Bite-sized shows are taking over the internet

Microdramas are taking over the internet. But are they art – or products? The Double Life of My Billionaire Husband. Break Me, Princess. Married the Mafioso I Saved. These are all titles of microdramas that are taking the internet by storm. In case you haven’t heard, microdramas are often campy shows with short, minute-long episodes. The first few episodes get posted to social media for free, but viewers must go to another site where they can pay to watch the whole thing. And a lot of people do. It's an industry that started in China and is already worth several billions of dollars – so Hollywood is getting in on it. Issa Rae’s microdrama called Screen Time got nearly 75 million views in its first week, and now, Peacock, Fox, and Disney are producing their own. But this microdrama boom raises a few questions: who are these stories for, and what makes them so popular? And is the microdrama a new art form – or is it solely a product? Brittany is joined by Chang Che, a freelance writer who wrote about microdramas for The New Yorker, and Xochitl Gonzalez, author and contributor at The Atlantic, who wrote about them there. (00:00) The rise of the microdrama (03:14) Hollywood lacks chemistry - microdramas have that in spades. (07:32) Who are microdramas for? (11:33) Are microdramas art - or products? (16:46) Are marginalized actors and writers being shunted into microdramas? (20:47) The AI boom in microdramas For more episodes on what we’re watching and why, check out: People are struggling financially. Even on TV. Abortion access is limited. Is Hollywood to blame? Why Gen Z is movie-maxxing Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. NPR Privacy Policy