Netflix should be inspired by Game of Thrones, watching binge eating in the ditches

At a time when the observation of binge eating is the new norm, HBO's "Game of Thrones" is revolutionary.

Instead of publishing new episodes in a day, the drama fantasy distributes them in weekly installments, like traditional cable programs. The move may seem old-fashioned at a time when Netflix was normalizing TV viewing by marathon, but it's actually a major factor in the program's prolific success. Fans have a break between episodes to react to what has happened and to speculate on what will happen. And they built communities online and in the real world to do just that.

The series' penetration into public consciousness is so pervasive that even people who have never seen "Game of Thrones" before know what it is.

Weekly programming has been so critical to HBO that analysts have begun to suggest to Netflix and other streaming services currently offering unlimited options for their new TV shows, which has allowed them to return to a broadcast schedule. more traditional. .

"I fundamentally believe that Netflix is ​​committing an error by putting [content] as they do, "said Doug Creutz, an analyst at Cowen.

He said the streaming service could take advantage of broadcasting episodes of its larger shows, such as "Stranger Things", one after the other, in order to take advantage of from the enthusiasm and commitment of the fans.

"Personally, I like the fact that there is a week to treat and solve the episode," said Kelsey Daniel, 28, of Virginia. "There is so much to decipher between the series and the books and I like to read a lot about the theories of the fans, and I do not think I keep so much of the shows I watch on Netflix."

Currently, fans of Netflix shows are forced to watch all new episodes of a show during the first weekend, they are available if they want to avoid spoilers on Monday morning. This hasty experience was exciting and welcomed by the public in 2013, when Netflix launched "House of Cards" and "Orange is the New Black," but Creutz said fans preferred to have time to digest content and have To anticipate the next step.

"Since I'm totally interested in instant gratification, I love having all episodes at once," said Leah O Donnell, a 45-year-old California fan. "However, I have the impression to withdraw more when they go out once a week.I have time to absorb them, analyze them and talk about it with them." "It's a bit like a cake, I want the cake right now." but I appreciate it more when I just have a slice of it from time to time. "

Cruetz said that he thought people would react positively to Netflix's analysis when analyzing new episodes, but added that library shows such as "The Office" or "Friends" "should remain stupid. After all, these shows have already been broadcast before, so there's no need to pick up episodes to create suspense or buzz for the show.

"Honestly, I think that Netflix and other on-demand services should consider broadcasting some of their broadcasts every week if they wish to create a more engaged fan base," said Nolan Pacchiana, 29, from New York. "I do not see any on – demand vendors that would have hung in the same way as the GoT, even in the case of high – quality broadcasts.

The over-observation will not in any way disappear. This is an important way for viewers to consume content. However, the new series could benefit from the broadcast of their episodes.

When you look at the 20 most watched shows on Netflix starting in 2018, the majority of them are long-running shows that are not Netflix originals. Programs such as "The Office," "Friends," "Gray's Anatomy," "NCIS," and "Criminal Minds," each featuring between 200 and 400 episodes, round out the top five.

All these programs are sitcoms or procedural dramas. They generally stick to a traditional narrative structure, with the majority of shocking characters departing during the premiere, the mid-season finale, and the final.

"Game of Thrones", based on the novels of "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R. R. Martin, has a penchant for sending out main characters in a brutal, shocking and unexpected way. The fact that no character was immune from death made every episode all the more exciting for the audience who listened in abundance Sunday night to see if his favorites managed to spend the night.

"Stranger Things" also follows this pattern. It is a dynamic program filled with mystery and suspense and there is no predictable narrative structure. Fans have come to get interested in the main characters and watch how they battle the bad guys of the new season – humans and monsters – and who does not surrender until the end of the season.

The day of the second season of "Stranger Things" presented in October 2017, more than 9 million viewers are tuned in, doubling any other original Netflix for a year and a half, said Brian Fuhrer, Senior Vice President, Product Leadership, Nielsen. at the beginning of the company last week.

In the first three days of the season, 15.8 million viewers watched the first episode. For each episode that followed, this number continued to decrease. It may be because people have decided to analyze the episodes instead of watching them all in one sitting.

In comparison, the season 7 of "Game of Thrones", which began in July 2017, was seen by 10.1 million viewers on the first night this episode was available. Week two and three saw a slight drop in viewers the first night, but the interest in seeing the show on its first night continued to gain ground throughout the seven-episode season.

"Game of Thrones" took advantage of the fact that he was not overly watchful, "said Peter Csathy, founder of Creatv Media." He was ready to look at the excess, all the while. what we are talking about would be defeated. "

This year, "Game of Thrones" set a new overnight record for the series, reaching 17.8 million viewers on April 28 for the third episode of season eight. That broke the previous record of the series since the first season eight.

According to a new Harris poll from Kronos' Workforce Institute, more than 27 million employees said they would completely miss their jobs, arrive late or work remotely, or would generally be less productive than ever before. usual because of the finale of the series "Game of Thrones".

"Stranger Things" was so successful, but could it have been more so it was only available weekly, like "Game of Thrones?" & # 39; "said Csathy.