tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post5975820321510514406..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: How to fix television By Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-26554539056101708842014-05-18T23:18:38.717-07:002014-05-18T23:18:38.717-07:00This reminds me of something else I read recently....This reminds me of something else I read recently. The networks are having a crisis finding experienced Showrunners. The system stunts development of the skills to promote people and those qualified prefer opportunities I the land of cable with less interference.<br /><br />I think Vince Gilligan has a new show slated on a network. I suspect he won't get much interference. However without Breaking Bad it would have been all interference and execs asking him what he had done.<br /><br />Recognizing the talent first can pay big dividends down the road.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-73572303109037895532014-05-18T23:10:40.735-07:002014-05-18T23:10:40.735-07:00What makes it worse are half the shows are produce...What makes it worse are half the shows are produced by the networks themselves, giving them total control over production and nobody to run interference for the talent.<br /><br />What the networks are doing is truely not working. Their death spiral continues almost completely unabated. While it is nice they take turns claiming no more pilots or CBS saying no more seasons. No more interference.<br /><br />I don't know this for fact but I suspect even with fewer shows the cable networks don't offer a fraction of the interference. If a network finds a talented creator and idea let them go with it. I do think pilot season has evolved into an awful mess where a whole industry literally exists just to make pilots that never air.<br /><br />Focus on your best ideas and support your best talent. Also you can't get spooked if a show fails to blow the roof off week one. Sitcoms have it the worst because it can take a full season for a sitcom to figure out where it is. No sitcoms get that chance any longer. We are at the end of that road. They pull shows with loyal mediocre audiences to replace them with new shows with no audience at all.<br /><br />Reruns are dying as a source of fill in guaranteed revenue for the networks which means they need more original programming than ever. Look at good wife. It was always on the verge of cancellation and was well below CBS standards for years in ratings. However it is, in my opinion, the best show on network tv. Its audience has been loyal. So while the world has crashed down around the networks and even CBS, the good wife stays nearly where it has always been, now making it a keeper.<br /><br />There is nothing magical about the walking dead. It is a good enough show but it certainly could run on a network. Yet it blows away any network show in ratings. Other cable shows have grown audiences year to year. The last network show to seriously grow an audience was probably NCIS, which since has been shedding viewers like everyone else.<br /><br />I am a bit dumbfounded they are able to charge the rates they are for these minuscule audiences. I suspect if adjusted for current day dollars the amount an advertiser paid for a 30 share in the 70s would be a tiny fraction of what a 3 share costs now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-13801970233812002142014-05-15T19:44:22.742-07:002014-05-15T19:44:22.742-07:00Thanks everyone. Looking forward to enjoying this ...Thanks everyone. Looking forward to enjoying this classic TV! Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-27753122983793757932014-05-15T07:13:50.549-07:002014-05-15T07:13:50.549-07:00Johnny, yes, The Bob Newhart Show still holds up.Johnny, yes, The Bob Newhart Show still holds up.Rebeccanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-38391197134135833542014-05-15T06:15:52.055-07:002014-05-15T06:15:52.055-07:00Lou Grant (of which I was a devoted fan from begin...<i>Lou Grant</i> (of which I was a devoted fan from beginning to end, 1977-82) had the benefit of having at its center Gene Reynolds - who as much as Larry Gelbart was the reason that <i>MASH</i> established itself so well during its first four years. Also, in one episode Eileen Heckart reprised her role first introduced on <i>MTM</i>, but she may have been the only such guest star.gottacooknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-58103951558094935722014-05-15T03:55:35.578-07:002014-05-15T03:55:35.578-07:00I'm sure someone has already pointed this out,...I'm sure someone has already pointed this out, but it just struck me: Isn't this what NETFLIX, and other digital providers, are currently offering to their creators? Isn't that why they've become a growing serious force in programming?Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-7185001924566491332014-05-15T03:52:04.607-07:002014-05-15T03:52:04.607-07:00Thanks, Joe! It's amazing how many spin-offs t...Thanks, Joe! It's amazing how many spin-offs that show had... And a drama to boot. How weird!Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-81314708778676465652014-05-15T01:35:22.173-07:002014-05-15T01:35:22.173-07:00Moral of the story: Hire good people, then get ou...Moral of the story: Hire good people, then get out of the way and let them do their jobs. In all industries.Liggienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-74533179012192092702014-05-14T22:38:13.898-07:002014-05-14T22:38:13.898-07:00My feeling is that ratings are secondary considera...My feeling is that ratings are secondary considerations in today's broadcast television - after all the middle class is going bust - how much return on their investment can advertisers expect to make anymore by shelling out money to TV networks in order to sell products to people who can't afford them?<br /><br />IMHO TV networks primarily exist to hold onto the real estate on the broadcast spectrum not so much to make money as to keep upstarts out. <br /><br />If you think of the network heads as basically squatters not really expecting to be making huge profits anymore - it makes sense that it starts to all be about the personalities of the executives and political infighting and ones-upmanship. <br /><br />Not to mention that since the days of MTM there has been a boom of film and TV classes in colleges - whereas in the old days a business major would have to take a few literature courses to fulfill their arts prerequisites, now they can take courses in the history of TV instead. Meaning that you've got all these young Princeton/Harvard graduates with a few 101 or 201 classes feeling like this gives them some kind of expertise in the creative process.<br /><br />Long story short: it's less about profits now and more about the egos of the network executives and the conglomerates who own the networks.-beenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-75633088504756391382014-05-14T19:21:15.290-07:002014-05-14T19:21:15.290-07:00Johnny: I'd go straight through MTM and decide...Johnny: I'd go straight through MTM and decide about the spin-offs later. Honestly, I don't think either RHODA or PHYLLIS is essential at all. LOU GRANT was solid, as I recall, but being a drama rather than a comedy, it's really a different thing.<br /><br />RHODA and PHYLLIS both serve as examples of how difficult it is to turn great supporting characters into leads.Joenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-82485049004465494952014-05-14T19:18:10.225-07:002014-05-14T19:18:10.225-07:00A few times on "Murphy Brown" the title ...A few times on "Murphy Brown" the title character mocked a network suit by snarking something like, "What do we know? All we do is find, investigate and report the stories. You brilliant network executives do the really important stuff like coming up with those catchy slogans for each season. What's this year's? 'Watch us! It's cheaper than cable!' "<br /><br />Another time it was "You come up with those theme nights that cut across all the shows like 'No Bra Tuesday!' "Chalmersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-81092256706521039612014-05-14T18:22:03.440-07:002014-05-14T18:22:03.440-07:00The song remains the same.
Andy Grove to the Amer...The song remains the same.<br /><br /><b>Andy Grove to the American Society of Newspaper Editors 1999 </b><br />"You’re where Intel was three years before the roof fell in on us. You’re heading toward a strategic inflection point, and three years from now, maybe, it’s going to be obvious. "<br /><br />Angry Tech Gamer<br />So... This is about the THIRD time in three industries where someone "oh so smart" suggests "let's do it like we did it in the old days! That'll work!"<br /><br />In 1988 Digital Equipment Corporation RENTED the QE2 Luxury Liner to have their annual company meeting... 3 years later sales were sliding down by huge percentages. Businesses wanted these new fangled PC's running "Windows" on their desks linked by something called a Local Area Network... there were rumors of a company out of San Francisco that actually could link these networks together a company named CISCO... everyone thought they were named after The Cisco kid or some such.<br /><br />Every "smart guy" back then said gee get a bunch of creative engineers AND DO IT AGAIN bring DEC to life.