It might not be apparent to everyone, but the future of television is here as Netflix has announced that they will be commissioning and exclusively screening its own original content in the form of a new Sci-Fi series called Sense8, which is created by the Wachowski (Nee brothers), creators of the Matrix trilogy, and writer J. Michael Straczynski of Babylon 5 fame.
So there are instant nerd points there for combining Babylon 5 and The Matrix (albeit a decade too late!). Sense8 will be a 10 episode series that will air on Netflix in 2014, and whilst there is little plot or story information the Wachowski’s have said: “Several years ago, we had a late night conversation [with Straczynski] about the ways technology simultaneously unites and divides us, and out of that paradox Sense8 was born,”
This is yet another step away from the standard TV creation process of years gone by, as the series has been specifically produced by Netflix which means it bypasses the networking issues that many TV series (good and bad) have been blighted by in the past.
See also: Amazon Studios Signs Up Bill Murray For Web TV Show – But Sadly It’s Not Zombieland
Earlier this year Netflix started to produce its own original content in the form of TV series House of Cards, which has been hugely successful for the streaming service, and an incoming new series of Arrested Development which will be screened exclusively by Netflix in May.
One of the fundamental changes in this new on-demand original content setup is that the way series like House of Cards have been released – Netflix releases the show as a full season rather than one episode per week. This encourages binge viewing and continued attention of users, which is drastically different from the current weekly screening format.
Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos has spoken out on the company’s excitement of Sense8, stating: “Their (the Wachowski’s and Straczynski ) incredible creations are favourites of Netflix members globally and we can’t wait to bring Sense8 to life.”
This is once again another step in the future of television, whether it’s how it’s made, funded or screened… things are changing.