With the rise of streaming services, “flagship” shows have been gaining traction throughout major streaming companies. During several of the Primetime Emmy Awards Ceremonies, award winners included flagship shows like Severance, Succession, The Pitt and more.

Flagship shows are television series often created by major streaming services that are heavily advertised — in which case they become the face of the streaming company. Many of these shows grow quickly in popularity and often top charts. For example, hits such as “Stranger Things” or “The Summer I Turned Pretty” each dominated their respective charts. Senior Charlotte Homer notes that, to her, flagship shows are a bold approach to advertisement.

“When I think of flagship … it’s the poster for something,” Homer said. “If there’s something really popular, a company will kind of wave it around like, ‘Hey, this is our big new thing right now.’”

Many feel that a highly popular television show is indicative of poor quality; for instance, well-known Hollywood director, Martin Scorsese, famously said that modern movies have become “theme parks” and they are not “the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being, said Scorsese. However, for Amazon Prime’s flagship show “Sterling Point”, Homer feels its quality was as advertised. 

“I love the whole plotline of the story,” Homer said. “I feel like it kind of does a little more justice to a teen coming of age because there’s so many nuances. All the characters are really realistic.”

It was not just Homer who had this sentiment. Out of 69 respondents, 62% of Branham students stated in a Bear Witness Instagram poll that they enjoyed major flagship shows. This included shows such as — but not limited to — Sterling Point, Wednesday or Severance. 

Even with enjoyment of flagship shows at-large, Homer says that hearing about shows from  local sources is more compelling than a corporation, like the streaming services themselves. 

“A company is going to be biased. It’s going to say ‘Our show is really good’. [But] what if you really hear [that] from real people?” Homer said. 

Senior Sofia Martin explained that, at times, heavy advertisement has the potential to ruin a show and its legacy. She specifically highlighted how Netflix’s “Stranger Things” fell into this pattern. According to IMDb, the final season of Stranger Things ranked significantly lower than previous seasons. In season four, for example, viewers rated each episode an 8.6/10 on average; when it came to the final season, the episode average was 7.8/10. According to the New York Times, these kinds of declines could possibly be a product of high advertising and, therefore, increased popularity because of pressure to perform. 

“I thought the whole series was really good, but the last season felt super rushed,” Martin said. “It was something that was super hyped, and everybody was so excited. It was just kind of disappointing when what people thought it was going to be about didn’t actually align with what it [was].”

Flagship shows are a unique form of television that has sprung up as streaming services have begun to dominate the industry. According to this increase, advertisements can lead to increased viewership, but it also allows for more criticism towards the show. Martin notes that, oftentimes, a show that has not been advertised as much may be better.

“It’s the fact that if you watched [a show] and you enjoyed it, you have your own personal connection rather than like a connection that the streaming service wanted you to have,” Martin said.

Illustration by Abigail Marshall/Bear Witness