SALT LAKE CITY — Disney Plus is having a moment. Well, another moment.
The streaming service has been all over the news of late. When movies like “Mulan” and “Black Widow” were pulled from theater schedules because of the coronavirus pandemic, fans wondered if Disney Plus would release films early. Instead, Disney dropped “Onward” — which had been in theaters — on its service early. Soon after, Disney Plus announced “Artemis Fowl” would be a digital-only film.
In fact, Disney is facing a programming crunch. People are sitting at home, watching nostalgic and new content from Disney. Sure, the company churned out new material, like “The Clone Wars” and the new behind-the-scenes show about “The Mandalorian.” But the streaming service doesn’t have enough content to handle the demand. The service has more than 54 million subscribers who are hungry for more material.
The difference between Disney and all other streaming services out there is that Disney Plus has films that don’t rise above a PG-13 rating. It’s a family-friendly service.
That’s a stark contrast to the more popular content that has emerged on cable, premium cable and other streaming services over the years, where shows like “Game of Thrones,” “Breaking Bad” and “The Walking Dead” find success with darker, edgier material.
But will similar shows succeed when the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic ends? Will shows like “Game of Thrones” or “The Witcher” — full of blood, guts, gore and horror — survive when our lives are so irregular? Do ice zombies and dragons work when a killer virus hangs in the air?
Darkness won’t totally fade from television. But the future may require an investment into family.
What will happen next?
Parents Television Council President Tim Winter predicts that streaming services will start to invest in more family-friendly content.
The pandemic, which has eliminated live sports and events for now, could accelerate the decline of broadcast cable television, Winter said. People will jump to streaming platforms to find new entertainment.
With more families embracing streaming platforms, more content will be needed, he said.
“There’s going to be a bigger, larger demand for family-friendly entertainment,” he said. “And I think that they’re going to be more family-friendly programming choices. And I think that’s going to be an increase in the investment.”
Companies like Netflix will recognize the need for family-friendly shows. The audience will be there, and the investment will follow, Winter said.
According to Winter, families are a “more stable revenue stream than younger audiences” since younger audiences tend to binge-watch a show and then check out.
Indeed, teenagers tend to lean into quick bites and screen time. Apps like TikTok, Quibi and Loop Media aim to earn the attention of younger audiences by offering quick bites. Young viewers can open a video, watch for a few minutes and then tap right out.
But families will sit down to watch a movie together. They’ll spend time huddled around the Roku to find new content.
“I think they’re going to have to reach out to families because it’s a much steadier revenue stream,” Winter said.
Newer family-friendly show like “The Mandalorian” or “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” have tended to do well. “Fuller House” — the sequel show to “Full House” — was one of the more popular Netflix shows with 14.4 million viewers.
And then there is comedy. “The Office,” “Friends” and “Parks and Recreation” top the list of stress reducers during the coronavirus pandemic. While not always family-friendly, it’s definitely a long way from gritty dramas.
According to a new data set from Flixed, a website dedicated to help people cut the cord with cable plans, comedy is the go-to genre for streaming content in the coronavirus pandemic.
Other genres are pulling in viewers too, like action, drama and science fiction. True crime has also been a constant over the past few years. It’s likely these genres will endure, said Claire Cole, part of the creative team for Flixed.
But comedy could play a factor in the future, too.
“True crime has become a popular genre over the past couple of years, but comedies might be the new favorite as the world takes on COVID-19 and is in need of more stress relief through laughter,” she said.
We won’t totally step away from dark TV
Right now, the trends might lean toward comedy and lighthearted television shows to help us cope with our anxieties. But according to Don Schechter, professor of the practice in film and media studies at Tufts University, it won’t stay that way. Television will remain dark.
That’s because general pop culture has shifted toward darker and more serious films that slide away from the campy material of the past. For example, Marvel films used to be full of whimsical and hokey material. There was a “Captain America” film in 1990 that was full of cheese. And you can’t forget about the ’90s Batman films, like the one with Val Kilmer and the Bat Nipples.
Now, superhero films are rooted in serious and darker themes, Schechter said.
“I don’t think we ever went back to just like good old campy sci-fi,” he said. “I think we’re past that.”
Winter, of the PTC, doesn’t see mature television leaving completely, either.
Darker, edgier content will be released as streaming services look to compete with each other. This only increases as more streaming services become available and as people shift from broadcast cable viewing to streaming content, Winter said.
“I believe that darker, edgier content will continue to proliferate, and perhaps even become darker,” he said.
What the content will be?
It’s too early to tell what content will be like after the end of the coronavirus pandemic, Winter said. But there’s a chance that stories will offer commentary on the pandemic and the coronavirus, rather than specifically focus on viruses and pandemics themselves.
Shows have existed on pandemics, viruses and disasters for years, Schecter said. New stories will focus on how the major issues are handled.
“I think where the commentary will be embedded is more about failures of bureaucracy and organization, and failures like food supply and things like that,” he said.
He added, “I suspect that it might be more like failures of structures of society.”
Winter, of the PTC, said the world is full of too much angst. Content shouldn’t reflect that.
“Just let it be light,” he said.
He suggested there will be shows about “the triumph of human spirit, human ingenuity and and the love for our fellow man.” He sees a future where there’s news and reality-based programming that highlight inspiring messages. Moments that keep us from seeing darkness during dark times.
Shows about pandemics? Forget it.
“I think that the last thing people are going to want to see coming out of the pandemic is content about a pandemic,” Winter said. “Everybody is going to have lived through their own reality show. And any attempt to try to dramatize what every single American has personally faced, I think, will fall flat on its face.”
Correction: This article previously identified the Parents Television Council president as Tim Winters. His name is Tim Winter.