EP57: Everything you wanted to know about TV programming in 30 minutes.
Part two of Ken’s interview with network scheduling chief Preston Beckman. This week they discuss ratings, research, programming strategies, casting, reboots, and tips for making successful pilots.
I like Preston's comment about how all the reboots are just to get people's attention so you can make them watch the first episode and hook them again. But it's hard to recapture that lightning in a bottle, especially when you see how much people have aged, and you're reminded how much *you* have aged! I thought that's what was smart about the One Day at a Time "reboot." They really didn't carry over anything unique from the original series other than a building superintendent named Schneider, but the branding caused a lot of people to watch what turned out to be a very different show they would not have watched if it were called Apartment 409 or something like that.
My two cents is that ratings are really on point these days with the digital tracking of viewers. TV shows and movies taped using a DVR are tracked with exact numbers and the networks know where the viewers are located. Internet streaming is trackable as well as digital cable.
There are notices on the cable TV providers "Privacy statement" regarding the use of third-party companies tracking usage to understand what channels customers watch.
It's hard to believe that it was not that long ago that a mere 1,200 homes were wired up to determine the Neilsen ratings (plus manually completed diaries).
3 comments :
I like Preston's comment about how all the reboots are just to get people's attention so you can make them watch the first episode and hook them again. But it's hard to recapture that lightning in a bottle, especially when you see how much people have aged, and you're reminded how much *you* have aged! I thought that's what was smart about the One Day at a Time "reboot." They really didn't carry over anything unique from the original series other than a building superintendent named Schneider, but the branding caused a lot of people to watch what turned out to be a very different show they would not have watched if it were called Apartment 409 or something like that.
My two cents is that ratings are really on point these days with the digital tracking of viewers. TV shows and movies taped using a DVR are tracked with exact numbers and the networks know where the viewers are located. Internet streaming is trackable as well as digital cable.
There are notices on the cable TV providers "Privacy statement" regarding the use of third-party companies tracking usage to understand what channels customers watch.
It's hard to believe that it was not that long ago that a mere 1,200 homes were wired up to determine the Neilsen ratings (plus manually completed diaries).
Anyone remember the "Movie Of The Week"?
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