Premium Nets Are Changing the Face of TV

Last week I watched the season finale of HBO's Treme, the season premiere of the ABC's The Glades, & the latest installment of NBC's Persons Unknown. The difference in overall quality of the shows hit me like a freight train. Treme was a well written, well produced tragic send off of its 1st season. The Glades came off of as Dark Shadows w/ a Desperate Housewives twist (if not for the cliffhanger ending, I would have deleted it from my DVR timer). I do like Persons Unknown, but feel it is holding back, no where near realizing its full potential.

You know, it has gotten to the point where I am tempted to downsize my Dish Network subscription to just the Premium Cable Networks. If not for the very verbal backlash from my family, I would probably do just that.

Why do this?

Because, w/ a few exceptions, there really isn't anything I can't live w/o on the broadcast or basic cable networks. Now if I lost HBO while True Blood was airing new eps, I'd drive myself crazy wondering what is happening. Then there are HBO shows like Treme, & the upcoming Boardwalk Empire & A Game of Thrones. Don't even get me started on all the shows I'm missing on Showtime and Starz, (both of which I had a subscription to at one point, but unfortunately we can only afford one premium package). The premium networks are where to get good, intelligent TV.

When you think about it, it is amazing how much has changed in the last 10-15 years. Before the Sopranos & Sex In the City, the premium nets were all about attracting subscribers via the "latest, greatest blockbuster only found here." Now it's their original programming which they tout. Not to mention, they have no reason to really pay attention to Nielsens, which are designed for measuring viewer count for advertising revenue. All HBO, Showtime, Starz, etc care about are attracting & retaining subscribers. My guess is they trade reporting from satellite & cable carriers (Dish Network, Comcast, etc) for licensing fee credits (thus all the 3 months free deals). When you think about it, the premium networks don't give a shit about how old a viewer is, whether or not they own or rent, of if they're going to the mall w/n the next week to burn some cash. They don't care as long as that particular person is subscribed to and watching their network.

The entertainment industry is changing. The Nielsen system has been outdated since before the Commodore 64. Advertisers are more frugal w/ their spending, often opting to go with the cheaper online alternative to get their brand out. Not to mention, major networks have no patience w/ original programming if they need to grow an audience, often opting to go with the much cheaper reality programming "alternative programming". The basic cable nets have the patience to grow audiences w/ shows (especially if it receives positive critical & blogger reviews), but most either don't have or are unwilling to risk more than a bare-minimum production budget. The premium networks, however, create a TV show in a similar manner of a movie. They spend the budget to create a well crafted TV experience. They even have the entire season in the can before it airs...total opposite of the major networks, who order scripts by the episode (hmmm, maybe that is why many network shows seem disjointed).

However, I believe over the next 5 years, we're going to see more and more networks following the "HBO model". We're already seeing evidence of it now. AMC's Breaking Bad, SyFy's Caprica, & FX's Justified to name a few. Though they might not necessarily have the budget of the premium networks, each is an ambitious, intelligent TV experience. I am certain we will see these examples & a more cable original programming nominated along side, if not dominating, in most categories come the July 8th Emmy announcements. If the past couple of years hold true, many cable series will beat out their major network counterparts and take home the Emmy.

Okay, so maybe I'll keep my basic cable subscription. I don't think I'd be able to function w/o having access to Breaking Bad, Caprica, or SG-U when their new seasons premiere. I'll also be keeping my HBO subscription, but keeping a close eye on the other premium networks. DVDs are cheaper than two more $9 - $12 per month subscriptions...well, that is until I start buying 3 or 4 of their shows per quarter. The premium nets don't have enough programming hours to be there...yet...but every year it seems like they add more programming hours, & every year the shows get more ambitious in both scope and production values.

Cheers!
6/27/10

3 More May Sweeps 2010 Tibutes

As I'm approaching the close of the May Sweeps tributes, I feel I can safely call it a success. Not in view count, & not that it generated an abnormal amount of comments. Actually the average of both went down, with few exceptions (like the clones). No, the 365 Days project is a personal project for me, and in the event a picture does generate comments &/or a ton of views, I consider that a bonus. I consider myself a mediocre photographer at best. Perhaps if not for the time constraints & level of fatigue, I would be better; but life has dealt the hand of the right now, so I am making the best of it.

I'm calling the sub-project a success in creativity. When I started it 2 weeks ago, I didn't have the foggiest idea how I would make each shot distinct. There is only one subject, me. One setting, The Fortress of Solitude (aka, my entertainment room). The one prop weighs the better part of 100lbs & is tethered to the wall by the satellite cable & power outlet. In other words, impossible to move. Yet every show featured is an image distinct from the other. I am proud of that.

Here are 3 of the 5 remaining May Sweeps 2010 tribute (click the image to get a more detailed description of why I chose that particular show):

Survivor, CBS

NOTE: Survivor is moving to Wednesdays beginning Fall 2010.

House M.D., Mondays on Fox

After 5 years, do you thing Hugh Laurie (Gregory House) walks w/ a limp when not on the set?

Lost, ABC

Bi-polar about this season. Depressed it is coming to an ending. Stoked it got to run its course.

Final 2 May Sweeps& honorable mentions coming soon.

Cheers!
5/22/10

Even More May Sweeps 2010

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I'm a big slacker. Know I should be publishing these daily instead of the the week of May Sweeps shots following below. All I can say about this is Time & Fatigue are my arch enemies, & they teamed up like villains in a bad Batman movie to thwart my every move. If it is any consolation, I am about 3 days behind w/ my photo editing. Probably the core element of my slacking on this blog.

