#2. Programming Trends

Tv shows now are seen almost as long form movies. They explore more original concepts than movies do these days and the writing seems to be better than ever. Many call this the "Golden Age of Television." While this is true, tv isn't always the trend setter it likes to pretend to be. Sometimes, more often than not even, networks and producers jump on the hype train of a particular genre or tone. 

The first, and biggest, is superhero television. Channels like the CW (formerly the WB) rule the world on tv superheros. In fact, WB was the first one to really make them popular on the small screen (in the "modern era") with Smallville. Since then, they have created what is known as the "Arrowverse" which includes (the Green) Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, and, most recently, Black Lightening. Every network and their grandmother has a superhero or comic book show in the works or on. ABC has Agents of SHIELD, Freeform will have Cloak and Dagger, TNT will have Titans, Syfy is getting Krypton, AMC has Preacher, Netflix has Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Punisher, and the Defenders. It isn't just the big Hollywood movies that dabble in comic books. 



Another trend I see is the "fog and neon" effect. This is where a show tries to scratch that Twin Peaks/80's vibe. Stranger Things made it popular, Riverdale keeps it here. I personally get tired of the "Town with a strange/dark secret" trope. Just look at Bates Motel, Wayward Pines, and the like. Not that they're BAD but it is overdone especially when concepts like this have more potential or already intriguing main plots. 



The biggest trend in tv is what launched us into this "Golden Age" in the first place. While HBO shows like The Sopranos and The Wire already showed promise with serialized television, Breaking Bad was the one to bring slow-burning, long form storytelling to the forefront of the eyes of basic cable. It made concepts similar to a Sopranos seem doable for networks like AMC or FX or even NBC. It showed that 2 people talking in a room for 20 minutes could be just as exciting and stakes driven as a fast pace action scene. Some of the shows that followed the example of Breaking Bad and found success are Fargo, The Americans, Man in the High Castle, House of Cards, The Leftovers, and many many many more.