Question: Why do regular TV shows keep moving over to streaming? I wish they would just end. For example: The Orville went to, what, Hulu? Zoey might go to Peacock. There are too many services to get them all, and I am afraid to pick one, because I will just get mad if my show ended up on another one. —Jeff B.
Matt Roush: I hear this a lot! We’re quite clearly in a transitional moment that’s only going to become more confusing and frustrating as network conglomerates shift their assets among their broadcast, cable and more frequently streaming platforms, which they see as their future. We’re still waiting for a premiere date for The Orville, which has been MIA for two years already. That move was made for budgetary and creative reasons, announced way before the Fox network was jettisoned from its studio, but it was just one of the first examples of what’s quickly becoming a trend. I understand the frustration, but I can’t sign on to wishing the shows would just die if there’s a pipeline to keep them going for a few more seasons (i.e., shows as various as Lucifer and Longmire, which both enjoyed extended post-network life on Netflix). Eventually, these episodes might be available in a format that wouldn’t force you to subscribe to a streaming service, and this trajectory is only going to become more common.
To submit questions to TV Critic Matt Roush, go to: tvinsider.com