The great thing about television is: The story can go on as long as you want it to. Whether it’s six half-hours or two hundred hours, TV can take all the time it wants to flesh out its characters and explore every narrative avenue. But lately, some TV networks and streamers have been taking advantage of that flexibility, stretching stories that would normally be a two-hour movie into bloated eight or 10 or 12-hour limited series. Simply put: A lot of limited series these days are toooooo long.
The latest example: Hulu’s docudrama The Dropout, which premieres next Thursday and stars Amanda Seyfried as disgraced tech whiz Elizabeth Holmes. The rapid rise and fall of Holmes and her company Theranos make for a juicy story, yes, but there’s not enough there to justify eight hour-long episodes. (Even the podcast it’s based on was only six hours long.) The premiere focuses on Elizabeth’s formative years and college experience — which, in a typical two-hour movie, would’ve been a ten-minute flashback at most. But here, we’re asked to wade through multiple hours to get to all the good scammy stuff we came for.
The Dropout is not alone, though: Overextended limited series are practically an epidemic right now. True crime docudramas seem to be especially prone to this brand of bloat, with Netflix’s Inventing Anna, Apple TV+’s The Shrink Next Door and Hulu’s Pam & Tommy all testing our patience in recent months. The extra running time theoretically allows these shows to sharpen their focus on minor characters and deepen their storytelling. But too often, it just ends up having a numbing effect, with the shows repeating the same story beats over and over and taking pointless detours to kill time, wearing us out before we hit the finish line.
So who’s to blame for this epidemic? The rapidly changing movie industry is one likely culprit: With studios primarily churning out big-budget superhero fare, the kind of mid-level prestige drama we used to see is now turning to the small screen. And since TV movies are nearly extinct, outside of HBO, the only choice is to fluff it up to a full-blown limited series, which means tripling or quadrupling the running time. (These limited series also attract big stars who want a chance to win an Emmy without committing to an ongoing series.) Plus, with streamers touting the number of minutes each series is viewed, there’s incentive to push these stories beyond their natural storytelling parameters to pump up those crucial viewership numbers.
But we, the viewers, are paying the price. The Dropout had some potential, but I just couldn’t invest eight hours in a story that could easily be told in two. Last year, Andrew Garfield and Jessica Chastain played infamous televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker in the theatrical release The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Chastain was excellent (and earned a well-deserved Oscar nomination for Best Actress), and we witnessed the full scope of Tammy Faye’s life story in just over two hours. I’m glad I saw it (it’s streaming now on HBO Max)… and I’m very glad that some network didn’t try to turn it into a 12-hour miniseries.
Do you agree that limited series are stretching their stories too far? Hit the comments and weigh in.
Yeah we isn’t for me! I love a good movie I won’t lie but I also am game for a well crafted miniseries!
People wouldn’t consume this medium if they didn’t want to! And by the looks of it lots of people are happy to consume and enjoy!
yes! i liked the cast but Anna was a bit of a chore to get thru
Amen
Agreed… by the third episode I was wondering how they were going to stretch it out another six episodes.
After the third episode I gave up!
Omg…I wasn’t the only one. As much as I like Julie Garner, the plotting and pacing were numbing. I stopped about 3/4 into episode three. I may skip ahead for curiosity but compare this to Queens Gambit…no comparison or even Dopesick which may have been an episode too long but not like Anna.
I really enjoyed Inventing Anna, but I agree some episodes were tough to watch for so long. The Morocco trip, for example, just got very repetitive and uncomfortable after a while. Some of the scenes felt like they were jammed in to stretch to a full episode.
So true!
Same. It was three episodes too long. We didn’t need to go to Germany, for example. The early parts could have been condensed. And then the trial went on way too long.
Facts…. I’m still mad at Netflix for not bringing back hit and run…. ijs
Agreed! But there’s also the opposite problem: shows that only air 6-8 episodes when they really need more time to flesh out the characters and give the story room to breath. Killing Eve and The Wheel of Time are both good examples of this. And then you have to wait nearly 2 years between seasons.
