Matt Buckler: Streaming series don't have staying power

Feb. 18—On broadcast television, many hit shows don't die — and they don't fade away either.

They just keep going and going. "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "Grey's Anatomy," "NCIS," and now the comeback tour of the original "Law & Order" demonstrate that it's so difficult to create hit shows, and that a network might as well hang on to the hit shows it has for a long period of time. Cast members may change, but the names of the shows remain the same.

That's not the way it is, however, on streaming networks, where the shelf life for hit shows is much briefer.

Here are two examples. Netflix's "Stranger Things," which set the industry on fire a few years back, announced its end game this week.

The show will air for two more seasons, making for a grand total of five. Season 4 will be split into two parts, with the first installment to air May 27 and the second to air July 1.

Then the fifth season will wrap up one of streaming's most successful horror series.

One would think the show would reach at least double figures as far as seasons are concerned, but that will not be the case.

It's not alone. "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" was a show few people had heard of until it started winning Emmy Awards. Then it became a major attraction for Amazon Prime Video. Viewers ordered Prime Video just so they could watch the series.

But there won't be that many more episodes to watch. The fourth season premieres on Amazon tonight while production starts on Season 5.

Then Mrs. Maisel will be headed into retirement.

If it were a broadcast show, the best years for the series would be still to come.

In streaming, however, where shows usually don't end up getting sold to syndication, five seasons is about normal.

It will be interesting to see how many seasons the current streaming blockbuster comedy, "Ted Lasso," lasts. It has finished two seasons — chances are it won't be around for more than five either.

At least these shows aren't around long enough to get stale. They leave the stream at their peak of popularity.

"Law & Order," however, makes more money. That's why it's back.

Olympic scoreboard

It was another chapter of a novel that not many people are reading.

NBC's prime-time coverage of the Olympics might have hit a new low Wednesday — 6.9 million viewers.

Expect Thursday night's ratings to be better because of the women's figure skating finals.

Granted, most viewers knew what the results were before NBC's prime-time coverage. The fact that the event favorite, Kamila Valieva, fell during her program and finished fourth may have compelled more viewers to tune in to see it for themselves.

The doping scandal that has hung on to Valieva like sequins on a skating costume has been the most talked about event at the games. That should attract viewers.

One good night, however, will not change the perception that this year's Olympic flame was operating on reduced power.

More Maher

Apparently HBO can't get enough of Bill Maher. In addition to his weekly talk show, "Real Time with Bill Maher," the controversial comedian will be hosting an HBO special, "#Adulting," which will air in the spring.

It will be Maher's 12th special for HBO.

For those who would like to see what Maher was like during his younger days, search YouTube for "Steve Allen's Music Room," a six-part series Allen made for the Disney Channel in the mid-1980s.

Maher was Allen's sidekick. He was 26 years old and looks a lot more nervous than he does now.

It will be a rare opportunity to see Maher without hearing any political jokes.

Follow Matt Buckler for more television, radio, and sports coverage on the JI's Twitter @journalinquirer, and see his articles on the Journal Inquirer Facebook page.