Skip to main content

Streaming services blast past networks for the most scripted TV shows in 2018

Hill House from the Netflix original series 'The Haunting of Hill House'
Netflix

There is more television out there than ever, and streaming services are leading the charge. In its annual report, FX Networks reports that a staggering 495 original scripted TV series aired in 2018, with almost a third coming from streaming networks like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and Apple.

Recommended Videos

That figure topped 2017’s total, which came in at 487 original scripted series, and set a brand new record for the number of scripted originals on the air. It’s not the only milestone in FX’s report, either. For the first time since FX started releasing these figures in 2014, streaming services aired more shows than basic cable or broadcast networks.

In 2018, streaming services produced 160 original scripted series, up from 117 the year before, making Netflix, Hulu, and the rest responsible for a 32 percent of all shows. By contrast, traditional networks aired 146 original scripted series, basic cable contributed 144, and premium cable networks like HBO and Showtime produced 45.

That’s a lot of TV, but it’s still short of FX’s original estimates. In 2017’s report, FX CEO John Landgraf predicted that 520 scripted originals would hit the airwaves and the internet in 2018.

According to FX, the amount of original scripted content on streaming services has increased by an incredible 385 percent since 2014. For other types of outlets, the numbers aren’t quite as rosy. The output from broadcast networks fell one percent in the same time frame, while the number of original cable series shrunk almost 23 percent from its 2016 peak.

Expect those trends to continue for the foreseeable future. As the Hollywood Reporter observes, cable outlets like TV Land and E! stopped producing scripted originals in 2018, joining channels like A&E and MTV in a move away from expensive scripted programming.

Meanwhile, the number of streaming services continues to rise, as does the number of series that they produce. In 2019, Disney plans to launch Disney+, a streaming service featuring shows based on Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, among other content. AT&T has announced plans for a three-tiered on-demand streamer that would feature, among other content, TV shows from Warner Bros. and HBO. Apple is making a big push into original scripted content, too, with a series based on Isaac Asimov’s Foundation novels, a team-up between former Alias collaborators Jennifer Garner and J.J. Abrams, among multiple other titles.

In other words, there’s quite a bit of TV coming in the next year or two, and the marketplace doesn’t show signs of slowing down, so make sure that you have the right streaming device and the best TV that you can afford. You’re going to need them.

Chris Gates
Former Contributor
<a href="https://kecsukorejo.kendalkab.go.id/asset/-/situs-slot-resmi/">situs slot resmi</a>
This 2025 show on Max may be the future of streaming TV
Noah Wyle stands alone on a rooftop in The Pitt.

The Pitt is an intentional throwback. The new medical drama, which premiered on Max last week, is created by ER veteran R. Scott Gemmill, executive produced by former ER showrunner John Wells, and led by actor Noah Wyle, who became a household name playing John Carter on — you guessed it — ER. The series is such an obvious attempt at replicating the success of ER, which debuted on NBC in 1994 and ran until 2009, that the estate of ER creator Michael Crichton is suing Wells, Wyle, Gemmill, and Warner Bros. Television for unofficially rebooting ER without paying the estate or giving Crichton the creator credit such an act would demand.

Putting its behind-the-scenes legal battle aside for the time being, one could be forgiven for wondering why a studio like Warner Bros. would even be interested in the year 2025 in trying to make a new ER for a still-fledgling streaming service like Max. But all it takes is one glancing look at some of the TV trends of the past few years to make The Pitt seem less like a surprising gambit and more like an inevitability. The past two years have seen long-running, straightforward network shows like Suits find renewed success on Netflix and new broadcast comedies like ABC's High Potential rake in impressive viewership numbers. Viewers, meanwhile, have grown increasingly disillusioned about the frustratingly short lifespans of so many streaming originals.

Read more
Don’t let these 3 hidden December 2024 streaming TV shows fly under your radar
A man and woman stand outside looking shocked in The Sticky.

Every month, great TV shows are released, including new seasons of popular ones. But there are also hidden gems you might not have heard of but would totally love. This month, two of the three hidden December streaming TV shows you don’t want to fly under your radar are adult animated series. One is a superhero series, and the other features stories based on popular video games and video game franchises.

The third is set in the Great White North of Canada and is a surprisingly good story about a woman willing to do whatever it takes to protect her business. These three hidden gems are worth checking out as you close yet another year and look toward 2025.

Read more
12 best TV shows to stream this Halloween
A blonde-haired woman wears a skull mask in "The Fall of the House of Usher."

Halloween is a prime time for people to binge-watch scary stories. Thankfully, horror fans can sit back and stream countless TV shows on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Disney+, and beyond for fun, frightening evening. Audiences can check out terrifying mysteries like Evil and Stranger Things, along with more lighthearted comedies like Wednesday and What We Do in the Shadows.

Ironically, picking the right Halloween show can make viewers feel like kids in a candy story. So for those unsure of what to watch this spooky season, here's a guide to the best TV shows to stream for All Hallows' Eve.

Read more