Too Much TV

Ever feel overwhelmed by the number of choices when you sit down to watch TV? At a recent Television Critics Association press gathering, FX CEO John Landgraf validated those feelings when he proclaimed there is “simply too much television,” according to a report on mashable.com.

To bolster his point, FX created the chart shown that depicts a steady increase in scripted original TV series over the past six years across broadcast, cable, and streaming services such as Netflix. In 2009, 211 series aired, which compares with 371 in 2014. As of mid-August 2015, the number of TV shows had already hit 267, well on its way to an estimated 400 for the year—numbers that exclude children’s programming and non-English series.

How long will the growth continue? Landgraf told reporters he expects to start seeing declines in 2017 and beyond given a TV audience that is not expected to grow.

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