When Netflix killed (Definitively) Quality TV: A Plot and Beat Analysis of Netflix Originals pilots (2014-2018)

Abstract

Netflix's emergence as a television fiction producer turned five in 2018. Five years    characterized by the abundance of approaches by scholars. Furthermore, on the assumption that the famous algorithm that the company employs, as well as the meticulous work of labeling all the products through conceptual categories in order to be in a better position to judge what its audience wants, have led to a standardized production. In other words, that the algorithm culture results in very similar products that are repeated over and over again to satisfy the subscribers. After two years analyzing the dramas produced by Netflix under the label ‘Netflix Originals’, that presumed uniformity does not emerge in terms of the forms of writing and the structures handled. On the contrary, it is striking that Netflix behaves more like a free-to-air channel than a Pay-TV.