Absentia: Discussing streaming options for Stana Katic series

Over the past two weeks, we’ve done a little bit of an ongoing feature within our series of articles discussing Absentia. The common thread? Looking at potential U.S. homes for the Sony series starring Stana Katic and Patrick Heusinger.

Following up on the discussion of premium cable a couple of days ago, today we’re placing more of the focus on streaming options and what they could bring to the table for the thriller.

The biggest plus – Audience size. Think about how many people are on Hulu, Amazon, and Netflix these days. If the show wants to be seen by a wide audience, including many millennials, this is probably the way to go. These services these days expose the show to more evergreen viewers than anyone else on the air.

The biggest negative – Cost. For all of these services, you’ve gotta pay something separate. Maybe you already have Amazon Prime or you are a Netflix subscriber, but for other people, having to pay to watch the show goes back to what we said about premium cable options earlier this week: Given that Katic in particular is best-known to American viewers for a network show in Castle, you may want Absentia to have a home that this audience can find easily, whether it be on broadcast or basic cable. Diehard fans will follow her anywhere; the point here is for viewers who may casually opt to see the show.

Another positive – Like with premium cable, there are no obvious content restrictions. Absentia can be however edgy that it chooses to be, and depending on the provider / your plan, it could even air commercial free.

Another negative – If Netflix or Amazon picks up the show, you’ll be waiting for a long time to see it. Unless they opt to stream an episode a week (not their business model), more than likely you’d have to wait until the show is over in other countries before they are added to the service. Otherwise, massive spoilers would be out there to viewers who are watching it on a weekly basis.

Our verdict – We think that Hulu could be a cool venue for Absentia, especially since it’s the one provider of the three with no problem airing an episode a week. (We prefer that, since it enables discussion / theorizing after each episode and keeps everyone watching at the same pace.) Do we still prefer broadcast or cable? Sure, but there are clear benefits to going to a venue that is certainly popular with viewers in 2017.

Is there a streaming service that you’d like to see as Absentia’s home in North America? Be sure to share below!

Meanwhile, head over here in the event you want some other news when it comes to the show. (Photo: Sony.)