Anthology On Demand
Anthology TV shows have been broadcast since the golden era of television. Over the years, as the platform evolved and programming adapted into a more structured schedule, anthological series’ fell out of favour with mainstream audiences. They would remain late-night curiosities until the overwhelming success of streaming platforms in the early 2010’s.
The format of anthological storytelling goes back far before the birth of broadcast media. Anthologia (60 BC), written in ancient Greece by Meleager of Gandara), is accepted as the first anthology text that harnesses the concept of multiple worlds and unrelated characters bound under one cover. The name roughly translates to ‘gathering flowers’. The etymology and morphology of the word are both still very relevant in the way it is used today.
The experimental studios of the 50s were happy to trial a variety of programming as TV was still developing its standard operating format. Anthology shows like Four Star Playhouse (1952-56), The Twilight Zone (1959- ) and Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-89) were instant hits with audiences. However, the growing popularity of episodic TV with long-running storylines and recurring characters saw anthologies slip out of the primetime slots and have their budgets cut. As ratings became monetised, studios would no longer take risks on less successful formats of programming.
Not until the emergence of on-demand and streaming services, did the format return to mainstream viewing. The introduction of broadband Internet in the early 2000s changed the way people consume media dramatically. Hardware functionality began to overlap, with laptops, tablets, mobile phones and smart TVs offering a wide variety of ways to watch film, TV and video. Although traditional broadcasters began to develop on-demand services such as BBC’s iPlayer (2007- ), their eagerness to retain a structure based around program scheduling gave rise to a raft of more web-savvy players. Services like Hulu and Netflix went through a variety of format experiments to attract a solid subscriber base. Although they were immediately popular, it wasn’t until the early 2010s, when streaming platforms began to produce and distribute content from their own studios, that their market share began to increase exponentially.
Ironically, the anthology TV series that is credited with the return of the format came from a terrestrial broadcaster. Black Mirror (2011- ), originally commissioned by Channel 4, is a sci-fi based series taking a look at near-future scenarios with a general focus on how technology might affect society. Created, written and co-produced by Charlie Brooker. A columnist, satirist, writer and TV presenter, Brooker’s star as a player in dramatic TV production had been rising since the success of his zombie drama Dead Set (2008). The rapidly evolving world of content consumption was encouraging broadcasters across the entertainment spectrum to try out new and exciting formats to compete for the attention of audiences.
The show was immediately popular with the viewing public and critics alike. It was praised for its brave, warts and all, commentary on how modern society functions and how the pursuit of growth and perfection can lead to moral bankruptcy. The anthological element of the show ultimately bolstered its dystopic tone, with the end of each instalment severing a viewer’s connection to this possible future reality.
Although the show’s popularity remained high into its second series, viewing figures dropped lower than expected as each episode aired. Brooker himself later identified that each instalment had a recurring theme of characters being trapped in scenarios from which they could not escape. Coupled with the constant re-immersion into a new universe every episode, audiences experienced heightened levels of dread and fear the further the series progressed. With this viewer discomfort and the lack of cliff-hanger hooks to get people watching the following week, it became hard to guarantee solid viewing figures. Following a Christmas special (White Christmas, 2014), studded with Hollywood stars such as Mad Men’s John Hamm, Channel 4 became hesitant about further investment in Black Mirror. Due to this uncertainty, the broadcaster was eventually outbid for any further series by Netflix, who had already brought up the rights for the first two seasons.
The Netflix platform had become synonymous with ‘binge-watching’ where viewers sit through show after show of the same season in one session. This worked well with the ‘trap’ issue that made viewers feel uncomfortable, as they were more likely to dare themselves into watching another episode immediately, rather than spending a whole week convincing themselves not to, had it been on terrestrial TV. Netflix quickly commissioned the show to be made in their own studios as a Netflix original, enriching the production with the high budgets and A-list stars of the US TV industry.
After three more seasons and the ground-breaking interactive movie Bandersnatch (Brooker 2018), the Black Mirror brand continues to be a runaway success and has re-ignited audience desire for anthological viewing.
With the selection of streaming services growing and the market share of terrestrial broadcasters waning (‘TV streaming services overtake pay TV for first time’ 2018), television studios have once again found their appetite for taking risks with format. Looking at anthology in particular, there seems to be three emerging approaches to the format. Some like Electric Dreams (2017-2018), again on Channel 4, stuck with the sci-fi, single storyline per episode setup.
Another method, used in Room 104 (2017- ) and Inside No. 9 (2014- ), is to retain a recurring plot mechanic such as the location or the same lead actors featuring in different roles every episode.
The third emerging format of anthological TV is that of series-long story arcs. Shows like Fargo (2014- ) and True Detective (2014- ) dedicate an entire season run to a single storyline and set of characters. Each tale is resolved by the end of the season and the next will feature an entirely different narrative and time period.
Although streaming services have, in part, been responsible for the resurgence of creatively structured television, anthology TV has not remained exclusive to online platforms. The third format described above, although popular on streaming services, are similarly favoured among terrestrial broadcasters. With a weekly story to follow and the capacity for cliff-hanger episodes, viewers are more likely to integrate the show into the linear viewing habits of terrestrial TV.
Various types of platforms and broadcasters are now gravitating towards specific compositions of the format, entirely related to how their own audiences consume content. Through the lens of a writer, when looking to create an anthological TV show, it seems there are two approaches to consider. The first is to write a show specifically structured for a certain type of platform or broadcaster. The second, to write whatever type anthology show you like, then to decide what platform would best suit it’s style and what broadcasters would be most interested in commissioning it.
With the introduction of more big brand players into the TV streaming market such as Apple and Disney, the demand for more inventive and imaginative television is ultimately on the rise.
(Image copyright: Channel 4, Netflix, BBC, HBO)