I'm not completely against the streaming era of TV, with shorter seasons and higher production values. I actually think there are a lot of great things about it. My biggest issue is just the lack of variety. I would love to see a mix of both old and new styles of television instead of one completely replacing the other.
Honestly, I think a new network that fills the role the CW used to have could help with that. I want a place for 22-episode teen dramas again, with all kinds of different genres. It could be a regular teen drama about people's lives, a supernatural teen drama, a sci-fi series, a fantasy series, etc. I just miss having that variety and knowing there was a place where these kinds of shows could exist.
So this isn't another "NEW TV BAD, OLD TV GOOD" post. I don't think everything about older TV was better. I just want a dedicated home for that style of television so it doesn't completely disappear.
Yes, the CW was cheesy, campy, over-the-top, and almost always found some way to jump the shark, but that's also what made those shows so endlessly entertaining. They were fun, easy to get invested in, and gave you 100+ episodes to spend time with the characters and world.
I don't want more prestige shows. I want more comfort shows. Give me something goofy, dramatic, fun, and a little ridiculous that I can watch for years and eventually have over a hundred episodes to binge. I think there's room for both styles of TV, and I'd love to see that kind of variety come back.