I think it’s fair to say, with top name talent from Martin Scorsese to Michael Mann, Gus Van Sant to Neil Jordan rushing to the arms of the small screen, not to mention the general lift in quality programming of the past half a decade, television could be on the precipice of a new renaissance.
This is before we really sit back and analyze and consider the impact, already felt, of On Demand services that will no doubt take off with the standardization of at-home delivery. Episodic entertainment may well spring to new, invigorating life. And those smart enough to see what’s coming are already testing those waters, like Netflix’s recent, potentially game-changing deal with Kevin Spacey to launch “House of Cards” (directed by David Fincher) exclusively on its streaming service.
In a nutshell, it’s an exciting time for television, and with the rise of the showrunner in full swing, at what could be a bellwether moment for the industry, it’s the perfect time for a filmmaker to pull back those layers.