The epidemic of short seasons has ravaged TV Shows. 8-10 episode seasons are the new normal for shows and it’s quite unfortunate because not every show fits this structure from a narrative perspective. For example, Star Trek is a show that demands at least 15 episodes a season because its narrative is highly focused on the development of the main cast.
10 episode seasons don’t work for Star Trek because it limits character growth and means that some of the main cast will inevitably be ignored. Ignored characters don’t make for good television when the show is all about the characters. Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks have both received high praise in spite of this, but I have no doubt that these shows could be improved through longer seasons.
However, 20+ episode seasons that are made quickly are horrible for cast and crew alike, and should remain a thing of the past. There needs to be a happy medium and around 15 episodes seems fair. This allows for each character to be focused on at least once while also allowing for more ensemble focused episodes.
Many serialized programs could also benefit from longer seasons. Lost became a cultural behemoth because it was engaging throughout long seasons. It had staying power because every week brought a new development to the plot which promoted massive discussion in real life and online.
Shorter shows have tried to mimic this by splitting their seasons, but it ends up being more frustrating than exciting because there’s no new developments. Lost gave the viewer weekly updates, and while the show may have seemed quite slow at times when looked at as a whole, it didn’t matter that much because even character focused episodes were highly entertaining.
The longer seasons also allowed the narrative to breathe and made the show a lot more dynamic than many current drama shows today. Lost is also an extremely good binge-watch because it has tons of episodes and forces the viewer to slow down as a result. The viewer actually has to think about what they’re watching rather than just consuming the narrative.
However, shorter seasons can work. Stranger Things is a great show and every season is less than 10 episodes. Adding any more episodes would feel like filler.
The problem arises when every show tries to be 10 episodes or less. Stranger Things works because the mystery and the spectacle of the show demands attention. Not every show has Stranger Things level stakes with each episode potentially being the last for some of the characters.
Shows should be as long as they need to be, and some of them desperately need to break out of the 10 episode format. Star Trek in particular needs to boldly go to more than 10 episodes.