Superhero Fatigue In Television

It feels as if though with the death of so many Marvel shows (rumored to be because they lost 2/3 of their viewer), it's starting to feel like Superhero Fatigue has hit, but not in the movie sector but in the tv sector. I made a list a while ago counting all the CBTV shows that will be going on Next Year, and it came to be about over 30. The number may be smaller if we only took classic Superhero stories, but that's an other discussion on it's own. With shows spanning over multiple channels and streaming services, it's become a daunting task for many of us to keep up. I haven't even watched S2 of LEGION, AND I FREAKING LOVED LEGION S1! Quality varies a lot more in the TV sector as well. I'm sure many of us would love to watch more that contain our favorite characters or look interesting, but we just can't due to time constraints. A little breakdown of my list of shows I watch, how I watch them and shows I'd like to be watching

These lists aren't even counting shows that are announced to come out, because there's still a debate on those. Point is, this whole thing is just hell. More often nowadays, I just find myself watching self contained episodes of the Flash or Legends.

So do you feel that CBTV Fatigue is Real?

And for fun, what do your three lists look like?

You're probably right. Personally, there are more tv series I'd like to watch but due to time management I just do not have the time. I used to watch Flash, but at the beginning of s4 Iris said "we are thr Flash" and I dropped it ever since lol. I don't watch any other CW show.

Bump

I don't think it's happening we are only in the beginning of superhero or comic book shows taking over, If a few shows go under for network problems or whatever the problem is. it could just be a problem with network but no Superhero Fatigue

@eto: I stopped watching the flash after season 3 since Flash hasn't had a good season since the first season and it was terrible in season 3 hitting like season 4 arrow beyond

I feel a lot of people take that line out of context. I heard nothing but horror about season 4 before I finally binged watched it all and Iris's "We are the Flash" line seemed more like just a way of letting Barry know he could lean on her and wasn't alone in all he was going through. Personally, I thought it was kind of sweet.

I don't have a problem with the quantity of shows. It just makes the likelihood of an actually GOOD superhero show coming out to be even higher. As of right now, the only truly great superhero show that's come out has been Legion imo. Punisher is good. Daredevil and Arrow are decent. Everything else I've seen is mediocre or worse ( though I haven't seen all superhero shows out there ).

It's not superhero fatigue. Luke Cage got cancelled because of creative differences and Iron Fist got cancelled because the only reason it existed was because Marvel needed a fourth Defender, and the first season was surprisingly popular. Not to mention the drama with Disney's Streaming Service likely stifling the show's futures.

It has nothing to do with context. I don't like the line, period.

That was one rumor, an other being that they lost 2/3 of their audience this season. Considering the disinterest in Defenders, which was the lowest watched MCU Netflix show, it's highly possible that people have started to lose interest in Marvel Netflix.

The fact that Defenders didn't do well is worrying indeed. It has Daredevil on the team. That alone should sell the show, yet it clearly didn't. We are fans of most of these characters on CV, but we can't speak for the general audience.

That's fine. You are fully entitled to your opinion. I'm just saying that it is the context in which the line is said that makes me personally like it, not the line itself.

I'm glad you still like CW Flash.

@saintwildcard: you can't ignore the future Disney streaming platform in these cancellations

I don’t know if its CBTV fatigue necessarily. It just seems to be like a case of supply and demand. If there are so many superhero TV shows, it’s the ones wih the greatest critical acclaim or biggest fanbases that will continue to thrive, while everything else gets cancelled.

That’s why the Arrowverse continues to thrive while AoS and Gotham are coming to an end. Or why Daredevil and Jessica Jones are still secure while Luke Cage and Iron Fist are cancelled.

I do agree there are a lot of superhero shows going on right now, but I’m not mad. It’s all about separating the wheat from the chaff. My current favorite is still Titans, though.

Wait what?

Cancellation of 2 or so Netflix Marvel TV shows = Superhero Fatigue In Television?

@veshark: I would say that CW or most Network shows tend to adopt a lean strategy in which they make the shows as cheaply as possible. All Arrowverse shows are still going despite how far their ratings keep dipping from season to season. As for Gotham, I think they are just coming to a natural end, I could be wrong on that though.

4 actually. You're forgetting Agent Carter and Inhumans. There's also the lowering ratings for CW shows to take into account (Defenders being the lowest watched MCU show at the time). But the main thing I'm referring to is how there's an overabundance of shows, and people have a hard time keeping up. To where shows that may star characters you like or normally would be interested to watch, you just don't cus you don't have time or the desire isn't strong enough to watch it.

as far as I understand, Netflix owns the rights to those characters and can have the shows go on. But then again, I don't know what is in their contracts. No articles have popped up stating that as a reason, it's either creative disputes or the lowered viewership

@saintwildcard: I have seen several articles about this. Let me come back to you.

https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/11/02/is-disneys-streaming-service-to-blame-for-netflixs-marvel-cancelations

https://lrmonline.com/news/is-disney-killing-the-entire-marvel-netflix-tv-universe-probably-breaking-geek/

https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/10/29/netflixs-marvel-universe-shrinks-as-disney-evolves.aspx

And from a more "serious" media:

https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/20/18003100/netflix-marvel-luke-cage-canceled

These are a few examples. You can find a lot of them with a few key words.

That's not rumor, it's pretty well documented that Luke Cage got cancelled due to creative differences. Seriously, Netflix doesn't release their numbers and a quick google search doesn't validate anything even implying the show lost "2/3" of its audience. The "rumor" has been circulating for a month and Netflix nor the cast of the show has done anything to debunk it. The evidence all point to the show being cancelled due to creative differences.

And you're saying in another comment that the CW comic book shows have been getting lower ratings, but every show on the CW has. Flash is still the highest rated program on the entire network. Not possible with widespread superhero fatigue nor is it a sign the show itself is going down. More a sign of general troubles with network TV and the CW itself.

