NBC is channeling its inner Netflix. The TV network will premiere all 13 episodes of the David Duchovny-starring crime drama Aquarius on May 28, 2015.
In Aquarius, Duchovny plays a 1960’s homicide detective investigating the disappearance of a young woman connected to renowned cult leader and criminal Charles Manson. Following Aquarius’s two-hour premiere on linear television, NBC will release all 13 of the show’s episodes on its own website and apps, along with other video-on-demand platforms. Episodes of Aquarius will be available for four weeks starting May 28, with NBC releasing each episode on linear television in normal TV distribution fashion Thursdays at 9 PM EST.
“With Aquarius we have the opportunity to push some new boundaries to give our audience something no broadcast network has done before,” said NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt to Adweek. “We are fully aware how audiences want to consume multiple episodes of new television series faster and at their own discretion, and we’re excited to offer our viewers this same experience since all 13 episodes of this unique show have been produced and are ready to be seen.”
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NBC’s binge-watching release of Aquarius makes sense considering all episodes are ready to go (normally, television episodes are ready for broadcast a few weeks, days, or even only hours before they run). NBC could also be trying to avoid running the show during the summertime, when the Peacock network (and all of TV) traditionally sees lower ratings.
Adweek notes NBC wasn’t the first TV network to try a Netflix-style release of an entire show. Starz also tested the debut format with its subscribers in late 2014 for the network’s drama series The Missing. If more networks start following this trend of delivering content to the binge-watching crowds, Netflix may actually have to start worrying about competition from traditional TV.
