The recent Emmy Awards weren’t just about celebrating a beloved show’s final season, they felt like a farewell to an entire era. As “Succession’s” cast tearfully collected their trophies, a palpable air of “Peak TV’s over” hung thick. Remember, Peak TV was that decade-long torrent of new shows that kept us glued to our screens. But times have changed, and New York’s TV scene is about to look a lot different.

Gone are the days of unlimited series budgets and endless show launches. Studios and networks, from streaming giants like Netflix to old-school players like HBO, are tightening their belts. Cord-cutting, ad market woes, and even last year’s strikes have put profitability first, leaving Peak TV’s audacity in the dust.

The numbers tell the story. Drama submissions for the Emmys dropped, as did limited series and comedies. It’s not just a feeling; it’s a stat. At Emmy after-parties, whispers of a thinner lineup for next year were met with nervous glances.

What does this mean for New Yorkers? Some genres we loved, like those high-budget, miniseries-in-a-box marvels, might fade. Remember “True Detective” or “Big Little Lies”? Those were Peak TV royalty. Now, executives see them as lavish splurges with little return. Instead, expect more familiar comfort food – multi-season procedurals and lawyer shows (thanks, “Suits” revival!).

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Peak TV’s brilliance hasn’t vanished entirely. Shows like “The Bear” and “Abbott Elementary” prove there’s still room for innovation, even with a cautious budget. And who knows, maybe the next “Succession” is lurking, waiting to surprise us with its low-key origins and sky-high impact.

So, New Yorkers, raise a glass to Peak TV, an era of audacious risks and endless stories. While it might be winding down, the embers of its creativity still flicker, warming us with the hope that the future of television, though different, could be just as captivating.