How to save Star Wars TV from a broken streaming model

How to save Star Wars TV from a broken streaming model

As a long-time Star Wars fan who has witnessed the highs and lows of this iconic franchise’s adaptation into various mediums, I find myself deeply saddened by the sudden cancellation of The Acolyte. It’s not just about the loss of an intriguing story that was cut short; it’s a symptom of a larger problem plaguing the streaming era – the overabundance of content and the hasty decisions made to keep up with the competition.


The scrapping of “The Acolyte” has sparked a wave of reactions among fans for various reasons. While it’s important to acknowledge the organized criticism and certain imperfections the series may have harbored, its cancellation serves as an indication of a deeper issue plaguing the television streaming industry.

Based on Empire’s report, it seems that streaming networks are flooding the market with too many shows at once, making it difficult for any one show to grab viewers’ attention before being canceled. Fortunately for Star Wars fans, this hasn’t been much of an issue as there haven’t been too many Star Wars shows compared to other platforms like Netflix. The current live-action Star Wars series include “The Mandalorian,” “The Book of Boba Fett,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” “Andor,” “Ahsoka,” “The Acolyte,” and the upcoming “Skeleton Crew.” Among these, only “The Mandalorian” has had multiple seasons. For now, both “Boba Fett” and “Kenobi” are classified as limited series.

On the other hand, Disney+ has been gradually introducing Star Wars series over the past five years, but rivals like Netflix and HBO Max have remained active. Notably, Netflix has earned a reputation for abruptly ending shows without providing reasons. These cancellations frequently occur after just the first or second season of any given show. For instance, “Shadow and Bone” had already completed two seasons before being axed, leaving fans without closure on the story’s ending. Similarly, the cancellation of “The Acolyte” was unexpected as its first season concluded on a thrilling note, only to be followed by the announcement that it would not continue.

How to save Star Wars TV from a broken streaming model

While ratings will continue to matter as they do for all streaming networks, something has to change internally for shows to avoid getting the axe after season one. A great example to follow would be Andor, which had a story worth five seasons, which was condensed down to a guaranteed two seasons. Diego Luna, Tony Gilroy, and the entire cast and crew of Andor went into season one knowing they’d be filming another one and weren’t concerned about how season one would perform. The show took time to impress audiences, but now that it has, a final season will drop on Disney+ next year as promised.

How to save Star Wars TV from a broken streaming model

In a slightly different wording: Although The Acolyte might not have been designed for just two seasons, it could be beneficial for all shows to be written with the assumption they won’t extend past season two. However, if the initial viewership is impressive enough, Disney should prolong the series beyond its second season – similar to how The Mandalorian has grown in popularity. One challenge faced by The Acolyte was its high budget, which could be addressed by providing equal funding for all shows initially, with the potential for future increases if the show receives positive feedback.

Essentially, we’re dealing with an oversaturation of streaming platforms, content, and intense competition. Each platform is eager for their shows to be a hit as soon as they launch, but this rarely occurs. Shows like The Acolyte, however, might gain traction gradually over time, season by season. To prevent abrupt cancellations that are common on other networks, it would be advantageous for Star Wars to limit the number of shows produced, opting for experimental limited series and committing to at least two seasons from the beginning. This approach could help stories set in our beloved galaxy maintain consistency and quality.

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2024-10-12 19:21

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