Alright, we need to talk about something that’s been bothering me for ages, and that’s the long wait for TV shows.
Before you agree with me, let me say that there are some aspects of a TV show I don’t mind waiting for. I’m not the kind of purist who thinks that every single show needs to be on every year. However, there’s one aspect that bothers me about shows, some of which are even on the 2025 TV schedule. So let’s get into why.
I Honestly Don’t Mind Waiting Long For TV Shows
First off, I don’t mind waiting for TV shows, within reason. There are particular television series that I always expect to wait a long time for. Namely, most of the best fantasy shows out there have tended to have a long wait time for fans to enjoy them. While Game of Thrones aired everywhere for some time, it took two years for Season 8 to come out, even if Season 8 was not the best.
From there, we can examine many other TV shows that have taken years to air. A notable example is The Witcher. The first season came out in 2019. The next one was in 2021, and the third was in 2023. I don’t even know when The Witcher Season 4 is set to come out, since they have a new actor playing Geralt now. Either way, it’ll be several years latr.
For shows like this, with a high budget, intense creatures, a lot of story, and so much more, I’m okay waiting for years. That’s not that bad because it allows for hype to build. For example, House of the DragonSeason 2 is expected to be released in 2024, and House of the Dragon Season 3 is scheduled to be released in 2026, with the possibility of an all-out war (fingers crossed). That’s exciting!
Those kinds of shows are fun to look forward to. However, there’s one aspect of this waiting period for other shows that I can’t agree with, and I need to address it.
Even So, I’m Really Starting To Hate How Children Grow Up So Fast. With Filming, They Don’t Look Like Kids Anymore
The kids, man. The kids.
In certain instances, I’m somewhat okay with it, but there have been many aspects where the children no longer resemble children.
Here’s a great example. Ginny & Georgia is on Netflix, and it’s one of the best teen romance shows on there, with plenty of other great dramatic material. However, there’s one child named Austin, who is in the 4th grade, in Season 1.
Season 1 came out in 2021. Season 3 was just released in June 2025. Austin is still in the fourth grade because the show’s narrative has taken place over a year. Do you want to know how old the actor who plays Austin is now? Diesel La Toracca is 14. This kid should be in high school.
Sure, there have been some funny people online who say, ‘Oh, it’s a metaphor for how trauma instantly makes you grow up and he mirrors that,’ but no, that sort of stuff takes you out of the casting as a whole. At this rate, we could age the whole cast up and put him in middle school so it’s at least relatively close to where he should be.
While there are many other cases I could point to, this was the glaring one I had to bring up with the children. But we’re not done yet.
The Same Goes For These High School Shows When Actors Are Cast Younger But Take Years To Come Out
Another excellent example of this is Euphoria. Is it a great show on HBO that got the world talking? Yes, that and more. I was part of the conversation when it first premiered, and I happily watched it when it returned for Season 2.
However, the Euphoria cast members are all now in their late 20s to early 30s, with some even approaching their late 30s. And we’re still in high school?
Back in the days of shows on the CW, it felt more realistic because those shows were released every year, with around 20 episodes each season. The actors didn’t look that much older because the story constantly changed and adapted. However, now we’re waiting years between seasons for this series – the first was a three-year wait between 2019 and 2022, and I’m pretty sure it’ll be four years for Euphoria Season 3.
There have been talks of a time skip in Season 3, and if so, thank the Lord, because that is literally the only way this type of show could still work. However, many other shows have adhered to this idea. WednesdaySeason 2 is also in a similar boat. How long are they going to keep 22-year-old Jenna Ortega in high school? I’m not sure.
Stranger Things Did It Right With A Time Skip, But What Will Other Shows Do?
Stranger Thingsis another excellent example of how, despite nearly ten years of watching this series, there have only been five seasons, and the fifth one hasn’t even been released yet. By the time the fourth season arrived, these kids were still just teenagers in high school, and the actors were considered adults. Heck, Millie Bobby Brown is married now. That’s just how much time has passed.
Even so, there has been a confirmed time skip for Season 5, which is really the only way this could make sense (similar to Euphoria). But how will other shows accomplish this? How will a series like the new Harry Potter show on HBO maintain its actors’ ages while staying true to the story? The clock is ticking.
I Don’t Know How We’re Going To Adapt Filming — Or Someone Needs To Be Recast
In this matter, I’m unsure what to do. Either something needs to change in the behind-the-scenes process (such as editing, budgeting or production costs) in order for the show to move forward, or someone needs to be recast if the story remains stuck in the same timeline.
I’m not the kind of person to willingly put someone out of a job. However, if it takes the viewer out of the moment and you’re just laughing at the idea of this older kid in the fourth grade instead of feeling the trauma he’s going through, you’re doing it wrong. Something’s gotta give.
I don’t know what’s going to change, but something will, or else we’ll be losing a lot of viewers because it’s just not realistic for people to age that fast in a year. This does make me want to rewatch some older TV shows to see how well they handled aging. Hmm, it may be time to utilize my streaming services for a little TV marathon.
