Well said, Playa.
I think alot of the major networks lost the trust of viewers / fans years back when they would yank shows off the air after a few episodes, or after a relatively good season (which may not have generated the viewership / ad dollars).
Like you said ... why would people feel confident investing their TIME into something which is on eggshells?
One of my favorite breakdowns was from an interview with a female showrunner on the Hollywood Reporter's podcast a year or two back. She basically said when you're pitching your show(s) ... make sure you have MAPPED things out. Explain to the heads that you've got this season charted out ... and what you're thinking of for follow-up seasons. Or where you can derive spinoffs for certain characters, IF it ever gets to that point.
I'm still pretty damn impressed how the Breaking Bad crew did Better Call Saul so well. Taking such a well-received show in BB, and doing a very strong prequel in BCS ... with the last season or two being some of the best TV on the air. It would have been much easier for them to just do some type of sequel. Instead they did a huge backstory for an initial secondary character in a "criminal" lawyer ... and made people care about the likes of "Kim", "Nacho" and more along the way too.
^^^^
100%