Making a Murderer, Master of None, Kimmy Schmidt: Netflix binge-watchers impatient for new content - Action News
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Making a Murderer, Master of None, Kimmy Schmidt: Netflix binge-watchers impatient for new content

Having immediate access to an entire season of a must-watch series is a definite perk of Netflix, but the binge-watching habit spawned by the streaming giant is also leading to a new issue: audiences who are starting to demand new content sometimes just weeks later.

Practice of releasing a full season at once has led to expectations of fresh content sooner

The Netflix app is seen among other apps on a mobile device.
Netflix presented its upcoming lineup at the Television Critics Association media tour Jan. 17 in Pasadena, Calif. (Paul Sakuma/File/Associated Press)

Having immediate access to an entireseason of a must-watch seriesis a definite perk of Netflix,but the binge-watching habit spawnedby the film and TV streaming giant is also leading to a new issue:audiences who are starting todemand new contentsometimes just weeks later.

At a series of panels in Pasedena, Calif. as part of the recent Television Critics Association press tour,Netflixintroduced its upcoming lineup and casts of some of its most popular showsshared insights from behind the scenes.

Netflixpledgesto launch 600 hours of original programming in 2016 (compared with 450 hours in 2015),including existing series, original films, kids content, documentaries and comedy specials.

Members streamed 42.5 billion hours of video in 2015, the company said, up from 29 billion hours a year earlier.

Many creators faced an onslaughtabout what fans can expect from upcoming seasons of hotshows, someonly released within the last few months.

With the instant satisfaction of streaming, audiences can facea void after having quickly consumed an entireseason and thenrealizingthere are no more episodes to watch whichdoesn't happen as often when a program followsa more rigid, week-to-week release schedule.

Netflix true crime docu-series Making a Murderer tells the story of Steven Avery, a wrongly accused Wisconsin man who spends 18 years in prison, only to be charged with a more serious crime on his release. (Netflix)

For instance, it's only been about a month since thewildly popular, true crime documentary series Making a Murdererdebuted.

Already,filmmakersLauraRicciardiandMoiraDemos who spent a decade working on the projectsaid they are fielding questions about whetherthere will be a season two. Andif so, when?

The 10-part series follows the case ofSteven Avery, a Wisconsin man who was exonerated after spending18 years in jail for sexual assault, and is then accused of murder shortlyafter filing a lawsuit against authorities for thedevastating earlier mistake.

Neither the filmmakers nor Netflix would confirm whether there would be a second season of Making a Murderer,but Demos vowed: "If there are significant developments, we'll be there."

Master of None: Alan Yang on comedy from real life

9 years ago
Duration 2:09
Master of None co-creator Alan Yang on the personal, real life details in the comedy and the importance of diversity onscreen as well as behind the camera.

They're not the only ones being coyabout asophomore season.Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang, who launched their comedy series hit Master of Nonein November, were alsohit by repeatedquestions about the show's future.

The co-creatorssaid it's too early to talk about ideas for anotherseason.According to Yang, a lot ofpersonal experience went into the show and he wants to get more life experiencebefore attempting another run.

For his part,Ansari said he needs to "refill" his head so that a new season lives up to the first.

Returning shows include:

  • House of Cards March 4
  • Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt April 15
  • Grace and Frankie May 6
  • Orange is the New Black June 17
  • Jessica Jones

New shows include:

  • Love from Judd Apatow Feb. 19
  • Flaked from Will Arnett March 11
  • The Ranch from Ashton Kutcher April 1
  • Lost and Found Music Studios April 1
  • Kong: King of the Apes April 15
  • Marseille May 5
  • Word Party June 3
  • Stranger Things July 15
  • The Get Down from BazLuhrmann Aug. 12

"We have a bunch of ideas bouncing around in our heads,"Ansarisaidat theMaster of Nonepresentation, but didn't share any further specifics.

In the meantime, other shows have had enough time to refresh and are at work on new episodes.

After its initial release in March 2015, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, thecomedy seriesstarringEllieKemper andcreated by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, is set to debut itssecond season in April. It's also beenrenewed for a third.

'She's got deeper emotional and life issues and that's more what this season is about," said Fey.

Optimism amid global growth

Amid this apparently growing appetite for streaming series, Netflix issued an optimisticforecast for the next few months.

In a letter to investors issued Tuesday, CEO Reed Hastings and CFO David Wells said the company surpassed 75 million subscribers on Jan. 1.

The company recentlyrevealed it has expanded to 130 additional countries (for a total of 190 worldwide, with China being a notable exception) and forecast adding6.1 million more subscribers by the end of March.

However, amid the aggressive international expansion, Netflix also reported slower than expected growth this quarterin the U.S., the company's largest market.

With files from Zulekha Nathoo