Radio on TV? Netflix Now Wants Characters in Shows and Movies Describing What They’re Doing on Screen

Netflix is telling screenwriters it wants characters in its shows and movies to verbalize what they are doing on screen. So, if a character is eating an apple in his car he would say, ‘I’m eating this apple in my car.’ Netflix is doing this so subscribers can know what’s going on in a show or movie while it is on in the background without having to actually watch it.

Here’s more. (READ)

Netflix execs tell screenwriters to have characters “announce what they’re doing so that viewers who have a program on in the background can follow along”

They also have thousands of micro-genres including “casual viewing” which is used for movies/TV that go down best when… pic.twitter.com/8pZ4XxG7mu

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) December 27, 2024

Some posters say there is already a similar option available on some programs, but it is for those who are visually-impaired.

Isn't that what "descriptive audio" soundtracks are for? Disney+ has that on its streaming shows, but as an *option*.

— CyberKnight (@CyberKnight1) December 27, 2024

So does peacock, as long it’s an option and not mandatory I’d be fine with it

— The kids call Bart Hoju (@joegancia) December 28, 2024

Those are for blind people. That's apparently not enough for people who want to watch a show while playing games on their phone.

— sam (@LairsAndLizards) December 28, 2024

Some say making descriptiive dialogue mandatory will damage programming with ridiculous amounts of exposition.

Others say it feels like a classic radio show revival is happening on TV.

And, with that, the genre of radio drama was back.

— bbwowbb (@bbwowbb) December 27, 2024

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No joke. I heard someone say there’s this new thing called podcast theater where you just listen to what happens.

— the𝖏𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖇𝖆𝖓 (@thejesteban) December 27, 2024

This is what audiobooks and audioplays are for. Just have a genre for that.

— MirCat (@TRMirCat) December 27, 2024

Many fear this will be taken to extremes by citing funny examples from Family Guy and R. Kelly’s Trapped in the Closet music video. (WATCH)

Netflix shows and movies by 2026: pic.twitter.com/i4yOAhTI6G

— @thorthehusky2005.bsky.social (@thorlarshanson) December 27, 2024

so this how shows/movies gon sound now? pic.twitter.com/5OQ3sdAsYY

— Michael Kentrell Brown 💚ﾒ𝟶 🅴 (@breezybetter07) December 27, 2024

Ahhh Jaws, Jaws the shark is eating me, me being Quint, the old shark hunter. I, Quint the old shark hunter with a mustache, am being eaten by Jaws the shark! And now Jaws is pulling me, Quint the old shark hunter, under water, where he is continuing to eat me. Brody just watches pic.twitter.com/AwoN1guxI3

— Alexander Douglas James Clark (@Alexolatry) December 27, 2024

Other commenters have a more cynical take. They say Netflix is admitting the obvious.

So if I understand this right, Netflix is admitting that their content is so poor that viewers aren't engaged or paying attention.

— Wizard of Widgets (@wizardofwidgets) December 27, 2024

Basically pic.twitter.com/Ca32FzMuCI

— Tansy Kelly Robson (@Artemisapphire) December 27, 2024

No wonder all of these shows are terrible. There's no real writing anymore because it's all made for the TikTok generation with a 10-second attention span.

— Lily* (@300mirrors) December 27, 2024

It seems streaming services are realizing with more people on their phones, there is an audience for programming that doesn’t require undivided attention or eyes on the screen. What a concept - TV you don’t actually watch! We oldtimers remember when that was called radio.