Netflix Utilizes AI for Enhancing 1980s Sitcom with Mixed Results
If you’ve tuned into Netflix’s latest version of “A Different World,” the “Cosby Show” spin-off that aired in the late ’80s and early ’90s, you might have noticed something a bit off right from the start. Developer and blogger Scott Hanselman picked up on it too. It seems like whoever licensed the show to Netflix dropped the ball when it came to upscaling the old footage, which was originally shot on film and later released on DVD.
This version of the show is labeled as “HD,” but as soon as you hit play, it’s obvious that some kind of algorithm has been used to sharpen the blurry images. And let me tell you, the results are… well, pretty hilarious. The opening credits alone are a mess, with twisted hands, faces that don’t quite line up, logos gone wrong, and blurry lines that just don’t connect.
It’s like a masterclass in what can go wrong when AI gets sloppy. Unlike the infamous AI-generated posters from a 2024 episode of HBO’s “True Detective,” where just one scene was affected, this new “A Different World” is riddled with issues from start to finish.
And it only gets worse from there. Faces look strange, details are warped, and background text that was once unreadable due to pixelation is now filled in with gibberish that resembles an alien language.
In short, it’s a prime example of how AI is starting to seep into every nook and cranny of the entertainment industry, for better or for worse. Even shows that wrapped up over three decades ago aren’t safe from the AI treatment.
But did we really need a souped-up version of this beloved ’90s sitcom? “A Different World” may be tarnished by its association with Bill Cosby today, but back in its heyday, it was groundbreaking, tackling social issues like the HIV crisis in a mainstream way. If it’s important enough to land on Netflix, shouldn’t it be important enough to give viewers a quality viewing experience?
At the end of the day, what do viewers value more: the original fuzzy charm of an analog show from yesteryear, or a version that looks pristine at first glance but ultimately botches the characters and distorts television history? The results can be cringe-worthy, to say the least. Just take a look at this family photo where everyone’s faces have been replaced with mashed-up geometrics.
Hanselman, an AI expert working at Microsoft, explains that the original show may have been blurry, but it didn’t matter because viewers watched it on old-school CRT TVs. The magic of the show wasn’t in its pixel quality, but rather in its compelling stories and characters. But when you try to enhance footage that lacks sufficient detail, you end up with an uncanny valley of sorts.
While there are ways to upscale TV shows faithfully, it’s a labor-intensive process that goes beyond letting an AI run wild. The use of generative AI in television has been on the rise, with Amazon Prime Video facing backlash for an AI-manipulated poster for the classic horror film “Nosferatu,” and Netflix catching heat for using generative AI to recreate the voice of Gabby Petito in a true crime documentary.
In the quest to make everything bigger, better, and sharper, we’re seeing just how far AI technology still has to go. It’s starting to blur the lines between authentic and artificial, leaving viewers with a strange sense of reality distortion.
As AI continues to seep into every corner of our lives, sparking debates within the entertainment industry and beyond, the big question remains: where do we draw the line between enhancing the past and distorting it beyond recognition? It’s a delicate balance that’s still being figured out.
Futurism has reached out to Netflix for comment on this AI debacle, so stay tuned for updates on this digital drama.