| We might later regret the success of Wednesday on Netflix. |
What do you hear? That ominous popping noise? It is the sound of the champagne being opened by the Netflix executives. It was revealed on Tuesday that Wednesday, the streaming service's sitcom based on the Addams Family member, has become a big hit. It broke Stranger Things' record for being the most watched show on Netflix ever in a single week, according to information provided by the streaming service. According to these findings, after just seven days, the show had been streamed for a total of 341.2 million hours. A week later, Wednesday surpassed its previous milestone and has now accrued streams totaling more than 400 million hours. Fantastic news for those connected with the show, less so for the future of television on small screens.
Wednesday makes for excellent television. Without its captivating lead star Jenna Ortega, Wednesday ran the risk of being as dull as a rainy Monday. It has an upbeat score by Danny Elfman, irresistible costumes by Colleen Atwood, and a stellar ensemble that includes John Papsidera and Sophie Holland. However, even with Ortega, it still falls into several stereotypes, particularly that it is effectively the Gen-Z Addams Family via Riverdale. Wednesday lacks bite for a show about a beloved wacky sharpshooter who has been the inspiration for Halloween costumes all over the world since 1992, and more than three people have called it good "background" television since its release.
All of a sudden, those 400 million hours make sense.
But what worries me is not Wednesday's average quality. I'm more concerned about its success and the long-term effects that these numbers will have. The extraordinary degree of popularity on Wednesday could have a negative impact on how new shows are approved. In other words, novel concepts might be pushed to the bottom of the stack.
Soon after those champagne bottles are opened (enjoy them; they've earned it), there will be a discussion on how to most closely replicate Wednesday's ratings performance. The logical consequence will be to comb through current film franchises for characters who could launch their own television show. With anything and everything thrown at the wall, no idea will be deemed bad: Inigio, a prequel tracing the early years of The Princess Bride's master of fencing Inigio Montoya, could be a possibility. A proposed television series called Farbissina will follow the transformation of Dr. Evil's Austin Powers henchwoman, Fraulein, into Frau. Perhaps a spin-off focusing on Lord Farquaad from Shrek will be considered, with eight episodes examining how the diminutive villain grew to loathe fairytale creatures. (I don't know why, but Tom Hollander comes to mind for the part.)
Given that Tim Burton only helmed four episodes, it is somewhat unfair to credit him with a big portion of Wednesday's success. The series was created by Smallville's Miles Millar and Alfred Gough. But after severing connections with Disney in October, it appears that Burton has found a new home. Undoubtedly, his back catalog will be looked over. If Lydia, a show following Winona Ryders' Lydia Deetz after Beetlejuice (which I would watch) is rejected for being too Wednesday-lite, Edward Scissorhands won't be either. Every writer will be desperately trying to come up with a solution to the age-old query, "Exactly how does he go to the toilet?" Or maybe Burton will work with Ryan Murphy, a seasoned Netflix expert.for an Ed Wood spin-off in the Feud style centred on Bela Lugosi, the actor who played Dracula. There's no doubt that David Harbour will receive a call.
Because of Wednesday, any character from everything with even the slightest fandom will be in the spotlight, with the potential for viewership being unethically mined by the professionals. Given the current state of cinema, this idea is even more depressing. Originality is becoming less valued in favor of preexisting IP as almost every tentpole film is set up for a sequel, prequel, or spin-off. Fortunately, writers may use the episode count in creative ways to introduce new worlds, characters, and situations on television, giving a home to the untried, more out-there concepts.
| We might later regret the success of Wednesday on Netflix. |
Netflix, however, evidently follows the adage "if it ain't busted, don't fix it." Netflix has a history of killing off ambitious initiatives when not enough people are tuning in. This implies that Wednesday's success will unintentionally put the death knell for innovation. Even though it may seem like a labor of love for those participating, TV viewers and freelance writers with original ideas may regret Wednesday's triumph for years to come.
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