Being the easily distracted fellow that I am, got a really funny idea for a blog entry yesterday, and spent my computer time putting together the 1st Draft. As some of you might already know, it is Upfronts week for the TV industry. Upfronts are a time when Networks announce their Fall lineup in hopes of pre-selling commercial spots to advertisers. Tomorrow (Thursday, 5/20), I'm going to publish a faux upfront for a network concept I've had in mind for some years now.

But I Digress. Here are last week's Sweeps tribute entries for my 365 Days project:

Tuesday, 5/9 (renewed for the 2010-11 season!)

V airs on ABC

Wednesday, 5/10

Since taking this photo, ABC has pulled Happy Town from their schedule. Remaining episodes will most likely air sometime this summer.

Thursday, 5/11 (renewed for the 2010-11 season!)

CW will most likely be moving Supernatural from Thursdays to Fridays (after Smallville) this fall.

Friday, 5/12

Fridays on SyFy (between SG-U & Caprica, SyFy Fridays haven't been this good since Farscape...BSG doesn't count since SyFy kept trying to move it to Sundays every other season)

Saturday, 5/13 (via DVR)

Airs Tuesdays on FX.

As always, click the picture if you want to read more about the featured TV show.

Cheers!
5/19/10

TV Pilots being looked at

A common step for TV shows making it onto your TV screen is to produce a pilot. Pilots are generally the 1st episode of the TV series. Networks order pilots so they can have a better idea of the feel of the show (& my guess is to see how well the show is produced). SciFiWire.com had a recent article about some pilots the major & some cable networks are looking at. Here are a few that I hope get picked up (from SciFiWire.com):

ABC
No Ordinary Family Could this potential series be the new Heroes? The Shield's Michael Chiklis and Angel/Dexter's Julie Benz star in this drama, which revolves around a typical American family who experience strange things when they suddenly find themselves with new abilities. Chiklis plays the dad and Benz plays the mom, Stephanie, "a gifted scientist who develops a power for superspeed." No Ordinary Family comes from Jon Harmon Feldman (Tru Calling) and Greg Berlanti (Eli Stone). The series also stars Autumn Reeser, Romany Malco, Jimmy Bennett, Kay Panabaker and Christina Chang.
Chance of pickup: 75 percent. Chiklis is a star, and with Heroes certainly at the end of its run this season or next, we're liking No Ordinary Family's chances.

AMC
The Walking Dead You've got to love what happens after a good zombie apocalypse. The Walking Dead follows a group of survivors who travel in search of a safe and secure home. Based on the comic book by Robert Kirkman, "the comic goes on to explore the challenges of life in a world overrun by zombies who take a toll on the survivors, and sometimes the interpersonal conflicts present a greater danger to their continuing survival than the zombies that roam the country. Over time, the characters are changed by the constant exposure to death, and some grow willing to do anything to survive." This one is from The Green Mile's Frank Darabont, with Gale Anne Hurd and David Alpert executive-producing.
Chance of pickup: 75 percent. The Walking Dead has a strong crew behind the scenes, and let's face it, it's time for a good television zombie apocalypse.

TNT
Steven Spielberg's Untitled Alien Invasion Series Steven Spielberg 3.0. We don't have a title yet, but this "untitled alien invasion series" does have star Noah Wylie (The Librarian) playing the college professor who becomes the reluctant leader of "a rag-tag group of soldiers and civilians as they struggle against an occupying alien force." The series begins "shortly after aliens have wiped out most of the human population. The aliens are now rounding up the few people left, but they are met with strong resistance from a group of soldiers and civilians who fight for their survival all while struggling to maintain their humanity." The series was created by Saving Private Ryan's Robert Rodat and is produced by DreamWorks Television. The series also stars Moon Bloodgood, Drew Roy, Maxim Knight, Jessy Schram and Seychelle Gabriel.
Chance of pickup: 100 percent. It's already headed to series, and 10 episodes have been ordered.

Networks, I don't get it...

There seems to be an annoying trend this Winter season. Networks are airing extremely abbreviated runs of episodes, and then preempting them/outright pulling them from their schedule. NBC has the Olympics, so there it is understandable...to a point.

Fox, for example, aired one new ep of House, then is skipping a week to air 2 hours of 24. Why not just have premiered 24 a week earlier, or House 2 weeks later? Wouldn't that be more consistent? I can't even express how pissed I am that we only get 3 eps of Fringe. Yes, I know ratings are down, but the show did so much better following American Idol, not to mention it wasn't competing against ratings behemoth CSI, & the more ratings modest Supernatural (which I'm sure attracts a similar audience...I know, 'cuz I'm one of them).

Cable nets aren't innocent of this trend either. Probably the big motivator for this post was the season finale of Sanctuary. Pulled in December for Christmas programming, it came back a few weeks ago to air only 3 episodes!? Part of me was kinda looking forward to the Sanctuary/Caprica combo on Fridays. Seriously, why not just have started the season earlier & run them all through?

I'm weird, being that I track shows I like. So when they come back on the air, I know when. Most people, however, aren't TV geeks, & aren't paying attention. Chances are they don't have a clue that show they liked is coming back unless they're lucky enough to catch a commercial. That is assuming they tune into the particular network of their show when it's off the air.

In a world where ratings make the network world go round, to me it makes no sense to have short spurts of shows before long breaks. Wouldn't it be more logical to air longer runs which will more ingrain a viewing habit to your network?

btw, Lost is now on Tuesdays @9p...moved yet again by ABC. Just thankful that they're going the air the entire season. ~whew~