Has Peak TV… peaked?
Has Peak TV Changed Our Relationship with Television?
(Disclaimer : This article was written in 2020)
Picture this: you're scrolling through Netflix, overwhelmed by the sheer number of shows and wondering, "Where did all these series come from?" It's not just your imagination—there are more shows than ever before, and while we often gripe about the overload, we also can't resist bingeing on this endless stream of content.
This phenomenon is part of what’s called "Peak TV." But what exactly does that mean? And how has it changed the way we watch, engage with, and think about television?
Let's dive into how Peak TV has reshaped our viewing habits and transformed the content landscape.
HAS PEAK TV… PEAKED?
From a Good Start…
Let’s rewind to the era known as the Golden Age of Television, a period that began in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This era was defined by a surge of high-quality, internationally acclaimed TV programs that set a new standard for the medium.
What made this era so special? Many point to a combination of three key factors:
A significant improvement in visual aesthetics and storytelling, raising the bar for production quality.
A growing similarity between the once-distinct cable and network series, as both platforms began producing equally engaging, boundary-pushing content.
Unprecedented popular and international success, with shows captivating audiences worldwide.
A few standout series that represent this moment in TV history include The Sopranos (1999), Six Feet Under (2001), 24 (2001), Lost (2004), Mad Men (2007), Breaking Bad (2008), and Game of Thrones (2011). These shows not only entertained but also redefined what TV could be.
But as we basked in this golden age, television was about to undergo a significant shift—not just in the content of these groundbreaking shows, but in the sheer volume of them. What followed was a deluge of new series, marking the beginning of Peak TV.
...To an Overwhelming Amount of Production
In the years following the Golden Age, the production of fictional TV shows skyrocketed, both on conventional broadcasters and, increasingly, on streaming platforms. This surge ushered in what is now called the Peak Era—an age defined by the sheer abundance and saturation of TV series released each year.
Back in 2015, John Landgraf, chairman of FX, famously declared that there was “simply too much television” and coined the term Peak TV. At the time, he was signaling a problem: nearly 400 original series had aired that year. Landgraf predicted that this unsustainable growth would inevitably lead to a decline. Yet, the opposite occurred.
John Landgraf at the session that gave rise to the term “Peak TV”.
© Frank Micelotta/FX
Instead of slowing down, the number of new shows continued to climb, reaching 487 scripted series in 2017 and a staggering 495 in 2018. By 2019, the U.S. alone produced over 500 original scripted series—a milestone never before reached. According to FX’s research department, which tracks and reports these figures annually, this represented a 7% increase from the previous year, 52% more than in 2013, and an astonishing 153% jump from 2009, when only 210 series were being produced.
It’s important to note that FX’s tally only includes scripted series. If you were to add reality shows, talk shows, documentaries, daytime dramas, and children’s programming, the total number would easily surpass 1,000. This explosion of content illustrates the overwhelming scale of modern TV production.
© FX Networks Research
Thanks to Streaming, We May Never Reach the Peak of Peak TV
The TV landscape continues to expand at a dizzying pace, driven largely by the massive investment of streaming services like Netflix, which poured $15 billion into original content in 2019 alone. Amazon and Apple weren’t far behind, each spending more than $6 billion, while Hulu invested around $2.5 billion in their own original programming.
This spending spree shows no signs of slowing. With Apple TV+ entering the fray, launching high-budget series like The Morning Show (estimated at $120 million for its first season), and Disney+ rapidly building its own content empire, the competition is only intensifying.
© FX Networks Research
The numbers paint a clear picture of streaming's dominance. In 2013, online services produced just 24 series. That same year, traditional broadcast networks aired 131 shows, and basic cable offered 161. Fast-forward to 2018, and streaming platforms had surged to 160 series, surpassing both broadcast networks (146) and basic cable (144).
By 2019, FX stopped distinguishing between streaming and cable, with John Landgraf arguing that this distinction had become outdated. Streaming platforms had firmly taken over as the driving force behind television’s rapid expansion.
Even traditional players are feeling the pressure to keep up. HBO, for example, ramped up production significantly, planning to air 150 hours of original scripted content in 2019—a 50% increase over the previous year. As HBO prepared to fully commit to streaming with the launch of HBO Max in May 2020, it became clear that the shift toward digital was irreversible.
