The Netflix model of binge viewing is changing the way that some writers approach storytelling, with “Orange is the New Black” creator Jenji Kohan calling it a “luxury” to write for Netflix viewers.
Speaking at the OITNB panel at PaleyFest 2014 in Los Angeles on Friday, Kohan was asked how binge watching affected her writing process.
“It didn’t initially. I had no idea how people would consume it,” she said. “For the second season we though about how it was being consumed more. We realized that if you didn’t see someone for a while, it was okay because the audience would be seeing them in an hour. It’s kind of a luxury… we can get there; you don’t have to pack everything in. You don’t have to cover everyone.”
Kohan was appearing at PaleyFest alongside 15 of the cast members on the critically acclaimed dramedy about left at a women’s prison ahead of the second season premiere on June 6.
The cast was pretty tight-lipped about details from the upcoming season, although new cast member Lorraine Toussaint did get to introduce her character Vee to the fans in the crowd. Vee plays a streetwise drug lord who hired kids as mules and runners. And her character apparently “shakes things up” at Litchfield.
“As silent as I’ve been this evening is as silent as I’ll be in season two—at least I enter as such,” Touusaint told the crowd. “I think it’ll be interesting seeing how this character is received because Jenji has written a character who plays, and enjoys the game and is incredibly engaging and draws people into the game. And I have a great deal of fun.”
Both Kohan and the cast shared lots of love for Netflix during the panel, with Kohan saying “Honestly Netflix has been fabulous. They are really respectful and you get the sense that they’re fans. It doesn’t seem to be a culture of fear.”
Added actress Laura Prepon: “They really let us do our thing and they’re not invasive. Sometimes networks tend to micromanage, and they really don’t.”
Brief Take: Binge watching allows writers a bit more flexibility in telling stories, since characters who normally might not be seen for a few weeks will actually be back in the next hour or so.
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