As 2017 winds down, it's common to see annual "best of year" lists floating around, and TV and entertainment writers have even more programming to choose from this year. FX Networks estimates that the final count for the number of scripted TV series in 2017 will exceed 500 by year end. That's up from 455 from last year, and more than double since 2010.
With more options than ever in programming content, 2017 continued the trend of bringing viewers a plethora of niche and diverse stories, reaching people of all different backgrounds. In fact, a survey from PricewaterhouseCoopers speaks to the huge diversity of content options that audiences now have on television and their motivation to look for new shows to satisfy their array of tastes and preferences. Findings indicate that 55 percent of consumers look for a new TV show or movie to watch at least once per week, and 72 percent of people are consuming more video content than they were one year ago.
Viewers are also curious about and more apt to give unfamiliar programming a try, with 87 percent saying they "regularly pick a TV show or movie to watch that they hadn't heard of previously."
It's been an encouraging year in TV to say the least, and 2018 looks even brighter.