Television vs Movies: What’s the Future of Entertainment?

Over the past couple of years, there has been an endless debate of whether the small screen has surpassed the big screen, which has happened mostly because of the fast-rising popularity of TV shows on the global entertainment scale. On average, there are around 600 movies created in the US every year, and for TV the number is much higher. For example in 2018, a whopping number of 495 original scripted series aired on television. As an actor, Eddy Kariti has worked for some of the biggest networks on television. In his opinion, the appeal of TV has a lot to do with the potential for extended narratives. Namely, the creativity has progressed to long-form storytelling which is serialized. Being a cast member of a show that runs for years means committing to the character in a way that films do not require. Being cast in TV series himself has allowed actor Eddy Kariti to show a wider span of acting skills, and deliver some of his finest work. In fact, this is why a lot of high-status actors have taken on TV show roles to great reviews.

Another big reason why more actors are willing to do TV shows has to do with the removal of stigma. Back in the day TV was mostly sitcom, comedies, and soap opera shows, which pushed actors to movies. Now that people recognize TV can be just as respectable as movies, actors aren’t worried about TV roles reflecting badly on their careers, plus the roles are getting more interesting. Today, a lot of TV actors are respected in ways that only film actors would have been respected in the 90s. As Eddy Kariti explains, the same applies to writers and directors, with people like David Fincher and Martin Scorsese being involved with small screen ventures. As a result, most of the innovators and envelope-pushers in film are making the transition to, rather than from, TV.

Certain culture critics have proclaimed that TV has creatively dethroned the movies. With larger budgets, better talent, and more runtime to develop characters, has TV really given film a run for its money? For Eddy Kariti there is plenty of audience for both types of media. Films will always be a vital source of entertainment for audiences around the world, and needless to say, they’re here to stay. At the same time, there’s no denying that the golden age of TV is undoubtedly here.