I just want more AoS

Creative disputes don't tend to derail shows, even movies just move on to a new set of directors unless it goes on for months or years. And likewise, Netflix hasn't tried to debunk the rumor of ratings when in the past they haven't been coy over the fact that shows broke records or have the highest viewership of any show. I don't care which rumor is true though, just depends on which one you wanna listen to the more. IIRC, the rumors on what caused the show to end both came out at the same time.

Flash being the highest viewed show on the network doesn't disprove fatigue. You have a point with all other shows having lowering ratings (i'd have to see if that's true), that should be taken into account. But one show being heavily watch doesn't disprove anything.

Creative disputes derail shows often, cancelation due to them is not frequent. I did a little research into the claims of the show losing 2/3 of it's viewers. While there was some evidence to back this up they admitted they don't have the full picture as their speculated viewing numbers don't take into account international demographics.

Let's take a step back though, regardless of what happened to Luke Cage we have to look at the context of what's happening. Iron Fist and Luke Cage were both poorly received during their first seasons. Hence their next outing won't attract as big of an audience irregardless of the fact. Jessica Jones and the Punisher both received second seasons relatively quickly less than a year ago. Daredevil as well seems implied to be getting a fourth season, further validating the notion bad shows are getting cancelled, not comic book shows.

Flash being the most viewed show most definitely disproves fatigue, here's why. Let's say people have superhero fatigue, the CW's demographic won't continue to watch it above all other programs, they'll watch something like All American or Dynasty instead. But that's not happening, the Flash (and the Arrowverse in general) continue to top the network's ratings, and their decline is consistent amongst every other show. Which strongly implies that those who are opting out of the Arrowverse shows aren't doing so because they're comic book properties, but rather because they're in general growing weary of the entire CW network as a whole. Hence it's not superheroes, it's the CW.

So do you feel that CBTV Fatigue is Real?

Obviously... If we go back to when AoS was announced, it had more hype and attention than the announcements of the Disney streaming service tv series that are set in the Mcu, that will be about Loki and Winter Soldier, can you guys imagine the impact if a Tv series about the mentioned characters was announced before... Lets say 2014/5?

How do you even measure that?

Which new broadcast shows of the 2013-14 season are viewers engaging with the most (and the least)? THR breaks it down.

It's no surprise that Joss Whedon's Marvel's Agents of SHIELD was the top new ABC -- and overall -- show in terms of viewer engagement on social media. Nearly half the SHIELD conversation (45 percent) centered on the character of Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), who [spoiler alert!] was killed in The Avengers. As of Friday afternoon, SHIELD's official Twitter boasts more than 46,000 followers, and its Facebook page counts close to half a million "likes." (Both accounts were set up in January, months before ABC officially ordered it to series -- a rarity for a pilot.)

Cloak and Dagger had similar popularity rates earlier this year. It's too early to tell if the Disney Play shows aren't yielding any popularity considering they've only been announced. Once trailers, cast announcements, etc come along and it still yields no fruit that would be a problem.

@mutant1230:

Cloak and Dagger had similar popularity rates earlier this year.

Really???

AoS

Cloak & Dagger

Because unlike AoS no one showed up for the Cloak and Dagger premiere...

It's too early to tell if the Disney Play shows aren't yielding any popularity considering they've only been announced. Once trailers, cast announcements, etc come along and it still yields no fruit that would be a problem.

Sure, but what i said was that the new Mcu shows for the Disney streaming service popularity would have more attention if they were released a few years back.

Its not just about comic book content, basically nothing that reaches huge levels of success can stay unique and fresh forever...

I'm fatigued of the Netflix shows.

Honestly, I think I became fatigued a little while ago. The only comic shows I’ve kept up with are Flash and Daredevil, and even then I’m incredibly behind on both

@asgaard: You're comparing an ABC Network production to a mini series on Freeform. That's naturally going to skew the results and cause them to be misinterpreted.

Look at Cloak and Dagger's ratings compared to other shows on the Freeform network.

Cloak and Dagger is one of the highest rated shows on the network, only three shows are ahead of it and not by largely significant numbers. As a matter of fact, Cloak and Dagger is in the same place Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 1 was during the 2013-2014 season on ABC. By the standards of each network, they're both equally successful and the demand is overall consistent.

Sure, but what i said was that the new Mcu shows for the Disney streaming service popularity would have more attention if they were released a few years back.

Its not just about comic book content, basically nothing that reaches huge levels of success can stay unique and fresh forever...

And I'm saying it's way too early to judge that. Once the Service is launched and the shows become available, but subscriptions/ratings still slag behind this can be said. But for now, we can't say for certain the concept of actual popular characters from the movies getting shows won't appear unique of fresh to audiences. For all we know it might garner more attention than Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. did, we just don't know.

I kind of know what you mean actually. The Arrowverse and Defenders shows have all started to feel really samey to me. Like, there were four Netflix shows released this year and they all took place in New York, all dealt with the same themes, same character archetypes, same pacing, etc. Every show barring DDS3 just sort of felt like a less interesting version of Daredevil.

The Arrowverse people have been complaining about being the same for years. Arrow is literally doing a prison arc months after The Flash adapted Trial of Barry Allen, Harrison Wells and Martian Manhunter's dad were both mentally losing their intelligence at the same time, etc. Arrow and Supergirl have really been feeling like reskinned versions of the Flash.

Honestly, I think superhero fatigue could be a reality if the shows don't offer unique/substantial content in all of their individual series. It doesn't matter what the genre is or what it's inspired from, people would get bored of that no matter what.

After DD has been cancelled today, do you stay on the same state of mind?

Titans is the best thing to happen to DC tv shows since season 1 of the flash