Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024

A broadcast TV executive shares some thoughts about bringing back longer seasons

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024:

A BROADCAST TV EXECUTIVE SHARES SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT BRINGING BACK LONGER SEASONS
My piece from last week that included an interview with a streaming television development executive has sparked a lot of feedback from readers, including a number of other people working in the industry. 

I've been going back-and-forth via email with an executive at one of the broadcast networks for a piece that will hopefully post next week. But I thought this exchange was enlightening and I'm sharing it with you with their permission:

If you talk to Hollywood's creatives - and to be honest, even a lot of reporters and TV critics - one common refrain is the networks should bring back longer episode seasons. The so-called "extra" episodes allow for more world building and focus on lesser characters. And the longer seasons provide a steadier income for actors, writers and everyone else working on the show. What are the chances that will happen?

I am trying to think of a nice way of putting this....the chances are somewhere between extremely unlikely and never.

Look, I'm sympathetic to the argument. There was a lot to like about 23-episode seasons. It made my job easier, the shows were easier to promote. There was a continuity to the schedule that resonated with viewers. And I agree, those full-season orders provided middle-class livelihoods for thousands of people in the industry. 

But those days are gone. And wishing they will come back might be comforting to do, but it's just not going to happen. Broadcast networks knew this day was coming, it's been on our radar for more than twenty years. And as an industry we continued to argue that smaller audiences don't matter because broadcast television still provides some of the largest audiences on television. Or that our audiences are more upscale or more open to advertising, etc. And while there was some truth to that, it was also a fantasy.

There is not one daypart of our schedule that can exist long-term unless we cut back budgets significantly. That means shorter seasons, smaller casts, cheaper productions. Sure, some of the veteran shows will continue to receive full season orders. But you won't see something like Dick Wolf's Chicago shows or Law & Order in the future. With new shows, the seasons will be 13 episodes - at most - and every dime that can be shaved off the budget will be. You’ll see fewer large ensemble cop shows and more solo detective series.

I still don't think a lot of people working in broadcast television realize the tsunami of continued changes that are headed their way. You'll see more co-productions, including ones with streamers. More unscripted and games. Scripted formats that have allow for a smaller scope and restrained costs. More productions moving out of L.A. and an emphasis on shows that can be remonetized on other platforms. 

Hollywood's creative class have a lot to worry about. So focusing on something you can't bring back just strikes me as unproductive.

Have a comment or something you'd like to share on background or off-the-record? Email me at rick@allyourscreens.com or via Signal at 612-207-2108.

And if you would like to support my work, you can upgrade to a paid subscription or buy me a coffee.

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN URBAN, SUBURBAN AND RURAL TV VIEWERS
While a lot of attention is paid to the supposed differences between audiences and blue and red states, a new study from Hub Research shows that the most interesting distinctions in how viewers subscribe to and watch TV services come when you compare people living in urban, suburban and rural areas of the United States.

According to U.S. Census, roughly half of the respondents to the Hub Research study self-identify as residing in Suburban areas, a third in Urban, and one sixth in Rural settings. And that makes for some interesting contrasts:

What really jumps out when looking at the demo profiles are the large differences between Urban and Rural viewers on gender and ethnicity. The Urban group exceeds the Rural group by double-digit margins in proportions of Male, Hispanic, and Black viewers.

The Urban viewers are also most likely to be younger, and have kids. In general, Suburban viewers are more similar to Rural viewers demographically, with the exception of income, in which Suburbanites lead all groups in percentage earning $100K+ annually.

Table 1 displays demographic differences among Urban, Rural, and Suburban viewers:

Table 2 displays differences in subscription and media usage among Urban, Rural, and Suburban viewers:

ODDS AND SODS
* The new true crime series A Plan To Kill premieres Sunday, October 27th on Oxygen.

* The concert special Olivia Rodrigo: GUTS World Tour will premiere Tuesday, October 29th on Netflix.

* The digital networks FETV and FMC are now available on Hulu.

