Why TV reboots have larger casts and what that says about our changing viewing habits

Robert Thompson, Trustee Professor of television, radio and film in the Newhouse School and director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture, was quoted by the Seattle Times for the article “Why TV reboots have larger casts and what that says about our changing viewing habits.” Thompson, an expert on popular culture and media consumption habits, explained that before the 1980s most viewers didn’t expect much complexity in TV shows. However, this has drastically changed in the past twenty years, especially with the growth of streaming services. “Now even in the most basic genre, like a procedural, there’s an expectation that there’s going to be a lot more going on and one of the ways to do that is to add characters,” Thompson said.