Just over a year ago, the first season of the new "Star Wars" spin-off TV series,"The Mandalorian" was released on streamer Disney+. The show has since received rave reviews from viewers and critics alike, with the show representing a marked success for the Lucasfilm franchise – the first of its kind in years. But, given the difficulty living up to fans' expectations, how did producers manage to get it so right this time? The answer lies in broader trends online and the ways in which online entertainment is adapting to new demands:
Short-Form Entertainment
The internet has done for the world of entertainment what the motion picture first achieved in the early twentieth century, revolutionizing the ways in which we find, review, watch, play, and enjoy a wide range of content.
But the world of online entertainment is no more immune to the demands of the internet than any other sector. It is frequently suggested that we have grown impatient and short on attention in response to instant access we readily enjoy, and the effects of this change can be seen in our preferences for all aspects of digital entertainment.
Access is the first hurdle. Finding the content we most want to watch on Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime needs to be hassle-free – in other words, the right show should appear at the top of our homepage. Similarly, signing up to play blackjack online at mansioncasino.com/ca should be the matter of moments, rather than a lengthy, laborious process that gives us the opportunity to start looking elsewhere. Music also needs to make it onto Spotify in record time, or we will find it on another platform.
In essence, we are all used to near-instantaneous access, and only businesses that keep up with our demands as internet users are those that will continue to thrive.
In the world of movie and TV production, this translates to a greater desire for short-form content. Rather than committing two hours to learning the lore of a new world, for instance, viewers can gain instant access to the plots they love. On the whole, it seems as though tv shows are quickly superseding movies.
Longer Running Times
Despite the fact short-form content has proven to be the best way of tackling shortened attention spans and busier schedules, we all want our favorite series to run for as long as possible. The issue faced by "Star Wars" – even before the release of "Episode VII" – was the fact that the trilogy was, by definition, finite. Fans knew that time was running out from the very first installment – the clock was ticking, and any errors were that much more difficult to forgive.
Much like the hugely popular "Star Wars" comic books, "The Mandalorian" offers a brand new, seemingly endless alternative for fans of the franchise. While we know that the series will not run on indefinitely, we can take a sense of security that was impossible when the final trilogy was released. Even if the show has its own flaws and faults, they matter little in the grand scheme of things.
There may be some secret ingredient to "The Mandalorian" success – one that we may never end up knowing. What we can be sure of, however, is that the franchise is far from over, and that no creativity is being spared in the fight to keep it fresh in our minds.
Click the images to enlarge...