<br /><br />What they failed to realize in the 1980s that creative inventive types ALWAYS find the hot new thing on their own. LIKE PIXAR, GOOGLE or NETFLIX (get it)<br />DUDE THAT'S HOW YOUR COMPETITION IS INVENTED... the CREATORS jumped to the NEXT big thing!<br /><br />It's really funny to see this happening to Television. AND to see the same tired TROPES being bandied about. I mean really does anyone think that HOUSE OF CARDS on Netflix happened in a creative vacuum??? That Netflix somehow cloned a TV production outfit, writers, showrunners etc WITHOUT people who used to do this for NETWORKS?<br /><br />Of course not the TALENT went to the New Hotness of Netflix... not the Old and Busted NBC. AND now that House of Cards is a success you CAN BET BIG MONEY that plenty of creative types are saying "ya know I think this Netflix distribution model might work for this new project..."<br /><br />AND BAM Inflection Point has peaked and it's a fast roller coaster to consolidation, mergers and bankruptcy.... The roof caves in.Angry Tech Gamernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-44462585788358359052014-05-14T18:06:46.007-07:002014-05-14T18:06:46.007-07:00What kind of an executive was Brandon Tartikoff li...What kind of an executive was Brandon Tartikoff like for creatives?Brian O.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06135578015612515545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-11720239640187835292014-05-14T17:55:47.287-07:002014-05-14T17:55:47.287-07:00Sadly, the suits at the network will NVER do this ...Sadly, the suits at the network will NVER do this because they would be admitting that they are not needed. And they aren't. Since 9 out of 10 new sitcoms fail - with suits noting EVERYTHING, you think some desperate network WOULD just say "The hell with it - lets just hire talented creative writers and let them do their passion project." What do they have to lose? (except their job). They even interfere with who can be hired in the writers room. Back in the day if you were lucky enough to get a show on the air, you could hand in a list of writers and say Hire these people. Nowadays they tell YOU who you are going to hire. Comedy by committee sucks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-60343718913538763572014-05-14T17:46:11.510-07:002014-05-14T17:46:11.510-07:00Ken, What do you write on? George R. R. Martin wor...Ken, What do you write on? George R. R. Martin works on an outdated DOS machine using Eighties word processor WordStar 4.0.<br />Larry McMurty paid tribute to his Swiss-made Hermes 3000 typewriter.Ron Rettignoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-15103680659195509502014-05-14T17:09:47.247-07:002014-05-14T17:09:47.247-07:00Eduardo - your attempt to pull politics into this ...Eduardo - your attempt to pull politics into this discussion is just silly. There are plenty of talentless, micromanaging execs on both sides of the aisle.<br /><br />One other thing about Tinker's era: broadcast was still a growth industry with relatively low costs, less competition, and huge margins. These days, talent costs have gone way up, there's much more competition, and margins are smaller. That's when micromanagement comes in - true of any industry.Mikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-87760068692283083262014-05-14T16:45:23.960-07:002014-05-14T16:45:23.960-07:00I might have to ask this again tomorrow if nobody ...I might have to ask this again tomorrow if nobody sees it, but hopefully someone can help me.<br /><br />I've worked my way through Frasier, Cheers (almost twice), Taxi, and now I'm planning on going back further into sitcoms I've only read about: The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, and The Dick Van Dyke Show (actually I've seen a few episodes of the DVDS and I LOVED them).<br /><br />I'm starting with MTM and I just wanted to know what I should do about the spin-off shows. Do Rhoda, Phyllis and Lou Grant all warrant a watch? What about the reunion specials (I'm guessing not)?<br /><br />Also, does The Bob Newhart Show still hold up?<br /><br />Thanks!Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-60572871600710247672014-05-14T16:40:22.064-07:002014-05-14T16:40:22.064-07:00Grant was the Desi Arnaz of the 70s.Grant was the Desi Arnaz of the 70s.Kleehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14306497851609490015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-5125846581753261902014-05-14T14:55:22.308-07:002014-05-14T14:55:22.308-07:00Friday Question--
