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When Netflix began original programming almost everything they put out was interesting even if I wasn't the target demographic. Their recent programming, beyon

When Netflix began original programming almost everything they put out was interesting even if I wasn't the target demographic. Their recent programming, beyond a few good shows and documentaries, is mostly lowest common denominator garbage. I think Netflix became data obsessed. The problem with that is good art or even entertainment is rarely made by analyzing a spreadsheet to determine what audiences want. So now they have an app where it is hard to find things, because I guess it is more "sticky," and content that is brain dead, because I guess their data suggests a lot of people will watch it relative to the cost. They should have remained focused on premier television. Big shows people want to talk to their friends about. Not Movies, because they do a terrible job promoting them and not reality TV, because no one is subscribing to a service to watch reality TV (though they will probably watch it once subscribed). I do think that the pandemic disrupted filming so they bought what they could to fill the gap, so hopefully the quality picks back up.

jmoak3 5y ago
>no one is subscribing to a service to watch reality TV I subscribe to Hulu to host Bachelor series watch parties. However, I strongly agree that Netflix content is braindead and the service charges you more than its content is worth.
- moomin 5y ago
  If you haven’t watched it, I highly recommend “UnReal”. It gives you the experience of watching reality TV and prestige TV at the same time.
diordiderot 5y ago
It's there a term for this phenomenon where a 'thousand cuts' of small optimizations that improve x or y metric kill a brand?
- kelseyfrog 5y ago
  I'm not above neologizing. Garden Path Optimizing transitive verb 1. to be misled by progressive or incremental optimization. 2. to achieve sub-optimality by pursuing incremental optimization.
  - thenoblebuffalo 5y ago
    I like this name. Like some kind of greedy algorithm type that makes the immediate optimum choice without regard to he larger picture.
mcv 5y ago
It's both the drop in quality and the increase in cost. That turns Netflix into a really bad deal in the face of cheaper competition with more quality shows. Netflix used to rule with affordable access to the best new shows, but now they offer neither.
deckard1 5y ago
> The problem with that is good art or even entertainment is rarely made by analyzing a spreadsheet to determine what audiences want. Exactly. I made this point a month or two ago. I cancelled my Netflix account for the first time since 2004. Because with all their data scientists and two decades of viewer data (more detailed than Nielsen ratings could ever provide), and billions of dollars... they still can't compete with AMC, HBO, etc. It's inexcusable. It's laughable. And it makes me think we are in a serious big data/data analytics bubble. When I unsubscribed, their crowning achievement was a "Top 10" leaderboard. Something any junior dev could throw together with a few SQL reports and a day or two of free time. That feature also highlighted the bargain bin nature of Netflix's catalog. The other problem they have is they have eroded viewer trust. You can't actually watch new shows because you know they will be cancelled after a season or two. So new shows come out and no one watches and Netflix cancels them because of no one watching. It's a snake eating its own tail. Plus people have realized they would rather wait until all seasons are out to binge watch than have to wait large gaps of time.
- moomin 5y ago
  This habit of cancellation is, for me, the biggest failure of the lot. Some of their shows were very high quality and quite unique: One Day At A Time, The OA, The Baby-Sitter’s Club. You know what else all of these shows have in common? They were cancelled at the top of their game. People forget that many huge shows, e.g. Breaking Bad, Battlestar Galactica, only became hugely popular several years into their run. The Wire is even more extreme: it only really became huge after the last episode was broadcast. But in each of those cases, someone made the call that a high-quality show was worth running, either because they hoped it would find a wider audience or because they believed it enhanced their brand.
  - flamemyst 5y ago
    Oh I miss Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj. Netflix cancel it.
  - jerojero 5y ago
    I'm still really angry they cancelled the OA, it might have not been the most popular show but I thought it was incredibly original and engaging... and it was clear the story had so much more to give. I wish they had, at least, given it one extra season to wrap things up. I think there's a huge difference between cancelling a show and telling a show "okay you have one more season". Both in trust with filmmakers/writers/etc and viewers. For this reason I have mostly just been watching shows that I know are either finished, 1 season, or guaranteed to be renewed due to massive popularity. I was sort of traumatised when they cancelled the OA.
mgh2 5y ago
Let's reverse engineer what a PM will think with data: 1. 80/20 rule: Target best performing shows, replicate success to capitalize on fan loyalty/momentum (new seasons or spins): The Crown, Money Heist, Designated Survivor, Narcos... 2. Validation: Look at high movie ratings, copy those categories: Korean dramas, documentaries, telenovelas, reality TV... 3. Culture: Follow trending themes on social media - feminism, financial freedom, woke...incorporate them into the screenplay, regardless of bias, craft, or message 4. Engagement: As long as we capture user attention and addiction, reinforce this habit via recommendations with AI algorithms Like Facebook, they are focused on creating an addiction machine for short term gain, and this strategy is reflected on their increasingly low quality shows - this affects the brand, leading to low trust and rising churn

