Watch it now, later doesn’t count

Cancelled: CONSTANTINOS PSILLIDES on how Netflix’s series renewal policy backfired

Dead Boy Detectives, the newest supernatural show brought to you by Netflix dropped its latest trailer on Wednesday and is all that was promised: scary, funny, romantic and packed with action. Releasing on April 25, this series appears to be a success right off the gate. It’s based on a graphic novel by the legendary Neil Gaiman, it expands on the already successful Sandman universe and is targeted towards the much-coveted demographic of GenZers. It even has a loyal fanbase in place. All the elements it needs to be a huge success are in place. Yet fans are hesitant, and people online are already proclaiming that they won’t bother with it. Why?

Because people don’t trust Netflix anymore. And for good reason.

The streaming giant has become notorious for giving underperforming series the axe. The list is long and painful: Warrior Nun, Archive 81, Lockwood & Co,1899, The Society, Inside Job are just a few of the many, many shows Netflix unceremoniously dropped, unresolved plotlines and cliffhangers be damned.

When it comes to judging whether a series will be renewed, Netflix is all about the numbers since, much like Shakira’s hips, they don’t lie. Netflix has a number of metrics in place to gauge a series’ success but doesn’t share its formula with the public or showrunners.

Despite all the secrecy, some information has leaked regarding the Netflix metrics: director and lifelong geek Kevin Smith spoke on his podcast about his experience with creating the Masters of the Universe show and how Netflix would measure its success. He said the amount of time a series stays on the Top Ten Watched list plays a significant part in deciding whether to renew, along with what is known as “completion rate”.

When Netflix first released data regarding its shows, it informed on how many subscribers watched a show in its entirety but soon shifted towards measuring the number of people who started a show and watched at least two minutes of it. Completion rate, meaning the percentage of people who watched a show from beginning to end appears to be the most important metric and the deciding factor on whether or not the show will be renewed. But as Netflix still leans towards binge watching, the service places much higher value on the number of people who watched the show when it was first released. So, if you liked a show and watched it in intervals, bad luck. Your vote doesn’t count. A typical cancellation or renewal announcement usually takes place within the first month of the show’s release.

The final element to be considered is the budget. A low-budget series can get renewed with a lower score but a big-budget one needs to bring home those big, juicy numbers.

As Netflix started getting publicity about the soulless, cynical way it judges series, the streamer tried to flip negative publicity into a plus. As showrunners have of course a vested interest in a series being picked up for multiple seasons and an understanding of what needs to happen, it’s only to be expected they will double down on promotion efforts. On multiple occasions we have seen actors, writers and producers on social media urging people to watch their show now. The insinuation is of course there: watch it now because later doesn’t count.

There are those who would defend Netflix’s actions. If you do well you get rewarded, if you don’t you get the boot.

We know that this isn’t true. We know through experience that judging a show purely on short-term performance isn’t a solid practice. The industry is rife with stories of hugely successful series that were almost dropped after a season. The US version of The Office is a prime example, as the first season was panned. It was almost cancelled but then some changes were made and the show took off from Season 2, becoming one of the most successful TV shows in history. Believe it or not, one of the most beloved shows of all time, Breaking Bad almost ended after a season. Showrunners convinced studios to give them another go and turned the series into a huge success. We could go on and on. Cold, uncaring numbers don’t always tell the truth and performance measuring should be a tool, not an executioner’s axe.

Netflix needs to change its renewal policy and put some faith in the shows they pay tens of millions to create. Or else it will have to face people’s indifference. Cold. But true.