* Kardea Brown has signed a new exclusive deal with the Food Network that will include Brown continuing in her role as judge on Spring Baking Championship. She will also co-host another Kids Baking Championship.

* The film Joy tells the remarkable true story behind the ground-breaking birth of Louise Joy Brown in 1978, the world’s first ‘test-tube- baby’, and the tireless 10-year journey to make it possible. It premieres Friday, November 22nd, on Netflix.

* Batwheels, DC’s first-ever Batman series for a preschool audience, has been renewed for a third season at Cartoon Network.

* Apple TV+ show has renewed the Colin Farrell drama Sugar for a second season.

* Disney is ending the teen show The Villains Of Valley View after two seasons. Which sucks for fans, since it ended on a cliffhanger.

* The documentary Make Peace or Die: Honor The Fallen premieres Veterans Day, November 11th, 2024 on the PBS series Independent Lens. Directed by Manny Marquez, the documentary follows the journey of his brother, Marine Anthony Marquez, who, was deployed to Sangin, Afghanistan, in 2011. His unit, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, suffered the loss of 17 Marines. Haunted by their deaths, Anthony returned home with a mission to honor his fallen comrades. Over the span of three years, he carved and hand-delivered battlefield crosses to the Gold Star families of each Marine.

* Season sixteen of Ink Masters will premiere Wednesday, October 23rd on Paramount+.

WHAT'S NEW TONIGHT AND TOMORROW

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2ND:
* Acro Trip (Crunchyroll)
* Big Freedia Means Business Season Premiere (Fuse)
* Chef's Table Noodles Season Premiere (Netflix)
* Destinations Of The Damned Series Premiere (Discovery)
* Forged In Fire Season Premiere (History)
* Guy's Grocery Games All-Star Relay Rumble Finale (Food)
* Joan Series Premiere (The CW)
* KamiErabi GOD.app (Crunchyroll)
* Nova: The Solar System (PBS)
* Re:ZERO -Starting Life In Another World (Crunchyroll)
* Secrets Of The Dead (PBS)
* Sullivan's Crossing Season Premiere (The CW)
* The Last Days Of The Space Age Series Premiere (Hulu)
* The Prince Of Tennis II (Crunchyroll)
* Unsolved Mysteries Season Premiere (Netflix)
* Where's Wanda? Series Premiere (Apple TV+)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3RD:
* Blue Box (Netflix)
* Dan Da Dan Series Premiere (Crunchyroll/Hulu/Netflix)
* DanMachi - Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? (Hidive)
* Dateline: The Smoking Gun Series Premiere (Oxygen)
* Found Season Two Premiere (NBC)
* Good Bye, Dragon Life Series Premiere (Crunchyroll)
* Gremlins: The Wild Bunch Season Two Premiere (Max)
* Heartstopper Season Three Premiere (Netflix)
* Hold Your Breath (Hulu)
* House Of Spoils (Prime Video)
* Las Bravas F.C. (Max)
* Law & Order Season Twenty-Four Premiere (NBC)
* Law & Order: SVU Season Twenty-Six Premiere (NBC)
* Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms (Crunchyroll)
* Mountain Men Season Premiere (History)
* Negative Positive Angler (Crunchyroll)
* Reggaeton: The Sound That Conquered The World (Peacock)
* Rurouni Kenshin -Kyoto Disturbance (Crunchyroll)
* Salem's Lot (Max)
* Scrabble (The CW)
* Suspect (Britbox)
* The Bad Guys: Haunted Heist (Netflix)
* The Book Club Murders (LMN)
* The Legend Of Vox Machina Series Premiere (Prime Video)
* 365 Days To The Wedding (Crunchyroll)
* Trillion Game (Crunchyroll)
* Trivial Pursuit (The CW)
* Tyler Perry's Zatima Season Premiere (BET+)
* Velma: This Halloween Needs To Be More Special! (Max)

SEE YOU ON THURSDAY!