Streaming has not only changed how we watch TV but has also ensured that the era of Peak TV may not have a peak at all. As long as the demand for content continues, and platforms are willing to spend billions to meet it, we may be living in a world of endless TV.
THE EFFECTS OF OVERPRODUCTION
Consumer Behavior Becoming Addictive
The evolution of television hasn’t just changed how it’s perceived—transforming it from the "dumb box" to a source of high-quality fiction—it has also profoundly altered the way we consume it.
As TV production expanded, so did the methods of consumption and the business models supporting it. From the rise of DVD box sets that first allowed viewers to binge-watch their favorite shows, to the current fight for relevance in a crowded landscape of streaming platforms, everything has shifted.
The serialization of TV has given birth to new viewing habits like binge-watching, binge-racing (where viewers race to finish a season as soon as it’s released), and even speed-watching (consuming shows at faster playback speeds). Our relationship with TV fiction has become more immersive, taking over not only our time but our physical and digital spaces. Streaming platforms, accessible across multiple devices, have made it possible to consume content anytime, anywhere.
Frequency of watching or streaming TV shows among adults in the US as of January 2020, by age group. © Statista 2020
But with this convenience, has our relationship with TV fiction become addictive? Has it fostered a kind of dependence? Many argue that it has, as the constant stream of new content draws viewers into extended viewing marathons.
This shift has also impacted the way TV shows are written and structured. The traditional weekly wait between episodes has given way to a demand for immediate gratification. Spectators are no longer patient, and platforms are now in a race against sleep. Writers must grab viewers' attention in the first few minutes, forcing changes in both episode and season structures. Gone are the days of "appointment TV," where people tuned in at a specific time each week. Today, viewing is personal and unscheduled.
Although some major shows still stick to weekly releases—perhaps the last major one being Game of Thrones—the age of communal, synchronized TV watching is largely over, replaced by the on-demand nature of the streaming era.
Too Many Choices? It’s Just as Bad as Too Few.
One of the key negative effects of Peak TV is saturation. Not only is TV consumption becoming more compulsive, but the insatiable demand for a constant stream of new content has pushed streaming services to produce almost anything and everything. This rapid, excessive production has often prioritized quantity over quality, leading to the rise of what some call “disposable TV”—content made purely for entertainment, with little lasting value.
So, is there such a thing as too much TV?
John Landgraf, who coined the term Peak TV, framed the issue using the "paradox of choice," a concept popularized by psychologist Barry Schwartz. The paradox suggests that having too many options can overwhelm people, leading to decision paralysis. As
Landgraf put it:
“When people are forced to make choices between too many options, they become confused. It’s difficult for them to sift through the options and make the best choice, and every decision comes with a sense of loss—the feeling that they might be missing out on something equally or more valuable. This sense of loss can overwhelm the pleasure they get from the choices they do make.”
In today’s era of endless TV options, this fear of missing out (FOMO) is real. Viewers are constantly worried that they’re not watching the next big thing. With new series dropping almost every day, the pressure to keep up can feel exhausting.
Landgraf has also warned of what writer Paul Schrader refers to as narrative exhaustion. With so many stories being told, everything begins to feel vaguely familiar to an audience inundated with options. “I once said there was too much television,” Landgraf remarked. “In some ways, I think there’s too much story—too much narrative.” This oversaturation raises the question: is there a limit to how much fiction we can consume? Can too many stories cause them to lose their magic?
Another significant consequence of this overproduction is the loss of the collective TV experience. Once, TV series were events, bringing viewers together in a shared, synchronized conversation. Now, while we talk about TV more than ever, these discussions are fragmented. Spoilers have become a major issue, as people watch shows at their own pace. When is it okay to talk about a series without ruining it for someone else? Has everyone even seen it yet? The communal experience of watching and discussing TV as a cultural moment has become more disorganized and harder to navigate.
The Silver Lining: An Open Door to Diversity
While the Peak TV era brings challenges like oversaturation, it also offers a silver lining: a door wide open to diversity, both in content and in representation.
