Based on recent developments, older content being added to a streaming service just got a whole lot more unlikely after Disney decided that it wasn’t just going to sweep its unsuccessful originals under the rug, but wipe them off the face of the planet entirely. Somehow, though, Stephen King is holding out hope somebody will listen to his latest demands.
As the streaming wars have continued to heat up, the various combatants have found themselves in a situation where enormously expensive movies and TV shows end up serving no tangible purpose not long after their initial release, which should probably lead to some questions over the short and long-term strategies in play.
After all, the Mouse House’s vastly expensive legacy sequel series Willow and $125 million literary fantasy Artemis Fowl are soon to be tossed into the abyss never to be seen and heard from again, while Netflix regularly spends big on splashy blockbusters that dominate the conversation for a week or two before rapidly fading from memory.
Of course, it’s worth pointing out that King has set his objectives a lot lower than that, with a soap opera that spanned 28 seasons and a mammoth 7420 episodes before ending in 1984 currently the source of his desire.
Ironically, the outfit that’s canning so much content is likely to ensure the horror icon will get his wish. The Edge of Night aired on CBS from 1956 to 1975, which could theoretically see it end up on Paramount Plus. However, the remainder of the show’s run was spent on ABC, which is currently under the Disney umbrella. If the company has no time for its recent batch of exclusives, then a series that went off the air almost 40 years ago isn’t going to be a priority, despite having such a high-profile backer.