TV Seasons Keep Getting Shorter — But Are They Better?
Long-form television feels like it’s dying out. Let’s see why.
TV shows are getting shorter. (Credit: Louis Hammonds; Sources: Shutterstock & Canva)
2026 has been an exciting year for TV series. From Amazon Prime Video’s release lineup of Invincible, Fallout, and The Boys to HBO Max’s critically acclaimed Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, there has been a plethora of entertaining shows for audiences to binge-watch — and even more on the horizon. But with every show, a common complaint returns about modern TV: Why are TV series so short now?
Where did longer seasons go?
It feels like almost a lifetime since we had a show with seasons longer than 6–8 episodes. For decades, television was dominated by the 20–25 episode format. Shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Supernatural, Friends, and The Walking Dead had enough episodes to tell intriguing stories while also covering smaller adventures and character development.
But as we gradually moved into the streaming era, 20-episode seasons became less common. Now, TV shows release 6–10-episode seasons that leave audiences wanting more. Then there is the actual wait. When The Walking Dead aired 16-episode seasons, fans got about seven to eight months of content. Once a season finished, audiences waited only a year for the show to continue. But today? People sometimes wait even longer for shows that won’t last for more than two months — like Black Mirror, which took a four-year hiatus before returning with a five-episode season.
Why TV shows are shorter now
Episodes cost a lot
Money — as you probably guessed — drives the shift toward shorter TV seasons. Season one of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power cost around $650 million to make. That’s approximately $81 million per episode! Now imagine those costs doubled for a 16-episode season. This is an extreme case, of course, as Amazon made The Rings of Power the most expensive show ever. However, other major shows, including The Boys, House of the Dragon, and Stranger Things, also have bloated production budgets that far exceed what longer-form content used to cost. Producing 20-episode seasons has become financially difficult, and companies are realizing it.
The “Filler” Problem
Another common complaint about longer television seasons is filler episodes. Nobody likes filler content. When I watch a show, I want the story to either move the plot forward or develop characters’ unique arcs. Episodes where characters embark on journeys that don’t contribute to the larger narrative or character progression can be frustrating. With 6–10-episode seasons, however, there is less room for unnecessary episodes. Writers can focus on character and plot development that rewards rather than drags.
On-Demand television
Streaming has changed the traditional TV model. When shows aired on a network, stations would have to fill months of weekly programming. Streaming eliminates this issue. Streaming enables networks to release seasons to members as soon as they’re finished. People no longer have to wait for their favorite show to air every Wednesday. Now, you can just log in to Prime Video and watch to your heart’s content.
Actor flexibility
Streaming allows actors to find other roles. Before, actors either stayed until the show concluded or moved on to find another role. But now, actors can play other characters while also revising the role they already played. This gives both the actor and the studio flexibility when scheduling productions.
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Shorter seasons fix many of the issues that come with longer-format TV. However, that doesn’t mean longer seasons are worse off.
What longer seasons offer
Filler isn’t all bad
I stated earlier that “nobody likes filler episodes.” However, that doesn’t mean all filler episodes are bad. In fact, filler episodes can be great if they focus on character development. A great example of this is The Walking Dead. The Walking Dead has plenty of episodes that can be considered filler — and yet, almost all of them are good. The most praised of these was Season 6, Episode 4, “Here’s Not Here.”
Unlike the previous episode, which left on a cliffhanger, this one focused on something entirely different. Instead of moving forward, the show stepped back and explored Morgan Jones — one of the show’s most beloved characters — and his tragic yet moving backstory. The audience was able to understand his emotions and philosophy, which later became integral to his character and the story that followed.
Longer seasons allow for more development
A typical trend I see with shorter TV shows is that they never get the ending right. In 2025, Stranger Things released its last season. They split the season into three parts: Part 1 in November, Part 2 in December, and the series finale on New Year’s Eve. The hype leading up to this season was massive, especially after Season 4’s apocalyptic cliffhanger. But as Season 5 rolled around, this “monstrous threat” was easily “duct-taped” by the government. Adding more episodes to develop this would not only give Season 4’s ending actual weight, but it could also fix the unnecessary 18-month jump between seasons.
Another show that suffers from this is The Boys. I loved this show. I first tapped in when Season 3 was airing its first few episodes — and I was immediately hooked. The characters were unique and fleshed out; the plot moved exceptionally well; and the main antagonist, Homelander, easily became a top 5 villain for me. What captivated me the most was the tension and conflict each season brought, particularly the season finales.
As Season 5 wrapped, it felt different. The stakes of “normal humans against overpowered superheroes” were gone. Every episode was as empty as the last. Characters would disappear, then come back (for example, Ryan, who got beaten by Homelander in Episode 3, and didn’t return until the finale). More episodes could have fixed that. Characters wouldn’t just randomly vanish and could have become major parts of the season, and the repercussions of Homelander getting his hands on V1 might have been actually threatening. It also could have fixed the Gen-V characters by giving them an actual purpose that their spin-off show wanted. Overall, it didn’t feel like a season worthy of the title of “finale.”
Longer seasons keep shows relevant
What makes a show stand out often is the cultural conversation it creates. Longer seasons spark new discussions within the cultural space. To stay relevant, it must matter to its community. We are human; we like to talk about things. With longer-format TV, there is almost always something to talk about.
In contrast, shows with 6–8 episode seasons can disappear from the cultural conversation soon after their finales. Once the final episode airs, audiences are left with little new material to discuss until the next season arrives — sometimes years later. This can make it challenging for a show to maintain the momentum it had during its original release.
How then do these shows stay afloat? Some have argued that shows like The Boys and Stranger Things ended poorly on purpose to encourage viewers to watch their spin-off shows. I don’t claim this to be true, but it is an interesting theory nonetheless.
Shows need freedom, not restraint
So, which one is better: Longer or shorter seasons? I don’t think there is a “correct” choice here. Both offer viewers unique entertainment experiences. Regardless, I still think TV shows need to follow “some” rule. What could this rule be? Easy: Center the show around the writers in a way that allows them creative freedom to explore characters and develop a plot worth watching.
The greatest example of a TV show that isn’t locked to a certain number is Breaking Bad. Season 1 gave us seven episodes. Were they bad? Absolutely not. The first season shouldn’t give us all the information. That’s exactly what it did — we got the major characters, plot, and a story that moved at its own pace.
Then Seasons 2–3 followed a 13-episode format. Sure, they were locked, but those seasons didn’t need more or less. The stories told were perfect for the time they had. Then comes Season 5, the prime example of why finales need time to flesh out everything. With 16 episodes, the final season had room to bring its characters and storylines to a close without rushing. Everything came together because the creators gave the story the time it needed, resulting in a memorable ending to an almost perfect show.
Let us know: What are your thoughts? Do you prefer longer or shorter seasons? Or a mix of both?
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