Major Update: Episode Production Reimagined

Hey folks! 👋

The first major update of 2026 is Live! It introduces the New Episode Production System—a major upgrade that changes how episodes are created from the ground up. It also lays the foundation for the upcoming Critics & Viewer Reviews feature.

And there’s even more good news for everyone: Planned Show Endings is now free for all players.

🔥 New Early Access Features

These features are currently available to Ultimate Pass holders as a thank-you for supporting this indie game’s development. They will become free for everyone once the next Early Access feature is released.

Creative Direction System

The biggest addition in the new production system is Creative Direction. These new parameters define the style, tone, and feel of your episode—and whether it matches what viewers actually want.

This gives you far more control over how your shows feel—not just how much you spend on them.

There are 12 new episode parameters, grouped into four categories:

• Creative Identity: Tone, Humor Level, Realism
• Performance & Rhythm: Pacing, Acting Style, Music Style
• World & Look: Visual Style, Location Style, Set Style
• Storytelling: Structure, Narrative Density, Dialogue Style

Every genre has its own recipe for success, so part of the challenge is discovering what works best.

Heat Map Feedback

After each produced episode, you’ll see a heat map showing how close your settings were to the ideal values. Getting close brings you better results, and hitting the sweet spot earns you a star, marking the perfect match.

Audience taste isn’t static, though. Trends shift. When that happens, you’ll get notified during End Week, so you know it may be time to adjust your direction.

That’s where Last Known Values comes in. A second heat map shows what worked earlier—usually close, but not always perfect anymore.

Budget vs Creativity

For the first time, smart creative choices can outperform pure spending. Episode Scores now depend just as much on Creative Direction as on traditional production spending.

This means:

• A low-budget episode can still perform well if the creative choices land.
• A high-budget production can carry weaker creative decisions.

Episode production becomes more personal, more experimental, and far less predictable.

And Early Access lets you master the new system before everyone else!

🎁 New Free Features

This update also includes a large set of improvements available to everyone right now.

Production Experience Upgrades

• Fully Redesigned Episode Production Screens: One of the most-used screens in the game has been rebuilt with modern controls and a cleaner layout—including the talent selection screen.
• Episode Summary: The top of the Produce Episode screen now shows a quick overview of the episode’s key attributes, including finances.
• Start Production—Faster: The Start Production button is now immediately visible, so you can begin without unnecessary scrolling.

Production Spending

• Existing parameters have been reorganized under the new Production Spending category and grouped into: Key Talent, Supporting Cast, Production, and Post-Production.
• These improve quality reliably—but each increase costs more.

Visual Improvements

• Talent Hiring Screen Upgrade: Already-hired talent is now visible, making comparisons easier.
• Sleek Sliders: Remaining parameters now use faster, cleaner slider controls.

Smarter Decision Support

• Impact Hint: Each spending parameter now shows how strongly it affects quality for the selected genre. No more guessing what’s actually worth the money.
• This replaces the old Consultant system, which has been removed to reduce clutter—and reduce budget pressure.
• Rebalanced Costs: Spending parameter costs have been reviewed and adjusted for more realism.

Misc Improvements

• Knowledge Base and Tutorial updated have been updated to reflect all the new features.
• Rare crash when scrolling the episode list very quickly has been fixed.

🎬 Planned Show Endings — Now Free

This previously Early Access feature is now available to all players. It allows you to end your shows on your own terms—whether you’re running a studio or a network.

Here’s how it works:

• If you own a production studio, a new option called Propose Show Ending shows up in the Briefing Room. This lets you suggest to the show’s network that the next season should be the final one—complete with the option to include a Flashback Episode and/or a Two-Part Finale.
• If you also own the network, you’ll see the decision right away and can set the final season’s budget and minimum episode scores. If the network is AI-controlled, they’ll reply during End Week.
• If you’re a network, you can now trigger a planned ending directly from the renewal screen, using a new toggle: Order Final Season. Again, you can pick Flashbacks and/or a Two-Part Finale. The studio doesn’t get a say, but they’ll still have a chance to wrap things up properly.
• AI networks can now initiate planned endings too—for AI and human-run studios alike. You’ll find out during End Week if your show gets this treatment.
• When AI makes these decisions, it considers things like viewership drops or if the genre’s popularity is fading.
• Final seasons come with extra budget but also tougher score demands per episode.
• When a show finishes its series finale, its status updates to Ended.
• Ended shows can’t get new seasons from their current network. If another network picks them up, the finale becomes a regular season end.
• Spin-offs from shows with a proper finale now have a better shot at approval.
• Finales, Flashbacks, and Series Finales now attract extra viewership.
• The longer a show runs, the higher the odds of it being ended—whether by cancellation or a planned exit.
• And for networks: a bulk episode editor when ordering seasons. Apply the same budget or score setting across all episodes in one go!

🗳️ Feature Voting – Season 5 Check-In

Ultimate Pass holders, you’re still calling the shots. 💥 (For new players: Feature Voting lets Ultimate Pass subscribers decide which features I build next.)

Current standings:

1. Full-Season Autopilot: 5,926 votes
2. New Genre Explosion: 2,779 votes
3. Streaming Tiers & Pricing: 2,362 votes
4. Talent Expansion & Custom Creation: 1,899 votes
5. Reruns for Network Scheduling: 1,274 votes
6. Marketing Campaigns: 745 votes
7. Production Pipeline for Networks: 655 votes
8. More Show Loglines: 190 votes
9. Stats Dashboard: 184 votes
10. Milestones: 66 votes

Voting closes when the last fan-voted feature, Critics & Viewer Reviews drops. Ultimate Pass holders aren’t just voting on ideas — they’re actively shaping what the next year of Endless TV Tycoon looks like. If a feature matters to you, this is where it lives… or quietly dies. 😬

💖 Why Your Support Really Matters

This game started as a personal idea back in 2019. Thanks to this community, it somehow turned into a real, living thing.

Here’s the simple, unfiltered truth: Subscriptions buy me time. Time to build deeper systems instead of shortcuts. Time to polish instead of rushing. Time to keep this game weird, complex, and unapologetically niche.

There’s no publisher safety net here — just me, the game, and the people who care enough to support it.

Every subscription genuinely helps move things forward. It brings me closer to covering costs and unlocking even more awesome experiences for you. Together, we’re building something truly special.

A Basic Pass removes the End Week interruptions about subscriptions.

The Ultimate Pass is more like joining the inner circle:

• You get Early Access to major new features while they’re still fresh. Currently: Shape the tone, style, and vibe of your shows like never before with the new Creative Direction system!
• You help decide what I build next through Feature Voting.
• You unlock Premium Extras like 1,500+ promo images for your shows.
• And yes — your name lives permanently in the Hall of Fame! 🏆

If you’ve ever thought “I wish this game leaned more into that idea” — this is how you push it there. And if you’re enjoying where the game is headed, sticking around as a subscriber helps more than you might think.

There is however another way to support the game: with an App Store Rating. Whether you are able to support development with a subscription right now or not, dropping a rating with ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ on the App Store goes a long way in nudging the algorithm to show the game to new players. Seriously — thank you! 😘

👋 Until Next Time

I hope you enjoy the update. As always, I’d love to hear your feedback — good or bad.

That’s all, folks! 🐽 Thanks for sticking with this weird, stubborn, deeply niche TV management game — and this community.

Stay tuned... and until then:

Keep pitching.

Keep producing.

Keep scheduling.

Keep scheming.

And keep owning prime time! 📺🔥

Cheers,
Greg Karpati
Solo Developer // The Guy Behind the Game 👋