I think this process could also open the door for more niche producers. They won't need to make the network happy, they just need to provide good enough content to profit. It could help get rid of sadnesses like "the learning channel" from becoming TLC -- reality tv that sometimes has a sciencey or sociological twist. Some content may be lost/locked up in a dinosaur's grave for a while, but hopefully that will become moot.
Absolutely. It will allow for a democratic platform where good content will win and not be cut off due to the decisions of a few. Now with that said, America loves crappy content like Jersey Shore. So, I try not to look at it as "good content", but content that people want to watch.
I look at shows like Firefly -- any decent scifi really -- the masses aren't interested, people like me will only do on-demand (even if it is downloaded etc), and will buy merchandising. This can't work in most current network models. But in something like we are discussing, there is room for it be profitable -- maybe not insanely so -- but profitable nonetheless. This is why I think "good content" will flourish in such situations. People will still watch jersey shore, but people like me can get good content too.
An interesting thing has been going on lately anyway -- there are a lot more 12 episode seasons. And a lot more summer seasons. Content producers are starting to experiment. The syfy show Sanctuary started out as with a "pay for webisodes" model. Things are starting to move in interesting ways already.
My prediction: Joss Wheadon does a fully internet only show sometime in the next decade that is sci-fi. Dr horribles sing along shows he knows how to do this right.
