One reason I think Netflix has a lot of those 1-season, low budget, 4-8 episode flops is that producing them is a lot lower risk. Unlike a TV network, they don'

One reason I think Netflix has a lot of those 1-season, low budget, 4-8 episode flops is that producing them is a lot lower risk. Unlike a TV network, they don't have to take up time that could be filled by something else, nor do they have to lose money on advertising slots to promote it. And if the show flops, they have no real reason not to keep it up on the site. For a Netflix-produced show, the first season is almost like an extended pilot who's only judge is the viewership instead of some network executives.