We’re in an era of oversaturated TV and streaming. There’s just too much to watch and too little time. I think it would benefit cable/streaming giants to focus on quality over quantity. Produce fewer shows and focus on high-quality shows that can air 10-12 episodes a year. That seems to be the sweet spot.
I think they should film seasons back to back to shorten the time in b/t seasons. Especially, if the season is 6 or so eps.
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The old model was 22 eps, so it seems that they could film 10-12, even if they’re aired as different seasons. With the amount of time it takes for some shows to return, you’ve either lost interest or forgotten what happened.
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Hopefully, they’ll get to a point where they decide to film back to back.
The truck is the money it costs to create such series. Any of these modern shows easily cost $10,000,000 per episode. The streaming services can only allocate so much funding before seeing how the world will react. Not to mention the fact that 10 episodes mean at least a 100 days of production. That is 12h+ days for everyone involved. Not to mention pre & post production.
I like the extended format, but it is not always the right move. Still agree, waiting years is also unacceptable.
But that is the difference. Fiction storytelling might need 6+ hours of storytelling. Most of the problematic ones referenced here are “based on a true story.”
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We sort of know the story already. Maybe a few minor characters need more air time, but not the plethora that get it, and not to the extent they are covered.
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These outlets are fishing for awards, and it is blowing up in their faces with boring stories that won’t get nominated for ANYTHING.
Why don’t they write and edit the scripts and then decide how many episodes they need. Is it a law there need to be 6 or 8 episodes. Heck why don’t they even shoot and edit the show. And then announce how many episodes. They are mini series they can be a few or many as needs to tell the story. But it seems hollywood does everything backwards these days. The bean counters decide how many and when it will air. Not the creative people. Like Disney with all their Marvel and Star Wars content. Write the crap first before announcing when it will be released.
Couldn’t have said it better myself! Great comment.
I think part of the appeal for actors of the 8-13 episode season is the shortened filming time. Actors can film a season and then go off and do some other movies/tv series/theater without being committed to 8 months and 16-26 episodes (if they filmed back-to-back seasons). Ex. Selena Gomez was in Hulu’s Only Murders and HBO Max’s Selena & Chef. I think streaming and premium cable have been able to pull in A-list talent because of the shorter commitment.
And perhaps actually create shows with definite endings like what the rest of the world does.
Yes!
I just saw Dropout trailer and thought it looked great… right until it said ‘new series’.
No. Just no. Maybe 4 episodes and they should all droop at the same time.
I miss the good ole days where there were 4 hour movies over two nights.
Ironic that we go from shows that don’t seem to have a point to shows that can’t quite make their point to shows that are spot on and actually entertaining. Some are reboots that should never have been let out of that cardboard box in the back of the attic, too.
I understand when a network is struggling to find content and actual viewers (ratings) but boring or frustrating the potential audience really isn’t the way to go. If you think about it, it is the main reason for those 400+ channels with mediocre ratings and reruns of reruns of reruns.
Oh my god yes. I’m thinking about Joshua Jackson’s Dr. Death miniseries. It would have been an excellent 4-episode miniseries, or a somewhat-padded 6-episode miniseries. It was 8 episodes.
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I like the miniseries format a lot better than the two-hour movie format . . . but sometimes, it’s okay to just let things be four or even three episodes, you know? They do it on the other side of the pond in the UK and it works. Why not here?
I agree that there’s not enough emphasis on 3-5 hour epic movies or mini mini-series. Lots of material would flourish with this format.
The recently announced 2nd season of Super Pumped is a great example. We already had an acclaimed 2 hour movie about the creation of Facebook. Why make a 10 episode limited series?
lol, reminds me of watching Kate Winslet’s Mildred Pierce…so many scenes of Mildred going from point A to point B. Either walking or driving. I didn’t feel like it was adding to the story. I remember grabbing my remote & ff’ing, thinking here they go again. They could have cut it down and been 4 episodes instead of 5.
I find true stories unappealing.
I don’t need to actual events dramatized. That said, I’ll watch The First Ladies series but that’s more historical (Michelle O is the only recent FL) and the only true story-ish things that seem interesting.
