3 ms·

Several years ago, I asked a friend who worked for a Cable company in their Video-on-Demand division what the most popular show was in their catalog. He answer

Several years ago, I asked a friend who worked for a Cable company in their Video-on-Demand division what the most popular show was in their catalog. He answered that the most popular shows were kids shows (Teletubbies, Wiggles) at 2AM or 3AM in the morning. Imagine a crying toddler being soothed by the glow of their favorite show while the exhausted parent relaxes for a brief moment. Netflix has the data and like it did with House of Cards it knows that it should partner with and/or create the content that its youngest viewers are demanding (especially at 3AM). The Netflix addiction might start even younger now...

Swizec 12y ago
Alternative explanation: drunk and/or high people looking for easy-to-process entertainment. Hell, I'd rewatch Magic School Bus even if I wasn't drunk. That was a great show.
- ams6110 12y ago
  Either way, Netflix's strategy to produce original programming that people want is their weapon against ISPs trying to build their own on-demand offerings and throttling Netflix.
  - dragonwriter 12y ago
    Its more their weapon against being deprived of profitability by competitors bidding up the prices of content from outside producers (and, especially, those competitors locking up exclusive deals). When Netflix was mostly alone in their market, they didn't really need their own programming, but once there was competition, they did, independent of ISPs. Its the same thing that HBO went through on cable.
- silencio 12y ago
  I've been watching it recently because I randomly discovered that Netflix had the old episodes, usually over lunch or around dinner or when I want to take a break. The last MSB episode ever was about computers, complete with cocky nerd that is convinced that his code was flawless. ;) The timing for this couldn't be better - I adore the show so much and it's especially timely to do a reboot because Ms. Frizzle was a fantastic female scientist role model for me when I was young and now kids (and when I have kids) will get to experience a newer, less dated version of her now :)
cwyers 12y ago
A few years ago, I went all cord-cutter for a while, so just Netflix over the Xbox. I finally caved and got cable back. My daughter, who was around five at the time, was watching some Nick show she hadn't seen before (I think it was Ni Hao Kai-Lan) the first day we got cable back. When it was over, my daughter looked at me and said, "I liked that, I wanna watch another episode!" I had to explain to her that with cable, you didn't get to choose what you watched like Netflix, you just picked a channel and whatever they were showing was what you got. I don't ever think I have felt as old as I did in that moment.
- lsaferite 12y ago
  What made you cave and get cable TV again? Do you regret the decision? I ask because we have been cable cutters for years now and my 4 year old basically has no idea what commercials are or how broadcast television works. I think of my childhood watching Saturday morning cartoons and I sometimes miss that experience with my kids.
  - cwyers 12y ago
    Live sports, mainly. I don't regret it, per se (although I no longer watch live sports on cable, ironically, MLB.tv is more than adequate for my needs now). But we're still predominantly Netflix, with some Amazon Prime Instant mixed in here and there. In an ala carte world I think we could get by with just Cartoon Network and HBO, with our current viewing habits, and honestly I think we could do without those without much pain (would just have to buy Game of Thrones elsewhere).

Swizec 12y ago

Alternative explanation: drunk and/or high people looking for easy-to-process entertainment. Hell, I'd rewatch Magic School Bus even if I wasn't drunk. That was a great show.

ams6110 12y ago
Either way, Netflix's strategy to produce original programming that people want is their weapon against ISPs trying to build their own on-demand offerings and throttling Netflix.
- dragonwriter 12y ago
  Its more their weapon against being deprived of profitability by competitors bidding up the prices of content from outside producers (and, especially, those competitors locking up exclusive deals). When Netflix was mostly alone in their market, they didn't really need their own programming, but once there was competition, they did, independent of ISPs. Its the same thing that HBO went through on cable.
silencio 12y ago
I've been watching it recently because I randomly discovered that Netflix had the old episodes, usually over lunch or around dinner or when I want to take a break. The last MSB episode ever was about computers, complete with cocky nerd that is convinced that his code was flawless. ;) The timing for this couldn't be better - I adore the show so much and it's especially timely to do a reboot because Ms. Frizzle was a fantastic female scientist role model for me when I was young and now kids (and when I have kids) will get to experience a newer, less dated version of her now :)

cwyers 12y ago

A few years ago, I went all cord-cutter for a while, so just Netflix over the Xbox. I finally caved and got cable back. My daughter, who was around five at the time, was watching some Nick show she hadn't seen before (I think it was Ni Hao Kai-Lan) the first day we got cable back. When it was over, my daughter looked at me and said, "I liked that, I wanna watch another episode!" I had to explain to her that with cable, you didn't get to choose what you watched like Netflix, you just picked a channel and whatever they were showing was what you got. I don't ever think I have felt as old as I did in that moment.

lsaferite 12y ago
What made you cave and get cable TV again? Do you regret the decision? I ask because we have been cable cutters for years now and my 4 year old basically has no idea what commercials are or how broadcast television works. I think of my childhood watching Saturday morning cartoons and I sometimes miss that experience with my kids.
- cwyers 12y ago
  Live sports, mainly. I don't regret it, per se (although I no longer watch live sports on cable, ironically, MLB.tv is more than adequate for my needs now). But we're still predominantly Netflix, with some Amazon Prime Instant mixed in here and there. In an ala carte world I think we could get by with just Cartoon Network and HBO, with our current viewing habits, and honestly I think we could do without those without much pain (would just have to buy Game of Thrones elsewhere).