For decades, network television ruled TV shows, with most shows following the standard format of 20+ episodes per season, each 20 to 40 minutes long. During the 2000s, hit shows like Friends, Grey’s Anatomy, and Sex and the City were watched in households around the world. In recent years, television has undergone a major transformation, as more and more shows transitioning to shorter seasons of 8-10 episodes, each lasting nearly an hour. This article explores how, for better or worse, the history of TV shows has been changed forever.
The Death of the 20+ Episode Shows
How streaming influences TV shows
A major reason for the transformation from 20+ episodes to 8-10 episodes per season is the rise of the streaming platforms. According to a 2025 research by Nielsen Media Research, streaming accounts for 44.8% of total TV viewership, compared to 20.1% for cable. Before the streaming domination, shows often aimed for the 100-episode syndication milestone, which allowed them to sell reruns and generate additional profit. Since streaming offers faster profitability without the need for 100 episodes, studios have shifted to producing shorter seasons.
With the growing popularity of shorter 8-10 episode seasons, studios and platforms began investing more, producing shows with higher production values to attract larger audiences. Hit shows like Game of Thrones and The Mandalorian have an average budget of $15 million per episode, delivering high-quality visual effects and a cinematic experience to captivate viewers. Higher budgets and shorter seasons have also drawn more film actors to join television, since these projects demand less commitment than traditional long-running 20+ episode shows. As a result, many shows are now produced as ten-hour-long movies, which blur the line between television and cinema.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
The shift in storyline
Shows with 20+ episodes per season often follow an episodic type of storytelling, where the main conflict is introduced and resolved within a single episode, while the main plot remains centered around the same characters. Sitcoms like Friends and The Office are good examples of this storyline structure, allowing viewers to enjoy episodes out of order without losing track of the story. Sometimes, all a person wants is to watch a random episode from a random show while having breakfast.
On the other hand, the 8-10 episodes per season TV shows have a slower start with the introduction of the characters and the main conflict. The conflict then unfolds gradually, building tension throughout the season and culminating with a climax at the end. This type of storytelling holds the viewers in suspense for the whole season until the conflict is finally resolved. Furthermore, this format gives writers an opportunity to tell deeper stories with complex plot twists, and to evoke greater emotional impact. So, while the long-running episodic series are perfect for a quick breakfast watch, the 8-10 episode seasons really hook one in and require a full weekend commitment.
Character development
TV shows with more than 20 episodes per season give room for more character development. Because the narrative of a whole season isn’t solely focused on a season-ending conflict resolution, viewers get to see how the characters navigate the dynamics of ordinary life through more mundane situations, making them relatable. Whether it is the characters from Sex and the City discussing relationships over brunch, or Rachel from Friends worrying about money and finding a job, people resonate with the characters’ everyday problems.
While in the 20+ episode series the plot is driven by the characters’ development, shorter seasons prioritize the story arc, shaping the characters around the plot development. Therefore, character development is only revealed through the characters’ response to a specific plot conflict, which often involves solving a mystery, surviving, or finding a way to defeat an enemy.
The binge-watching culture
The irresistible urge to click “Next Episode” defines the binge-watching era, as shorter seasons feel like a continuous story divided into chapters. Streaming platforms have turned this into a marketing strategy, releasing entire seasons at once to fully immerse the audience. By eliminating the week-to-week anticipation of traditional network shows, platforms aim to generate social media buzz, trends, and spark discussions that would increase the show’s cultural impact.
The long wait between seasons
Usually, network television shows run from September to May, releasing one episode per week for a total of 22 to 24 episodes per season. That way, a show creates anticipation in the audience and becomes part of their routine. In the current era of streaming, most shows don’t release new seasons annually, and audiences often have to wait over two years to see how their favorite show continues after a major plot twist is introduced in the season finale. By the time the next season is released, the hype has faded, and people have to rewatch the previous season simply because they have forgotten what happened. A recent example is Euphoria, whose third season is scheduled for April 2026, which is more than four years after the release of the second season.
Long gaps between seasons create problems for shows that cast child actors, as they visibly age between seasons, leaving fans disappointed. This was the issue with Stranger Things, which premiered in 2016 and released its final fifth season in 2025. While nearly ten years passed between the production of the first and last seasons, only four years passed within the show’s storyline. In the final season, lead actor Finn Wolfhard was 22, while his character was only 16 in the show.
Written by
Shape the conversation
Do you have anything to add to this story? Any ideas for interviews or angles we should explore? Let us know if you’d like to write a follow-up, a counterpoint, or share a similar story.
©2026 PulseZ. Design & developed by Matrix Internet Opens in a new tab