Commercial Success vs. Critical Acclaim

[Kemaiku]

I'm thinking this will get at least four seasons like Enterprise (even with reduced episode numbers). If it stays successful during that shorter run, they'll look into a similar show after it with the same model (10-13 eps, low season count, streaming platform).

 

[Cake]

This post by @Cake got me wondering which kind of show most of you would prefer, if given these two choices:

• A show that creatively plays it relatively safe, has a big audience and a long run of several seasons or …
• … a show that takes chances, is controversial in regards to tone, casting, characters and themes, is praised by critics, but is cancelled after only one short season of 10 episodes?

A Star Trek series, which gets a big world wide audience and lasts long, is likely enjoyable to watch. It wouldn't get many viewers, if it is total crap.

A show, which gets cancelled soon, has no mass appeal on the other hand. Who can say, that I would belong to the small minority, who likes it? And even if I would belong to it, there would be hardly anything to enjoy. One short season is nothing. It would be over way too soon.

And like I wrote in the other thread before, an early cancelled series has negative consequences, too. It likely would prevent for who knows how many years another attempt at a new Star Trek series. And it likely would also lower the chances of other space operas getting created for TV or streaming. Then people who make such decisions will argue, if even a new Star Trek series can't attract enough viewers, there is no chance that another series with a lot of space ships could be successful.

So if I have to choose between the two options, I would go for the first one. Ideally the series should of course be creative and successful.

 

[eyeresist]

You mean the show that's first season was mostly paid for through international distribution before they ever filmed a frame of footage? That show? Bellyaching about All-Access isn't going to make or break Discovery, international audiences will.

I think it's been argued elsewhere in this forum that Netflix' OS market is actually not that big, due either to technological limitations or the nature of the cultures. If DSC doesn't increase their business in those markets, they will probably drop it after the first season.

 

[Paul Weaver]

I think it's been argued elsewhere in this forum that Netflix' OS market is actually not that big, due either to technological limitations or the nature of the cultures. If DSC doesn't increase their business in those markets, they will probably drop it after the first season.

https://cdn.ihs.com/www/pdf/Media-Digest-Feb.pdf
40% of netflix subscribers were from outside the USA in december 2015, and while some countries will be mostly saturated (US, UK etc), netflix had only just opened in most of the world.

 

[NaughtyTrekkie]

Discovery could be a failure both for audience and critics. Just like TOS

 

[eyeresist]

^ Paul, thanks for clarifying re Netflix.