What TV Writers Need to Know About Shorter Seasons in the Streaming Era

Lost was not a perfect show, but it represents something that we've slowly... um... lost in TV over the last decade.

The sci-fi mystery show was definitely flying by the seat of its pants at points. It has filler episodes that some people hate. It was derailed briefly by a writers' strike. But, by gum, it was fun TV the likes of which we haven't seen in the streaming era.

Lost represents exactly the old school that Nerdstalgic discusses in a recent video about the problem with modern TV. This is a great primer on issues for aspiring TV writers. Check it out.

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How We Got Here

For most of television's existence, shows operated under an ad-supported model.

Network TV shows typically ran 22 episodes per season. Half-hour comedies had about 22 minutes of story with eight minutes of commercials. Hour-long dramas gave you roughly 42 minutes of content with 18 minutes of ads.

Writers worked 40 weeks on those 22-episode seasons, earned residuals when episodes reran, and could actually make a living.

__So a show like Lost got longer, exploratory seasons where writers could figure things out, and they trusted audiences to come along for the ride.

With the shift to cable, seasons were more refined, and story arcs were planned far in advance, so seasons got shorter. Typically, they got 13-episode seasons.

Shows like The Sopranos and Breaking Bad pioneered shorter seasons because HBO and AMC literally couldn't afford traditional network production schedules. But those creators like David Chase and Vince Gilligan just crafted tighter, more ambitious storytelling. (It helps that they're some of the best writers of all time, but we digress.)

The streaming era borrowed premium cable's 13-episode model without really understanding why. They just knew shorter seasons meant they could churn out more varied programming faster.

But not every showrunner has David Fincher's facility for compressed storytelling.

What emerged became known as "the Netflix problem," or shows with strong openings and closings but sagging middles. This structural issue became constant across streaming shows.

The Office Credit: NBC

The Economics Are Brutal

Michael Schur (creator of The Office , Parks and Recreation , and The Good Place) told Vanity Fair in 2020 that shorter seasons represent "the single biggest issue facing the future of television production."

He said he sold The Good Place with the understanding that it would take about a 50-episode run to finish. And he said networks could make money off that in today's world.

He explained the modern "Cost Plus model," which gives showrunners points and upfront payments. However...

"The problem, of course, is that they can just kill your show," Schur said. "It doesn't matter what you would have done in season five. It doesn't matter what they promise you. They're never intending to go there. It is one of the great fast ones that has ever been pulled on the creative community."

Backend deals and profit participation kick in around seasons four or five. That's when shows become expensive for streamers. So platforms greenlight shows, knowing they'll cancel them before those costs materialize. We see this over and over on platforms like Netflix, which has cancelled seemingly popular shows out of nowhere.

Reaching season three becomes the sweet spot.

"This is all mathematics," Schur said, "and soon they get to a point where they have three seasons of your show, and that's enough."

Shows Need Time to Become Great

Schur made another crucial point about how shorter seasons affect storytelling.

Jim and Pam kissed in episode 28 of The Office. Imagine that being your series finale instead of just getting started.

"Let's say 30 episodes is the new 100 episodes," Schur said. "Jim kissed Pam in episode 28 of The Office , right? Imagine that being the end of the story—not the beginning."

His kids watch shows with 125 to 200 episodes. Those long runs gave creators room to experiment, fail, and discover what their shows actually were.

Vince Gilligan has repeatedly said he didn't have a concrete plan for Breaking Bad. While they had shorter seasons, they had more than three of them, and they were able to adapt the story as they went.

Breaking Bad Credit: AMC

The Current Landscape

Shorter seasons require tightrope-walking precision.

Pilot season now runs year-round, which sounds like more opportunity but really means constant pressure with no downtime. Writers are expected to always be on, which isn't physically or mentally sustainable.

The "wild West" streaming era that promised creative freedom has matured into something much more restrictive. Peak TV was a bubble that burst, and we're still figuring out what comes after.

There's massive oversaturation now. Even exceptionally well-crafted stories struggle to find their audience. Shows that might not generate immediate high viewership but have the potential to grow a steady fanbase face premature cancellation.

However! Not every streaming show has surrendered to shorter seasons.

HBO's The Pitt , which premiered in 2025, ordered 15 episodes for its first season, making it the longest TV season made for streaming. The show follows a single 15-hour shift at an ER in Pittsburgh, with each episode covering one hour in real time.

Advice for Writers

Understand your current boundaries.

The emphasis is on fast-paced narratives and hook-heavy opening episodes. Your pilot and early episodes need to be exceptional from the start because you likely won't get multiple seasons to grow into your vision. That means characters must be clearly defined from the outset, your story engine needs to be rock-solid, and every episode must justify its existence.

Map out your seasonal arc meticulously. Know exactly where you're starting and where you're ending. Plan character development carefully because you might only get 10-20 episodes total to execute your vision.

When developing pilots, remember your idea needs legs. You're still selling potential. (Maybe you've got the next Stranger Things , and you'll actually get a longer run.)

Write tight. Every scene needs to move the story forward and reveal character.

Staffing is a bit of a nightmare right now, but that's a topic for another day.

Let us know your thoughts on the current state of TV.