Longer format filmed stories

On 4th episode of The Night Manager and it's reignited my interest in mini-series. There's an energy building and it's nice to know we're heading into the final chapter where the story will climax and complete. I'm getting excited to see how it ends.

I think audiences are itching for longer, more involved stories.

• The Night Manager - 6 hours 
• True Detective - 8 hours
• Serial podcast - 12 episodes
• OJ Made in America - 8 hours
• The Jinx - 6 hours 
• Making of a Murderer - 10 hours 

Beatty was onto something with Reds = 3.2 hours. I'm sure there was a longer first cut, and if he wasn't constrained to theatrical release I'm sure that could have been a great 5-6 hour story. 

The 2-hour, 3 act story started with Aristotle (or before), but the main constraint there was that was the maximum amount of time an audience could sit for one story. 

With digital, I think that's changing. It's time for a more novelistic treatment of filmed stories. That's the future, and that's what excites me. The chance to do things that haven't been done before. 

Everyone thinks culture has the attention span of a gnat, but with the popularity of these series, and the familiarity everyone has with going online and doing deeper research, I think that's a short sighted view of audiences. I think if we give them something deep and complex, they'll respond.