‘Stranger Things’ are Happening with Series Release Schedules

Have you ever found yourself on the edge of your couch, eyes wide, thoughts jumbled, waiting for your TV to automatically play the beginning of another episode of the show you’ve been binging for the past week? Ever feel an immediate drop in your gut when you instead see your streaming platform’s recommended shows and realize that there have been no new episodes released?

It’s a tragedy that’s happened to everyone. You get hooked on a show and binge-watch it for the week. It consumes your whole life — you drag yourself through classes and meetings knowing that the light at the end of the tunnel is lying down, unwinding, and watching this show. The only problem is that all good things come to an end — or, as is the trend for many a recent series, an extremely delayed wait.

In the ancient times of television, there was a much more conservative method of viewership. For example, “Friends,” one of the most popular TV shows of the nineties, had an average of 23.6 episodes in its ten seasons, which were released in the span of ten years, from 1994 to 2004. This release schedule was dependable; it kept its fans’ expectations and obsessions at bay. It essentially made it impossible for a viewer to block out an entire night in their weekly schedule to watch the show — unless, of course, they taped the episodes and rewatched them repeatedly. The difference is that back in the nineties, the majority of the public did not feel the need to escape into the world of a TV show and dedicate their life to it for hours on end.

However, with the rapidly expanding technology and social networking that has come to define the 21st century, a habit of overconsumption has developed in our society. Nowadays, any form of entertainment and media is at our fingertips at any time, and we don’t know how to control ourselves. The prevalence of screens in our lives is chemically altering our brains to seek the rush of dopamine we get from engaging with them, such as watching a tv show. This causes many to disassociate from the world in pursuit of a fantastical escape. A recent example of these fantasy worlds is one you know and love, but I’ll give you a hint: The show is set in the eighties and features a group of teenagers and an alternate dimension.

“Stranger Things” has gained the reputation for taking as long as three years to release new seasons. Originally released in 2016, with just eight episodes to the first season, it immediately gained a mass viewership, with its cult-like audience eager for constant entertainment. Unfortunately for them, only four seasons have been released eight years after the show’s original premiere, averaging a 24-month waiting period between seasons and a mere 8.5 episodes per season.

While this may be annoying to fans, this is a breath of fresh air compared to other current popular network shows. “Grey’s Anatomy,” for example, was initially released in 2005 and is currently entering its 21st season, averaging 21.3 episodes per season. Release schedules like this have become common and even expected in today’s society as networks attempt to milk a show’s popularity to its fullest extent. Yet, many viewers do not get tired of this overproduction — after all, we’ve been trained to overconsume. The show continues to be relevant.

The “Stranger Things” release schedule and many other shows like it, such as “Euphoria” and “Bridgerton,” signal a pushback against this overproduction of art, which may aid in preventing overconsumption. Sure – the years between seasons may be annoying and impractical for viewers. We might forget what has happened in the storyline. In shows like “Stranger Things” with child stars, the actor’s age may end up unaligned with the character’s age. But at least the show will spread across many years of the audience’s lives and serve to lessen a general addiction to content. This schedule regulates expectations while still building anticipation about new episodes. It isn’t feeding into the viewer’s addiction. Yes, with streaming platforms like Netflix, there is an easy ability to rewatch to your wit's end. However, from a business standpoint, the delayed releases could hurt binge-watching.

While TV may be mass-produced, we must remember that shows are still art, and there is merit to consuming art intentionally and meaningfully. We are not necessarily supposed to take in as much art as possible, or we may end up overstimulated. In this vein, a delayed release schedule may elevate the show to actual art status.