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T here's been much written about how we're currently experiencing a new "golden age" of television, with so many brilliant, critically acclaimed series airing on various platforms that it's daunting to try to keep up with all of them. If you've started to feel like there's simply too much good television to watch, well, that's because there is — and you're not alone. During the recent TV Critics Association press tour, the FX cable network unleashed some eye-opening (and eye-reddening) statistics about the staggering volume of choices that viewers have these days. The biggest revelation: a whopping 1,715 shows aired in primetime in 2014; of these, 352 were scripted series. Since some of these are cable shows and some are 22-episode network series; for the sake of argument let's assume each of these scripted shows has an average of 13 episodes per season. That works out to nearly 4,600 hours of scripted TV, meaning you'd have to watch 88 hours a week of television to view it all. And that's not even counting reality shows, award shows (like this week's Oscars), news, sports, movies, documentaries, etc. If you're thinking that it didn't used to be this way, you're right. This is an increase of more than 600 per cent over 1999, when cable dramas were few and far between and the networks ruled television. Yet this is only the tip of the iceberg. Online streaming services Netflix, Hulu and Amazon are planning to spend a combined $6.8 billion on original programming during 2015. In fact, Netflix's Ted Sarandos says his goal is to launch 20 original series per year; when that happens, Netflix will have more original shows than The CW — and only slightly less than Fox. What this means for viewers is more great options than ever before. That's a good thing. Figuring out which choices to make? That's where it gets tricky. As viewers, we have to do our research and watch only what's worth watching. Your TV-watching time is precious — why waste it on bad television? Editor's Note P H O T O C R E D I T TV WEEK 5 BRENT FURDYK EDITORINCHIEF Is there too much good TV? We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. FEBRUARY 21 TO 27, 2015 VOLUME 40, NUMBER 8 Editor-in-Chief Brent Furdyk TV Listings Editor Karen Atkinson Art Director Edwin Pabellon Assistant Editor Matt Currie Associate Art Director Bernhard Holzmann Design Intern Marconi Soares TV Listings Assistant Editors Robyn Brown, Lucy Caithcart Copy Editor Anna Dupas Production Manager/Studio Kristina Borys Production Manager/Print Kirsty Senior Production Coordinator Tammy Nguyen Assistant Studio Manager Mandy Lau Advertising Design Chris Sherwood Imaging Technicians Mandy Lau, Laura Michaels Production Technicians Ina Bowerbank, Sheila Stewart Retail Display Representative Fern Bourque Publisher Samantha Legge, General Sales Manager Lee Caldwell Account Manager Sheri Stubel Sales Coordinator Janice Cheer Head Office, B.C. (604) 299-7311 Fax: (604) 299-9188 Chairman, CEO Peter Legge, , . 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V5C 6A7, 604-299-7311, fax 604-299-9188. Office hours 8:30 am to 5 pm. Send address changes to same address. Publications mail agreement No. 40065475. Registration No. R9042. Return undeliverable items to TV Week magazine 4180 Lougheed Hwy., 4th Floor, Burnaby, BC V5C 6A7. Opinions expressed by writers are their own and not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. All rights reserved. ISSN 1923-0443. Occasionally we provide our mailing list to companies providing special offers. If you are not interested in these offers, please write to us at the address above, email subscriptions@canadawide.com or call 1-800-663-0518 and request to be removed from this list. B.C. residents: to subscribe to TV Week for one year, send your name, address, telephone number and $59.95 (including tax) money order or cheque to TV Week at the above address. Outside B.C. please call the number below for applicable rates. SUBSCRIPTION HOTLINE Vancouver to Aldergrove: 604-299-2116 All other: 1-800-663-0518 e-mail: tvweeksubscriptions@canadawide.com PROGRAM UPDATE LINE Vancouver to Aldergrove: 604-473-0399 All other: 1-800-663-0518 (Late changes after press time.) Sign up for e-mail updates at: www.tvweekonline.ca e-mail: tvweekcomments@canadawide.com Printed in Canada by Mitchell Press and VanPress. In recent years, a host of new series like Netfl ix's Orange Is the New Black have fl ooded the TV landscape, making it tough for viewers to keep up.