Opinion: It’s alarming when TV shows and movies vanish off streaming services, but there’s a long history of this

If you grew up primarily accessing TV and film via streaming, maybe it was easy to assume all of it would be permanently available, at your fingertips. — Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Last week, HBO Max quietly pulled a number of TV and film titles off its streaming service. They have been removed indefinitely, as far as anyone knows.

While none were major hits, they’re not obscure either. They’re of recent vintage and feature big-name stars. Some of the shows affected: Mrs. Fletcher starring Kathryn Hahn, Camping starring Jennifer Garner and David Tennant, and the Mick Jagger and Martin Scorsese-produced music industry drama Vinyl. On the movie side, the list includes An American Pickle starring Seth Rogen, The Witches starring Anne Hathaway, Superintelligence starring Melissa McCarthy and Charm City Kings starring Teyonah Parris.