Netflix is about to make a huge mistake dropping Mindhunter
Mindhunter's future on Netflix has been hanging in the balance for some time and, a few days ago, creator David Fincher delivered news that nobody was hoping for.
In a new interview, he opened up about the toll that the show can take on him – and not just because of the harrowing true-crime content that it depicts.
Fincher described that working on the Netflix Original demands "a 90-hour work week" and "absorbs everything in your life."
He went on to explain to Vulture that, after finishing up on season two, he wasn't sure if he 'had it in him' to start work on a third.
This prompted the question of whether the series is essentially over.
"I think probably," Fincher replied. "Listen, for the viewership that it had, it was an expensive show.
"I honestly don't think we're going to be able to do it for less than I did season two. And on some level, you have to be realistic about dollars have to equal eyeballs."
If we're to take Fincher's reasoning as an insight, the argument appears to be that Mindhunter is too costly to produce without seeing the comparable viewing numbers to justify the $$$.
This news plays out against a backdrop of recent Netflix cancellations and "unrenewals", whereby a string of popular shows have been left on the cutting room floor – often before reaching their natural conclusion.
Mindhunter's disappointing announcement, while not coming direct from the horse's mouth, is indicative of Netflix's business model.
The streaming giant can sometimes be cagey about the reasons that fuel its decision making, but it has built a reputation on churning out a near-constant stream of new content for its 195 million subscribers worldwide (via informitv.com).
It's this, at least in part, which feeds its success: there's always something to watch at the touch of a button. So why shell out for a high-budget show with a smaller audience, when you can spend that same amount on three new shows that might get more reach?
Well, alongside quantity, there has to be a case made for quality.
There's no snobbery here – we love a bit of trash as much as the next TV obsessive.
That being said, the so-called 'Golden Age of Television' has raised the bar. Game of Thrones brought cinematic heights to our small screens in a way that rivalled the cinema experience, and shows like Mad Men and The Wire informed how slick we'd become.
You can't put toothpaste back in its tube. The audience has an expectation that must be met and, now that telly has progressed to the point that it has, broadcasters and streaming services alike are going to need to produce both the 'fast television' target-hitters and the more spenny show-ponies simultaneously.
As things stand, Netflix's roster of high-budget and prestige titles is starting to look a little thin.
The Crown – which was reported to have cost a record $130m when season one first arrived – is about to launch its fourth season, but we can already see an end point on the horizon. The highly anticipated new instalment of Stranger Things is currently in production but, again, show bosses are already preparing fans for its inevitable farewell.
Mindhunter might not be a desirable commodity from a cost-per-viewer perspective (if Fincher's words are anything to go by), but it is one of Netflix's few remaining flagship shows.
Holt McCallany and Jonathan Groff take on the leads as two FBI agents from the Elite Serial Crime Unit, which famously interviewed some of the world's most prolific serial killers in the '70s and '80s.
From the casting to the writing, Mindhunter is both a scripted feat and a fascinating snapshot of real history and human psychology.
We're not just saying it because we're huge fans (full disclaimer, we absolutely are), but Netflix needs to find a way – once Fincher is ready – to keep this one alive.
Besides, we still have so many leads left open...
Mindhunter seasons one and two are streaming on Netflix.
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