What is the value of creating a second season?

If you have a show – or various shows – that you really love, then you must know the feeling of never wanting it to end. Yet we can all also name a few that probably should’ve ended already but are still going. For example, some may quote Supernatural here. So, the question is, why is a second season created? And why, after this, are even more seasons often brought to our screens?

One of the main factors is the financial success of a series – the more money it makes, the more producers and TV networks want to keep making it. Money drives people. As a result, shows with a lot of profit are renewed for another season. Reality TV often has plenty of success in this regard, with shows such as Keeping Up with the Kardashians being renewed and even getting spin-offs due to their financial success. Here, the value of more than one season lies in its ability to make a profit, and as much of it as possible. Whether this is a good thing or not is down to debate; often it can produce some great television, at other times it can potentially ruin a show for people as unnecessary things happen.

The more money it makes, the more producers and TV networks want to keep making it

A second season can also be great for a series with a large following; the fans get to see more of their favourite characters, which is exactly what they want. Supposedly, the hugely popular Gossip Girl was originally only meant to run for one season but the large fanbase it cultivated and the manner in which people threw themselves into the Gossip Girl world quickly led to its renewal for a second season. From there, the show’s success grew steadily and the viewers invested themselves in the characters for five more drama-filled seasons. In this way, second and subsequent seasons are a primary way for a show to really explore its characters, to potentially add more in-depth plots and for the viewer to truly get hooked on a show. That feeling of wanting more is satisfied, something single-season shows can’t often do.

A second season isn’t always a good thing though. Some shows have gone there, made the second season, and absolutely flopped, or simply not raked in enough views to continue. The hype from the first season can be enough to hook viewers and to keep people interested, but after long hiatuses between seasons, many of these viewers aren’t quite interested enough to seek out the second season. Often this is when a show ends up getting cancelled, such as Scream Queens, which had plenty of social media hype but just couldn’t get enough views.

No matter the money being made, sometimes a show just needs to know when enough is enough

What the value of a second season really is and whether it’s a good idea is, therefore, something very subjective. More often than not, at least one more season is made both to satisfy the viewers’ hunger and to attempt to make as much profit as possible from the show. Often a second season is the best guide as to whether subsequent seasons would be a good idea or not. Yet, one thing that is clear: no matter the money being made, sometimes a show just needs to know when enough is enough.