Tony Gilroy in an interview August 2012 talked about how the mid budget studio movie no longer existed for the most part and that it was moving to cable television. This was prior to House of Cards premiering on Netflix, and the resurgence of the limited series, American Horror Story had only done season. Gilroy was spot on in his assessment.
Now the TV industry does need to take a hard look at how many episodes and the running times per episode when it comes to these limited series. Since someone mentioned Dr Death being too long with eight episodes, at least the episode running times were mostly reasonable. Episode 1/43 minutes, episode 2/47 minutes, episodes 3/47 minutes, episode 4/48 minutes, episode 5/46 minutes, episode 6/49 minutes, episode 7/53 minutes, episode 8/63 minutes.
Yes I agree with you, John. Dr. Death was an excellent series. I think it warranted all the time it took to tell all.
It’s for sure all about balance. While I think Inventing Anna ismore then a 2 hour movie, I don’t think it’s a 9+ hour movie. It may have been better told in 6 episodes. (and imo, more chronologically).
“Minutes watched” is a terrible metric anyway, and even worse if it leads to episode bloat in an attempt to get more minutes *to* watch.
By and large you are correct about the bloat. A lot depends on the story itself, the writing, and the acting. Mare of Eastown was worth every minute even with the show’s double-ending. I hope you guys are read by studio execs but I assume it comes down to $$$ as does everything. Once they make an initial investment to stand up a series, a couple of unneeded hours costs less than a whole new series.
Yeah I was pretty discouraged when I saw Inventing Anna was 9 episodes, at *more than an hour* each.
That being said, I recently read and re-watched 2010’s Never Let Me Go, and -that- should definitely have been a limited series instead of a movie.
This was the exact reason I stopped watching The Walking Dead. They would take one or two storylines and stretch it out over a season. That left you with 1-2 awesome episodes at the beginning and end of the season, with about 6 episodes of filler between.
totally agree
I, for one, am enjoying every awkward and uncomfortable moment of Inventing Anna.
Loved it, couldn’t get enough and wanted more!
Agreed.. And I can’t watch any Shonda Rhimes productions. They always have similar pattern.
And now, series, movies, they’re mostly about making a lot of money. Especially superheroes movies or movie remakes.
Well Dave, you always have the option of changing the channel or ‘horror of all horrors’, turning the TV OFF!
This is a tv related website and he’s voicing an opinion that other people have. If his opinions bother you that much, don’t read his articles or come to this website. Easy!
Thank you! People don’t realize how simple minded they sound when they say just turn it off. We pay money to stream premium services and we expect quality programming. We are the consumer and we should get what we want. Some people may like bloated series but those of us who don’t should have an option.
I find myself wanting a couple of additional episodes of many of the fictional shows I watch since some of them are only doing 7/8 episodes and a few less of the nonfiction. I started FF through parts of Inventing Anna and started The Dropout today and turned it off after about 20 minutes because I already have read so much of the story I know I will start doing the same with it.
Inventing Anna you needed 10 episodes!
In a 2 hour movie we would not know lot of Anna story.. so many parts would be cut.. That is unfair for the viewer!
I’m fine with a short episode count for series, because even at 9-episodes American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace felt bloated.
Off point, but speaking of mini series, with the shortage of good shows and the resurgence of westerns, I’m surprised cable isn’t rerunning Lonesome Dove. That would be well worth re-watching.
I believe it’s now playing on STARZ.
OK but that’s a premium channel. I’d like one of the regular cable channels to run, Lonesome Dove, Streets of Laredo, The Chisholms, Once An Eagle, The Captains & The Kings etc. Even Centennial would be a huge improvement over much of what is on now.
Disagree wholeheartedly. This new way of storytelling is MUCH better.
Agree. I much prefer a miniseries to a movie. Could Inventing Anna have trimmed itself a bit? Sure…maybe an episode or two. But surely not 7!
It all comes down to, can the filmmaker make things compelling. I could not get past one episode of ‘Inventing Anna’ but I was riveted to my screen watching ‘Queens Gambit’, ‘Shadow and Bone’ and ‘Bridgerton’. Even watched them multiple times.