Panic about FRIENDS leaving Netflix is perfect timing for my winter class (hey #COM3602). My students often think everything is available at all times and are shocked when it is not. Let my own TV streaming white whale, TRANSFORMERS: RESCUE BOTS, show you what I mean (A thread)
The show currently has 4 seasons. All of season 1 available on Netflix and has become the preferred show as a reward for a certain person in my household who is learning to use the potty. We burned through that season over the holiday and no additional seasons are on Netflix. +
And, indeed, no additional seasons are available on any of the streaming platforms...unless I want to pay more for individual episodes or full seasons on YT or Amazon. Which runs about $50 a season. $50! +
The show runs on Discovery Family, a cable channel I do get. But only season 4 (which I can record and will have ads). But, c'mon, how could we possibly understand the narrative if we skip two seasons? This goes against all my TV studies upbringing! +
I even downloaded the terrible Discovery Family GO app, but still only season 1. Seasons 2 and 3 ARE available for purchase on Demand, though. +
This is where I think people (me) get mad...that I have to PAY for something that I was already watching. The streamers keep up a good ILLUSION of content being free, but of course you (or at least SOMEONE) is paying that subscription fee. +
The complexity of licensing deals (hi, Disney+ having to negotiate for their own damn films) hides behind the idea that we have control over our own viewing. So while you may think you can have whatever you want whenever you want it, only in a framework of industry profit. +
And the digital nature of our access to content (vs. physical media) can actually give us LESS control at times (ask me about how I almost permanently lost some Britney albums I had PAID FOR to an iTunes update/username snafu. THE HORROR!!). +
My point is, see you in class on Monday #COM3602! /end
Oh, and one more thing! Everyone freaks out about FRIENDS but RESCUE BOTS shows us this sort of thing is happening all the time, with all sorts of content. This is the norm of streaming, not some sort of anomaly.
