Netflix has just cancelled Santa Clarita Diet, this article goes some way towards explaining why

[frelling_tralk]

‘Feeling The Churn: Why Netflix Cancels Shows After A Couple Of Seasons & Why They Can’t Move To New Homes”Honestly they’re just shooting themselves in the foot because I was planning on checking Santa Clarita Diet out after season 3 seemed to get really great reviews, and I heard people on my flist were really enjoying it, but hearing that it has

Comments

[author_by_night]

Your "really long movie" comparison is interesting, and maybe not all that far off. I definitely think they're relying on binging, rather than character development and arc development. Which some shows suffer for. Like One Day at a Time - I like the show a lot, but I do think it was weaker for having a lot more "special focus issue" episodes rather than longer lasting arcs and character/relationship development. However, I don't think the format really allowed a smoother ride. I don't think it needed to be cancelled, I think it had more viewership than they admitted, but I wonder if it would've been more popular if so many of the episodes hadn't been in Very Special Episode territory

[frelling_tralk]

I wonder if there’s been a change behind the scenes at some point, because I definitely get the impression that they are now chasing the youth demo hard in this past year or so, and catering towards viewers who they see as having a limited attention span and just wanting to speed watch new content all the time. That seems very limiting to me though, because surely they’re never going to be able to produce *that* many new tv shows every month, especially while still trying to balance the money that they are spending. And as I’ve mentioned in several other comments, it definitely seems to be the case that most people are finding that it’s the older network shows that they’re happiest to rewatch the most as ~comfort shows~ almost, and that’s just not the kind of shows that Netflix seem interested in doing. That is going to present a problem once Netflix starts losing the rights to shows like Friends and The Office though, even young viewers are watching those shows on repeat by the sounds of it, and are not as obsessed with new content

[author_by_night]

Yeah, to be fair, I even remember trying to have a Netflix night with a friend years ago, and nothing was on Netflix that was really worth watching. It was a lot of movies that probably, in their day, spent a week and a half at major theaters before slinking to DVD. Or even just went straight to DVD.* This was probably five, six years ago. You could rent the more popular movies, but they weren't on instant watch.

*Although apparently not all straight to DVD movies are bad. But it's not good if a movie intended for cinematic release pretty much falters to DVD. At least if that's always the intention, there's a chance it's quite good and just didn't have the funding or leverage to get past DVD/limited cinema release. I'm not a film expert, this is all conjecture based on what other film people have told me. :P

I wonder if there’s been a change behind the scenes at some pointI feel like that happens a lot, and in general, not just with companies like Netflix. Or more or less the same people are there, but are pressured to make

[frelling_tralk]

I definitely find that comedies especially are the kind of shows that you never get sick of re-watching, but then it’s weird to me that Netflix are prepared to spend a ton on having the rights to air Friends for a year, even though in other respects they do seem to want to focus more on original content and see that as their future, so why then are they not investing in setting up some original comedies to run for longer than a few years? That would seem to be a no-brainer to me when all that money they spend on Friends can only benefit them for a singe year

[nemophilist]

SO BUMMED

[frelling_tralk]

:(

[tabaqui]

I....really don't get their logic. And if continuing past 3 (short) seasons is too expensive, they should change their business model. Or be up front with the show's producers, etc., that they need to make sure the story arc is told and complete in three seasons (or two), or at least has virtually no loose ends.... I dunno. It's stupid, to me.

I don't feel that Santa Clarita Diet ended on a 'cliffhanger' at all, really - I don't *like* that it ended, but I didn't feel cheated out of answers or anything.

Me, I'd watch it, because it really is fun and funny, and Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant are amazing. I thought the ending wrapped things up pretty well.

[frelling_tralk]

I’m definitely not getting their logic, it seems like they’re happy to spend billions on original content otherwise, but as soon as a show gets too popular in its third season then they suddenly start tightening the purse strings? At least that’s what I’m led to understand anyway https://deadline.com/2019/04/santa-clarita-diet-canceled-netflix-three-seasons-1202602903/comment-page-1/#comments

As I have reported, at least some of Netflix’s cancellations stem from the shows being deemed to have gotten too expensive. That is because of how many of Netflix’s series deals are structured. It is widely known that Netflix employs a “cost-plus” model, offering to pay upfront a show’s production costs plus a premium of 30%+ of the costs. The pacts include bump/bonuses after each season that are getting progressively bigger. While the payments are relatively modest after Season 1 and a little bigger

[tabaqui]

Exactly! Maybe I'm just missing some vital understanding of the business model but...it really seems weird and pointless to me.
And I would definitely be gun-shy if i were a creative person and Netflix was looking to put 'my' show up.... Would i get to finish it? Would it just be an exercise in frustration?

Arrgh.

Plus, my Netflix monthly bill just went up for May, so now i'm pondering if i want to continue like it is, cut back, or cut it out entirely. I dunno.

[frelling_tralk]

Possibly things may be about to change now that everyone is more aware of Netflix’s thinking, I could see some of the bigger names like Ryan Murphy and Shonda Rhimes wanting deals to make sure that they get to finish the storyline they had mapped out? Equally creators may now start coming to Netflix with the understanding that they need to wrap things up with the third season?

But yeah, their logic does seem puzzling when you keep hearing about how many billions Netflix is willing to spend on new content, and yet they apparently decide to tighten the purse strings once a show is a proven hit after three seasons?

[snogged]

Nick and I watched the first episode of Santa Clarita and we weren't convinced.
Others I know loved t and I feel bad for them.

[frelling_tralk]

I noticed a lot more people talking about it when the third season came out interestingly, it wasn’t really on my radar much before then, but it really seemed like the third season was a hit and the show was starting to become pretty popular. It’s baffling logic to then cancel it in order to save money, all they are doing is pissing off a lot of fans, and I always thought that their business model was to spend a ton investing in original content?

[bm_shipper]

It's not the only show that got canceled recently and ended with a Cliffhanger. The same happened with THE GIFTED and the same WILL happen with Blindspot. I just hate it. I hate that shows don't get the chance to really end on their own terms anymore. It's all about money, money, money.

I've never seen SCD but I have of course heard of it and lots of people - especially on Facebook - are super upset about it...

[frelling_tralk]

It is so frustrating, especially when at one point it seemed like Netflix was above that and cared about bringing shows to a proper conclusion, but now it just seems like they have decided to copy the networks instead :( Same with them suddenly deciding to chase initial viewing numbers and wanting the younger demo, even though in the past it always seemed more like they cared more about having a good selection of shows with something to offer everyone