This era marks a significant technological shift, defined not just by advances in how we watch TV but also by the hybridization of genres and narratives. The Golden Age of TV was largely shaped by serious dramas centered on antiheroes and explorations of masculinity. Shows like The Sopranos, Mad Men, and Breaking Bad set the tone. Even today, some series continue to lean into this mode, with Fargo, Better Call Saul, and True Detective carrying the torch. However, these aren’t the dominant voices anymore.
Now, in the Peak TV era, we are seeing an explosion of diversity in genre and form. Great sitcoms, musicals, cartoons, melodramas, dramedies, period pieces, prequels, superhero sagas, sketch comedies, romantic comedies, stoner comedies, and even comedies about depression have emerged. The variety is unprecedented.
If the cable boom of the early 2000s redefined what a protagonist could do, the streaming boom has redefined who the protagonist can be. The high volume of new productions has created space for stories that wouldn’t have survived in the traditional ratings-driven era. More shows are now able to take risks, allowing for more authentic and diverse voices to be heard—both in terms of the characters on screen and the people behind the scenes.
Peak TV has given rise to more shows that are true to life, with diverse storylines and more inclusive writers' rooms. New voices, perspectives, and cultures are being brought to the forefront, breaking away from the formulaic structure once dictated by broadcast ratings.
Streaming algorithms may personalize our viewing experiences, but television storytelling itself has become more personal than ever before. With less pressure for every show to be a commercial hit, writers and showrunners can take bigger risks and create content that breaks the mold. This has given rise to more niche, character-driven narratives—what some call the TV-series-as-therapy model, where shows explore deep interiority and tackle complex existential themes through every imaginable genre.
The Peak TV era has pushed television to new heights of diversity, genre-bending, and experimentation. With networks investing cinema-level budgets into production, today’s TV landscape offers a wealth of options—more stories, more perspectives, and more creative freedom than ever before.
Conclusion
Let’s put it this way: the battle for our attention will keep fueling new shows, and the end of Peak TV isn’t in sight. In fact, it will only continue to grow as streaming platforms diversify and new technological innovations emerge.
Yes, the sheer volume of content means the next Sopranos could very well appear on a streaming service that doesn’t even exist yet. While the risk of missing something truly great is inevitable, so too is the opportunity to stumble upon a hidden gem that resonates deeply with individual viewers.
If the 2010s defined the era of Peak TV, perhaps the 2020s will mark the beginning of personal TV—where viewers craft their own unique experiences in a world overflowing with creative potential.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
ARJONA MARTIN, José Borja. ‘‘Reasons and effects of the Peak TV era’’. University of Granada. (2018)
EPSTEIN, Adam. ‘‘Thanks to streaming, we may never reach the peak of ‘peak TV’.’’. Quartz. (January 10, 2020) https://qz.com/1783165/thanks-to-streaming-we-may-never-reach-the-peak-of-peak-tv/
KOBLIN, John. ‘‘Peak TV Hits a New Peak, With 532 Scripted Shows’’. The New York Times. (January 9, 2020) https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/09/business/media/tv-shows-2020.html
LYONS, Siobhan. "A streaming comes across the sky: Peak TV and the fate of nostalgia." (2020).
PASKIN, Willa. ‘‘What does ‘Peak tv’ really mean ?’’. Slate (December 23, 2015) .https://slate.com/culture/2015/12/what-does-peak-tv-really-mean.html
PRESS Joy, “Peak TV Is Still Drowning Us in Content, Says TV Prophet John Landgraf,” Vanity Fair. (August 3, 2018) https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/08/peak-tv-fx-john-landgraf-tca- donald-glover-chris-rock
RYAN Maureen, ‘‘Peak Inequiality : Investigating the Lack of Diversity Amon TV Directors’’ Variety (November 10, 2015) https://variety.com/2015/tv/features/diversity-directors-tv-amc-fx-hbo-netflix-showtime-1201633122/
TODD VANDERWERFF, Emily. ‘‘There will be more than 400 scripted TV series this year. That bubble’s bound to burst’’, Vox. (September 14, 2015) https://www.vox.com/2015/9/14/9301867/peak-tv
FILMOGRAPHY :
‘’Binge mania’’ directed by Olivier Joyard. Canal + (2019).
