Posted on 05/15/2014 12:46:24 PM PDT by PoloSec
A few things happen every year at the broadcast upfronts, the annual week in which broadcast network execs unveil their new TV lineups to advertisers: they trot out a bunch of new shows (most of which will be canceled a year later), they try to wow attendees with fancy statistics that mean nothing (We’re number one in, um, engagement!) and they pay lip-service to the notion of extending the traditional September to May television season to a year-round programming cycle. +
This year’s upfronts, which wrap up today, May 15, followed a similar path, save for one important change: the networks are finally serious about programming year-round, and they’re actually putting their money where their mouths are. +
“In the course of just two years, we have completely redefined summer,” said CBS Entertainment Chairman Nina Tassler, who discussed her network’s “most aggressive summer schedule ever.” FOX and NBC made similar pronouncements as they unveiled plans to attack the summer months in a big way after decades of hibernating. “June is just as important as January,” echoed FOX Broadcasting Chairman Kevin Reilly. “We really, really want to be a 12-month network.” +
To that end, FOX is running “limited series” 24: Live Another Day through mid-summer, and premiering new drama Gang Related on May 22. Next season, it is holding back several shows to deploy next summer; if 24 does well, it could also return. NBC also announced a “year-round” lineup, premiering new shows Undateable and Crossbones at the end of the month, and making plans to roll out several shows next summer as well. And CBS is following up last year’s summer hit Under the Dome—which turned out to be the year’s most-watched new series—with another high-profile summer entry: Extant, starring Halle Berry and produced by Steven Spielberg. +
This represents a complete reversal from how the networks operated for decades: once the official TV season ended in May, they coasted on repeat airings all summer. As cable began filling the summer void in the ‘90s and gaining traction with its original programming—Sex and the City’s early popularity had much to do with the fact that viewers had few other options, and the media had no other summer shows to write about—the networks would occasionally follow suit. But whenever those summer experiments unexpectedly hit paydirt (Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in 1999, Survivor in 2000, American Idol in 2002) they were quickly moved in-season. +
In recent years, as network repeats became less-watched and, therefore, less lucrative, the networks would half-heartedly claim to be interested in summer original programming, but instead would fill those months with reality shows and cheap series imported from Canada. Once again, cable took advantage of the lull: USA and TNT owe much of their recent successes (including Burn Notice, The Closer, and Rizzoli & Isles) to their summer time slots. Last summer, a new outlet joined the fray: Netflix rolled out both Arrested Development and Orange is the New Black during the summer months, and dominated much of the TV buzz. And when Netflix viewers weren’t streaming Arrested or Orange, they likely were binge-watching other shows on the service. +
But as broadcast ratings continue to erode, those networks can no longer assume that their viewers will stay loyal and return in the fall. So when CBS took a chance on adapting Stephen King’s Under the Dome as a “limited series” last summer, and it became the highest-rated scripted summer series in 21 years, the network kept it in the same spot this year (it returns June 30). With the addition of Extant and other summer shows, CBS will have 90 hours of original programming this summer. +
Now, said Nina Tassler, “we roll out our shows all year long.” It’s about time.
In recent years, I’ve noticed that a few shows - “Under the Dome” and “Falling Skies” comes to mind - have their season premier in the summer rather than the fall. Not a bad idea, because it spreads things out and gives you something new all-year around. Not that I watch much TV (I don’t).
I wish someone would pick up “V”. It was cancelled a couple of years ago before the ongoing plot had a chance to resolve. I thought the show - consciously or not - had a lot of themes sympathetic to conservatives.
Maybe I don’t get out much but since when did a ‘season’ of a show consist of 10 episodes?
Heck I was thinking it was 30 or so.
The summer replacements everyone remembers being on TV were not “real” TV shows. They just stuck a singer in a studio in front of a live audience and cranked out some bad sketches. Shows like that cost two bucks to produce, and they weren’t intended to continue — come September, they would get out of the way for the “real” schedule.
Hour dramas, movies, and mini-series on expensive film stock were never, ever produced for summer in the first fifty years of broadcast TV. That’s what’s different now. Networks are programming “real” shows for June, July and August — big expensive shows that could easily air in the fall and find an audience, like Stephen King’s “Under the Dome.”
The broadcast nets have to operate year-round if they’re going to stay in business.
Remember how exciting it used to be every August when all the networks would have their Fall Preview shows.
Actually many are still on YouTube......here’s one for example...
ABC 1970 Fall Preview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqQ450mjEos
Cable series are usually about 12 eps, networks about twice that now but in the past it was like 38 episodes/season.
Amen!
Yes, we have been watching “Turn”, courtesy of the DVR. It’s a good show.
My one criticism is that we have to replay dialogue sometimes to know what was said. Yes, our ears are getting pretty old, but I think that it also has to do with the way the sound is recorded. Someone told me that this is the way dialogue is done these days, in order to make it seem more realistic. Don’t know if that’s true or not.
I suggest people check out subtitled foreign shows, I especially like the ones from South Korea. I watch them on DramaFever and Viki.
They could try hiring lesser known actors and making shows on the cheap, they’d need actual writers with actual talent and imagination, but it can be done.
Robert Rogers is a bad guy but a great character. Really a pretty fascinating historical figure as well but being a loose cannon managed to get him charged with treason by both sides. Our military still uses Rogers rules. Angus MacFadyen is an all around great actor.
I was happy with the way they treated the Dunmore proclamation. It was not an act of kindness toward slaves but an act of aggression toward patriots.
Stephen Root was a good choice to play spy chief Nathaniel Sackett
No big deal. The “regular” shows’ seasons are shorter than the old days. Back then 26-30 a year was the norm but it’s now closer to 20 shows a season.
They seem to be moving towards to shorter seasons with more shows started at different times. Some in the fall, some after the new year and some in summer.
26 episodes were standard for the one hour productions.
No, it’s because they still speak the Queen’s English...I too have to rewind and listen again.
It’s a little slow and prodding for me but I’ve only seen the first two episodes. The rest are on DVR.
I really don’t watch much TV, so it’s not as if I need to look for something to watch.
We watch, via DVR, “Blue Bloods” — because my husband likes it — and, now, “Turn”. I tuned up the latter one for the DVR because I had read about it here, and I am enjoying except for the one complaint I have already expressed.
Other than those programs, we watch together only “Jeopardy” and a local nightly news program. Both of these, of course, on DVR.
The husband likes to DVR and watch “Fox and Friends” and “Fox News Sunday”, but he fast forwards most of the programming and, of course, the commercials. I used to watch those programs with him, but I gave up on Fox when I clued into their game.
bump
hey are you still into k-pop
yes. lol, more into their dramas though
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