jmoak3 5y ago

>no one is subscribing to a service to watch reality TV I subscribe to Hulu to host Bachelor series watch parties. However, I strongly agree that Netflix content is braindead and the service charges you more than its content is worth.

moomin 5y ago
If you haven’t watched it, I highly recommend “UnReal”. It gives you the experience of watching reality TV and prestige TV at the same time.

diordiderot 5y ago

It's there a term for this phenomenon where a 'thousand cuts' of small optimizations that improve x or y metric kill a brand?

kelseyfrog 5y ago
I'm not above neologizing. Garden Path Optimizing transitive verb 1. to be misled by progressive or incremental optimization. 2. to achieve sub-optimality by pursuing incremental optimization.
- thenoblebuffalo 5y ago
  I like this name. Like some kind of greedy algorithm type that makes the immediate optimum choice without regard to he larger picture.

mcv 5y ago

It's both the drop in quality and the increase in cost. That turns Netflix into a really bad deal in the face of cheaper competition with more quality shows. Netflix used to rule with affordable access to the best new shows, but now they offer neither.

deckard1 5y ago

> The problem with that is good art or even entertainment is rarely made by analyzing a spreadsheet to determine what audiences want. Exactly. I made this point a month or two ago. I cancelled my Netflix account for the first time since 2004. Because with all their data scientists and two decades of viewer data (more detailed than Nielsen ratings could ever provide), and billions of dollars... they still can't compete with AMC, HBO, etc. It's inexcusable. It's laughable. And it makes me think we are in a serious big data/data analytics bubble. When I unsubscribed, their crowning achievement was a "Top 10" leaderboard. Something any junior dev could throw together with a few SQL reports and a day or two of free time. That feature also highlighted the bargain bin nature of Netflix's catalog. The other problem they have is they have eroded viewer trust. You can't actually watch new shows because you know they will be cancelled after a season or two. So new shows come out and no one watches and Netflix cancels them because of no one watching. It's a snake eating its own tail. Plus people have realized they would rather wait until all seasons are out to binge watch than have to wait large gaps of time.

moomin 5y ago
This habit of cancellation is, for me, the biggest failure of the lot. Some of their shows were very high quality and quite unique: One Day At A Time, The OA, The Baby-Sitter’s Club. You know what else all of these shows have in common? They were cancelled at the top of their game. People forget that many huge shows, e.g. Breaking Bad, Battlestar Galactica, only became hugely popular several years into their run. The Wire is even more extreme: it only really became huge after the last episode was broadcast. But in each of those cases, someone made the call that a high-quality show was worth running, either because they hoped it would find a wider audience or because they believed it enhanced their brand.
- flamemyst 5y ago
  Oh I miss Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj. Netflix cancel it.
- jerojero 5y ago
  I'm still really angry they cancelled the OA, it might have not been the most popular show but I thought it was incredibly original and engaging... and it was clear the story had so much more to give. I wish they had, at least, given it one extra season to wrap things up. I think there's a huge difference between cancelling a show and telling a show "okay you have one more season". Both in trust with filmmakers/writers/etc and viewers. For this reason I have mostly just been watching shows that I know are either finished, 1 season, or guaranteed to be renewed due to massive popularity. I was sort of traumatised when they cancelled the OA.

mgh2 5y ago

Let's reverse engineer what a PM will think with data: 1. 80/20 rule: Target best performing shows, replicate success to capitalize on fan loyalty/momentum (new seasons or spins): The Crown, Money Heist, Designated Survivor, Narcos... 2. Validation: Look at high movie ratings, copy those categories: Korean dramas, documentaries, telenovelas, reality TV... 3. Culture: Follow trending themes on social media - feminism, financial freedom, woke...incorporate them into the screenplay, regardless of bias, craft, or message 4. Engagement: As long as we capture user attention and addiction, reinforce this habit via recommendations with AI algorithms Like Facebook, they are focused on creating an addiction machine for short term gain, and this strategy is reflected on their increasingly low quality shows - this affects the brand, leading to low trust and rising churn