Carissa’s Corner: The Power of Long-Running TV — and Why We Should Revisit It Together
I read Alexi Hawley’s Variety piece this week, and while the timing was new, the sentiment wasn’t.
He writes about the value of broadcast TV — the kind that offers 22 episodes a season, time to develop characters, explore relationships, and build a world that feels lived-in.
He calls out the myth that limited series are the pinnacle of storytelling, and he reminds us that consistency, longevity, and connection still matter.
If you’ve been around TV Fanatic for a while, you know we’ve been saying this for years.
We’ve watched streaming strip away the things that made television special: time, rhythm, and space to breathe.
Sure, it’s given us some extraordinary stories. However, it has also given us a system that quickly forgets you (and that we forget) as well. A few episodes and you’re gone. There’s no follow-up. No future. And often, no real heart.
Broadcast was never built for the short game. It was built to go the distance. And even though the landscape has changed, that DNA — the soul of TV — still lives there.
It’s the soap opera model of familiar faces and daily visits, with characters who stick around long enough to surprise you — or annoy you. Either works, really. Whatever keeps us involved.
So when The Rookie creator says there’s value in stories that grow over time and that younger audiences are discovering how good it can feel to sink into familiar worlds, it feels like more than just a creative statement.
It feels like someone in the industry is finally saying out loud what a lot of us have been thinking.
We want to get to know characters like family again. We want the slow burn, the weekly check-ins, the “remember when” moments. We want shows that feel like family.
Maybe that’s why I’ve seen so many people rediscovering Six Feet Under lately. It’s having a bit of a revival (pun unintended, but welcome).
First-timers are discovering it on Max and Netflix. Longtime fans are braving that finale all over again. And let’s be honest — it still hits.
It’s a show that understood how to live with its characters, how to let grief evolve, and how to sit in silence and still say something. It’s a drama, but it’s funny as hell. It’s a lot like life (and death).
So here’s what I’m thinking: let’s make this summer about the shows that stick.
To start, let’s rewatch Six Feet Under together. Maybe you’ll be watching for the first time. But let’s put the history of TV to good use.
There are 63 episodes total, which isn’t too much to cover in three months. We can set a schedule, watch about five episodes a week, then catch up on them with articles and discussion.
Networks and streamers may be failing us, but they’ve risen to the challenge for more than half a century, and we’ve got a goldmine of content to explore together.
What shows would you love to revisit with us this summer? What characters are still sitting at your table, even years later?
Are you up for the challenge and a little fun?
Streaming wouldn’t exist without a solid foundation. So let’s dig into the roots a little and remember what made us fall in love with TV in the first place.
But it’s up to you. If you’re game, I’m game. And if it works, we can do it more often and add more shows (and movies!) to our playground.
Here it comes — a Big, Beautiful Poll. Are we doing this?
This community is all about you.
If you want to explore other shows or movies as a community, let us know what titles are on your mind.
Should we do Jaws, Independence Day, and Live Free or Die Hard for some summer fun? The world is our oyster, guys!
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Carissa’s Corner: The Power of Long-Running TV — and Why We Should Revisit It Together
TV isn’t built to be disposable—and shows like Six Feet Under prove it. Let’s rediscover the value of long-running series with a summer rewatch that celebrates the kind of storytelling streaming often forgets.
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The post Carissa’s Corner: The Power of Long-Running TV — and Why We Should Revisit It Together appeared first on TV Fanatic.
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