9 Huge TV Industry Ramifications Of Ripper Street's Amazon Instant Video Resurrection
8. Edgier Programming
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbMAkfsAggU If theres a chance struggling shows could be saved by subscription services, broadcasters might be more willing to take chances on edgier shows aimed at niche markets. As recently as 2010, the boundary-pushing comedy Lizzie and Sarah from Julia Davis (Hunderby) and Jessica Hynes (The Royale Family) was passed up by the BBC. Rumours abounded that the decision to air the pilot at an unseasonable and unpopular hour resulted from its dark content. Of course free to view television is constrained by rules and regulations that dont affect the big cable networks such as HBO but the ground is changing and broadcasters need to respond. Despite a television renaissance on Americas larger cable channels, were also seeing each successful show followed up by numerous, blander versions of the original formula. Mob City, Foxs 1940s answer to Boardwalk Empire was promptly cancelled after just one series. Meanwhile Smash, the grown up Glee, managed just two seasons. Its time to overhaul broadcasters inclination to provide viewers with more of the same. Could the subscription service back-up plan provide the impetus for broadcasters to take more risks? As subscription services are commissioning more of their own original shows, the pressure on free to view broadcasters for unique, quality programming is even greater.
A freelance features writer and online film critic, Natalie idolises screen writers from Terrence Winter to Larry David and Wes Anderson. Her favourite movies include Beasts Of The Southern Wild, 21 Grams and Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca, while her guilty pleasures range from nineties teen flick Clueless to Jurassic Park and pre-Darcy, Colin Firth movie, Valmont. Please don't judge.
Natalie is currently enjoying television's renaissance in Boardwalk Empire, True Detective, The Newsroom and Veep but still has a soft spot for The X-Files and Seinfeld.