I agree with Channing Tatum’s sentiments about streaming and storytelling - to an extent

Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and NOW TV to name a few (that’s not including those who use a VPN and have access to services around the world) have become ubiquitous to television viewers who have cut the cord, be it for expenses or just a general dislike of the TV licence. With that, said platforms have somewhat of an obligation to stay ahead of one another in order to provide as much content as possible to keep people subscribing. 

With that comes the gamut of content too - and I’m not talking about television shows that have debuted on network or cable channels such as HBO, AMC or Showtimes. Instead, I am talking about those hopeful new creatives that now have an opportunity to tell their stories or explore their passions with a relatively safe bet of being on a streaming platform rather than the big dice roll that is prime-time television.

It’s great - a platform to showcase new talent, right? Except, much in the case of Netflix and prior criticism they have had, the quality control seems for lack of a better term, none existent at times. Which runs as a complete contrast to the hack-and-slash nature that some series that seem promising are ultimately cancelled because of immediate viewing figures.

As an anime fan, I was one of those incredibly hopeful about the live-action Cowboy Bebop series that Netflix spent what I imagine was an awful lot of marketing money to promote - the show ranks alongside Neon Genesis Evangelion or Attack On Titan as properties that have an incredible fandom on the internet.

Yet, once it dropped - it was cancelled for a second season. I mean admittedly it didn’t quite capture the same heights of the animated series, but it wasn’t really given time to gestate into a second season and if the story seemed half-cooked, perhaps it was a story that was meant to span into a couple more seasons.

But is Channing right that storytelling has become lazy? That’s debatable - some of the greatest success on streaming platforms are properties that were solely made for the platform they would show on. The Boys, an Amazon Prime Video exclusive, went from strength to strength with each additional season, as did the recently completed Ted Lasso starring Jason Sudeikis.

Though in both cases, they had a set story arc that although they could span future seasons, a story would be completed in the dreaded event of cancellation. I don’t think I have the time to list the number of shows that have fallen to the fate of being cancelled too soon - somewhere, the ardent Community fanbase are still waiting for that movie… 

But then again, perhaps we, the viewer, are to blame. Or should that be consumer? We’ve become so accustomed to instant gratification in terms of art; I’m showing my age here when I admit I used to sit listening to the radio with a cassette tape patiently waiting to tape a song I loved off the UK Top 40 chart. Then Napster came along, and following that iTunes, MP3.com and ultimately where we are today - Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music and a litany of streaming platforms that we can access most of the music at the drop of a hat.

With the advent of music streaming services came the criticism, akin to that of storytelling on streaming services, of artists releasing one or two singles to pop their numbers on Spotify and then release an album of basically “filler.” The idea of course follows the “long tail” business theory - that it only takes one or two “big sellers” and the tail can drop off and survive off the merits of the singles. That, sadly, cheapened the notion of how an album was a complete piece of art.

But the same cannot be applied to television; one or two episodes of a series might be incredible, but if the rest of the series and the storytelling lacks or seems rushed, then effectively we are set up for disappointment - or a “Choose Your Own Adventure” style of watching streaming television shows. So, with that in mind, I get where Channing Tatum’s concerns are raised. 

There is an adage that I throw about quite a lot when it comes to subjectivity and the numerous options we have watching television shows; variety is the spice of life. But what happens when too much spice is put into a recipe? You don’t eat it - or you’re forcing yourself to consume something you really don’t want to. Streaming television, at least to Channing Tatum it seems, has over-seasoned how many options are out there and, much like a thin soup, is starting to lack substance despite perhaps being nice for a while.