So is Inhumans in the Agents of Shield/Agent Carter portion of the MCU, or is this it's own separate thing? I got all the way through Season 1 of Agent Carter and thought it was OK, but I have only seen a few S1 episodes of Agents of Shield and I'm not really a fan of the ABC-style production values. I much prefer the Netflix-Marvel series. There was no way I was going to see this in theaters/IMAX and I doubt very many people show up for it.
This gets off topic a little bit, but I'm wondering if one of these TV series models is going to win the marketplace: Network Model (1 new episode released each week) vs Netflix Model (all episodes released at the same time). I've come to the opinion that the Netflix series superior reviews are mostly due to the convenience of being able to view the entire series in less sessions than waiting each week for the next episode on TV. I find it easier to follow the plot and character motivations in a Netflix series than trying to remember what happened on Game of Thrones last week.
Stranger Things is the perfect example for me - I loved that show when it came out because of all the 80s nostalgia and entertaining story. But, in retrospect, that show was very similar to Wayward Pines on FOX, and I watched the first season of that show on Hulu every week. I thought Wayward Pines was hokey, yet fun enough to get through the entire season. It made me wonder if I would have enjoyed Wayward Pines more if I was able to watch the entire series in a few days, but it also got me thinking would Stranger Things be as well received if I had to wait a week to watch a new episode? I had no desire to watch Wayward Pines S2, but I can't wait for the next season of Stranger Things. I wonder how many viewers prefer the Netflix model to the Network model?
Final thought: how do the DC-TV series compare to the MCU shows on ABC? and also how do the DC shows compare to the Netflix-Marvel series?
To answer your first question, yes, ALL the Marvel produced TV series out there right now exist in the same MCU as both the movies and all the TV shows. Therefore, they all link together and even have constant easter eggs that remind you of such. The only exception would be Legion, which is co-produced by both Marvel TV and Fox (Fox owns the X-Men characters), and as of right now, that show doesn't tie to either the MCU or even the Fox X-Men movie universe. It exists on its own.
I think a lot of the success of the streaming model is all the inherent advantages it has by not having to fulfill a ton of automatic requirements that comes with network TV. For one, streaming seasons can be however long they want to be. Network TV series all usually have to be around 23 episodes, which is a really long time to carry out one throughput story. You inevitably end up with a bunch of filler episodes just trying to fill time. Also, just in the length of episodes, streaming series can choose any length they'd like to fit their story. Some episodes are significantly longer than others whereas you can't do that on network television. Another advantage would be commercials where network TV has to set up cliffhangers essentially every 10 minutes or so to keep the audience hooked and coming back. There is none of this required with streaming. From a budget perspective, some of the bigger budgets tend to come on the streaming side of things. Lastly, when it comes to mature content, streaming really ends up having the freedom to do whatever they want, whereas there is a lot of limitations on network television. Therefore, all said and done, streaming TV is essential TV with a ton more freedom than network TV, which is why in general, I'd say the quality has been better. Also, there is even quite a bit of difference in freedom on the network front alone. ABC is probably the worst for allowing freedom whereas networks like FX allow quite a bit of it, which puts them closer to in line with a streaming series than a network series. This is also why I think they produce so much good content over there.
As for comparing all the superhero TV shows out there, that is something I keep updated rankings for, so hopefully this helps you out a bit:
- The Flash (Season 1)
- Daredevil (Season 2)
- Daredevil (Season 1)
- Arrow (Season 2)
- Arrow (Season 1)
- Legion (Season 1)
- The Flash (Season 2)
- Supergirl (Season 1)
- Jessica Jones (Season 1)
- Luke Cage (Season 1)
- Agents of Shield (Season 2)
- Agent Carter (Season 1)
- Powerless (Season 1)
- Agents of Shield (Season 1)
- Agents of Shield (Season 3)
- Agent Carter (Season 2)
- Iron Fist (Season 1)
- Preacher (Season 1)
- Arrow (Season 3)
- Constantine (Season 1)
- Arrow (Season 4)
- Legends of Tomorrow (Season 1)
As you can see on here, there is really some good shows out there for every TV model. Also, things can REALLY vary based on the season, which is why I base my rankings on season rather than the overall shows. For instance, the Arrow seasons are all over the board. Currently, I'm just wrapping up all the latest DC TV show series (Arrow Season 5, LOT Season 2, Supergirl Season 2, Flash Season 3), so I'll be updating these to include those series once I'm finished. FYI... Arrow has gotten a lot better and has turned its tide around. Lastly, the only series out there I probably don't watch is Gotham, but sometime I'd like to pick it up when time allows.