This Just Puzzles Me.

I grew up in a era where every tv show ran 20 to 26 episodes a season and there was a new season every year, usually starting in September.

So it puzzles me greatly why shows that are now 8 or 10 episodes per season can't seem to keep to a yearly schedule anymore.  

What happened?

As an example, I offer this quote from an article about the soon (supposedly) to start production Harry Potter series from HBO chairman and CEO Casey Bloy:

" “I think an annual schedule will be tough, but it depends on how much is written ahead of time,” he said."

What the hell?  

First, this is adaptation of an existing series of novels.  I know it's still got to be written as a script, but it's not like they don't have a framework.  Surely writing 6-8 hours of material to adapt a novel is something that can be accomplished by a team of writers in less than a year?  I'm pretty sure I could knock up a decent script for the first season in a week or two.  

I have little interest in Harry Potter, but it's industry wide.  Every show films fewer episodes and the time between seasons gets longer all the time.  

It's like there's no talent in Hollywood anymore.

Oh..wait...