Current Events > After a budget of $1 billion, The Rings of Power only had a 37% completion rate

(+) Yeah! (+)

People don't like long story telling when it comes to Tolkien anyway. Half the internet wanted the Hobbit to be a single 3 and a half hour movie.

Another complaint is that Sanders relies heavily on feedback from focus groups, which tend to favor broad and less inclusive programming. Several Amazon insiders say the reliance on testing and data led to a clash late last summer, when an Amazon executive said in a marketing meeting for the series A League of Their Own that data showed audiences found queer stories off-putting and suggested downplaying those themes in materials promoting the show. Series co-creator Will Graham became greatly concerned about bias built into Amazons system for evaluating shows, which multiple sources say often ranked broad series featuring straight, white male leads above all others. One executive calls A League of Their Own a proxy for how diverse and inclusive shows are treated.
Graham launched into an interrogation of the system, questioning multiple executives about it. Amazon took the issue seriously and dropped the system of ranking shows based on audience scores. Insiders cite this show as one that Sanders did passionately support, but for months after it dropped, there was no word on whether it would be renewed. Ultimately, Amazon agreed to a four-episode second and final season. Still, several Amazon veterans believe the system remains too dependent on those same test scores. All this perpetuation of white guys with guns its a self-fulfilling prophecy, says one. And another: Relying on data is soul crushing Theres never, I know the testing wasnt that great, but I believe in this.' Graham declined to comment.

When a company begins telling its customers what to want, instead of making what the customers actually want, it's all downhill from there.

This looks interesting:

What the viewers want: Dudes & guns!
What Amazon made instead: Lesbian baseball
What the viewers viewed: something else
Amazon's response: "No, it is the viewers who are wrong"

When a company begins telling its customers what to want, instead of making what the customers actually want, it's all downhill from there.

Making content based primarily around market testing usually leads to generic garbage as well though.

To be fair A League of Their Own was fucking great and if audiences didnt like it then they are wrong.

What the viewers want: Dudes & guns!
What Amazon made instead: Lesbian baseball
What the viewers viewed: something else
Amazon's response: "No, it is the viewers who are wrong"

When a company begins telling its customers what to want, instead of making what the customers actually want, it's all downhill from there.

To be fair A League of Their Own was fucking great and if audiences didnt like it then they are wrong.

I imagine the retention rate on all such shows are generally low, though.

Popular generic garbage.
Just look at Marvel.

This looks interesting:

What the viewers want: Dudes & guns!
What Amazon made instead: Lesbian baseball
What the viewers viewed: something else
Amazon's response: "No, it is the viewers who are wrong"

When a company begins telling its customers what to want, instead of making what the customers actually want, it's all downhill from there.

I think the show was also hurt by the conflict between Tolkien's black and white morality and the compelling nature of the darker characters

The Hobbit wasn't even supposed to be 3 movies. It was supposed to be split into 2 and the 3rd would have been adapting material that bridged it and the LOTR trilogy, but the Tolkien estate for some reason backed out of the deal, forcing the studio to turn a 2-movie script into a 3-movie script and it shows.

Making content based primarily around market testing usually leads to generic garbage as well though.

It was hot garbage tbh

People don't like long story telling when it comes to Tolkien anyway. Half the internet wanted the Hobbit to be a single 3 and a half hour movie.