Netflix is experimenting with weekly episodes

published 3 September 2019

You might soon be able to talk about your favorite Netflix shows spoiler-free. But don't get your hopes too high.

The streaming service is reportedly scrapping the binge model for two of its shows, The Great British Baking Show and an upcoming reality show featuring T.I., Cardi B, and Chance the Rapper titled Rhythm and Flow. The former has already shifted to a weekly release model and while multiple episodes of the latter will still drop at one time, the entire season will be spread out over three weeks.

Netflix is clear this is just an experiment; no other shows are transitioning away from the normal model right now and the company seems to have chosen reality shows specifically to keep surprises under wraps for a longer period of time. But it does seem that Disney's plans to release episodes weekly for several series set to air on its forthcoming streaming service, Disney+, has caught Netflix's attention. Perhaps, then, fans and critics will eventually watch shows like Stranger Things and Mindhunter on a week-to-week basis, but there's no actual indication that will happen.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

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