new shows also flourish. There€™s also a potential knock on effect for production companies. With more cash on offer from traditional broadcasters and new outlets in the form of subscription services, there€™s more potential for new talent and ideas to rise up through the ranks. So are there any downsides to all of this variety? With all the competition, we could see terrestrial broadcasters dumbing down to flashy concepts in a bid to catch channel hoppers. We€™ve already seen it happen with reality shows and documentaries. Will drama have a better record of holding its viewers throughout an episode€™s run-time?