TELEVISION: Streaming, premium cable hunt for accolades
April 13, 2023 at 1:31 a.m.
by
Alicia Rancilio, The Associated Press
Melanie Lynskey (left) and Warren Kole perform in a scene from Showtime’s “Yellowjackets.” The show is among several viewers have to choose from on TV right now. (Colin Bentley/Showtime via AP)
Picture May 17, 2001. In the final seconds of the season seven finale of "Friends," Jennifer Aniston's Rachel reveals she's pregnant — but who's the father? This was a classic May sweeps cliffhanger, luring viewers and reaping advertising dollars for NBC.
Most shows used to kick off in the fall, air big episodes in November and February, and go out with a bang in May. Baby announcements, marriage proposals and sudden deaths were just a few of the popular plot twists used in spring season finales to hook viewers and build anticipation for the fall season.
Network television still largely follows that model, but the streamers and premium cable competitors of the new guard tend to operate with different goals. Rather than angling for ratings, those companies are releasing new seasons of popular TV shows —"Ted Lasso," "Succession," "The Mandalorian," " The Last of Us," and " Yellowjackets " — with an eye to Primetime Emmy Award recognition.
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