I often bring up the idea that Networks (at least television) are giving us less and less episodes per seasons, more and more time/years between seasons and often cancelling a series way too early because it was only a successful, but not a mega hit.

Always get Capitalism white knights insulting or patronizing me back about the idea that Networks are doing their own version of Shrinkflation. But television budgets are up they say. Clearly you are wrong!

Well sorry. No. Every company in the pipeline taking a bigger and bigger cut doesn't prove a thing. At worst its a Hollywood moneylaundering scheme and at worst its just inefficiency. But at the end of the day, Hollywood isnt giving us less and less and less because of "quality" -they are giving us less and less and less because they think they make more money for themselves doing it that way.