The Sopranos. The era was a 25-year blip.
The man who made The Sopranos now says the era he started was a 25-year blip, and that streamers are drifting back to ads.
THE GIST ON THE SOPRANOS: "Cut to Black"
How did The Sopranos get made?
David Chase pitched it to Fox, ABC, CBS and NBC. Every one of them said no. CBS said they were fine with the murders but not the therapy. HBO only said yes two hours before Chase had to take another deal.
What did it prove?
The show premiered in January 1999 and became the template for every prestige drama after it: The Wire, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Succession. HBO's whole bet was simple: people would pay directly for TV that was actually worth watching. The Sopranos proved it. Netflix copied the model in 2013 with House of Cards, and every other streamer then copied Netflix.
What is changing?
For 25 years the industry ran on one principle: pay direct, no ads, get something worth watching. That principle is collapsing. Netflix, Disney and HBO Max all have ads. Prime defaulted to ads two years ago, and 100% of new US subscribers came through ad tiers last year.
Half of all scripted streaming commissions in Europe are now crime dramas, the format old networks used to run on. It has a name: the broadcastification of streaming.
Why does it matter?
Most cultural eras feel permanent once you're inside them. They aren't. They're downstream of economic conditions, and when those change, the era ends. Spotify did it to music. Streamers are now doing it to TV. We watched the best 25 years of TV we will probably ever have. Do you think we noticed we were watching it end?
Are ads ruining streaming?
Your take. One tap, then see how everyone else voted.
Quick answers
Who turned The Sopranos down?
Fox, ABC, CBS and NBC. CBS said it was fine with the murders but not the therapy.
What is the broadcastification of streaming?
Streamers going back to ads and crime dramas, the format old networks used to run on.
When did Netflix copy the HBO model?
In 2013 with House of Cards.
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