It seems to me that one of the ...Friday Question--<br /><br />It seems to me that one of the main reasons most of the highly regarded shows (Game of Thrones, House of Cards, Curb Your Enthusiasm, etc...) are on not on Network television are the FCC regulations protecting our easily corruptible minds from the evils of bad words and naked bodies. Why do you think the networks haven't pushed back to get the rules relaxed?mdv1959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-56125090963102070652014-05-14T14:41:09.631-07:002014-05-14T14:41:09.631-07:00Except I wasn't really talking about Hollywood...Except I wasn't really talking about Hollywood. And I did use the term "usually" before the voting part.Eduardo Jencarellihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16873808287070632108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-37535350461903235312014-05-14T14:20:31.054-07:002014-05-14T14:20:31.054-07:00The graveyards are full of indispensable TV execut...The graveyards are full of indispensable TV executives. Probably they are just frustrated (read: untalented) people. Like a referee inserting him or herself into the play thinking they are the star. Egos are a strange thing. Probably also has to do with nepotism or favoritism as well. In college there was a guy whose dad was a bigwig at a big studio -- and the kid was not very bright, interesting, or even remotely creative. To make matters worse he was so arrogant because he knew had a cushy job lined up. So of course when he graduated he found himself on the road to being an entertainment executive just like his daddy. And now he is someone's boss telling them how to make a show.<br /><br />Eduardo's comment seems rather silly, considering that most of Hollywood is as liberal as they come. So maybe it is the opposite.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-6175426615298868562014-05-14T13:44:58.761-07:002014-05-14T13:44:58.761-07:00"I'd genuinely love to know why the Tinke..."I'd genuinely love to know why the Tinker philosophy isn't more prevalent. I wonder if Frank Zappa has it right: The young executives come in and think they know it all."<br /><br />It's definitely the "young executives". They think they know what they're doing, and their ego leads them to the assumption that they're indispensable.<br /><br />I know several of these people. Friendly, but a bit arrogant. They think they hold the answers to every problem, and force the creative folk to become more "professional", as if they weren't already performing adequatly.<br /><br />And they usually vote republican. They hate taxes, they hate big government, and they have a serious victim complex, to top it off.Eduardo Jencarellihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16873808287070632108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-17703863722559353452014-05-14T13:42:00.939-07:002014-05-14T13:42:00.939-07:00To Rockgolf: I read that article about "Fras...To Rockgolf: I read that article about "Frasier" and agree with your astute diagnosis of pompous dog vomit. One of our channels in Dallas was showing "Frasier" reruns several times a day and recently switched to "Friends." To me, there's no contest which one was funnier, better-written or holds up better over time. And as for the carping about "Frasier" staying on too long and losing creative steam...remind me, HOW many times did Ross and Rachel break up and get back together? <br /><br />The Salon writer makes the same mistake many bloggers do: mistakenly assuming that just because something gets more chatter on Internet sites that attract smug, self-anoited hipsters, it's more important or popular than something that doesn't. These are the same egomaniacal pajama boys who seriously believe their Twitter hashtag campaign is going to intimidate a bunch of heavily-armed, mass-murdering, radical Islamic terrorists in Nigeria. #ArrogantHothouseFlowersPat Reedernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-8532581350868476622014-05-14T13:37:02.352-07:002014-05-14T13:37:02.352-07:00Sounds like great advice. Is the problem that a lo...Sounds like great advice. Is the problem that a lot of executives are too afraid for their jobs? Or is it that their frustrated creative types? I'm sure there's plenty who read this blog (or at least this post), so come on... tell us!<br /><br />To be a good executive (or manager at any level) I think you have to be able to genuinely recognize talent. I've no idea why this is so hard for people, but I think that's the first hurdle.<br /><br />Then, convinced of their talent, you need to make sure you have the same vision (ie. they're not just out to destroy everything -- they want the same thing you do). <br /><br />And then you let them be. Right?<br /><br />It seems all the most successful things in the world come from a singular vision (or through underhanded business bullying, I guess).<br /><br />I'd genuinely love to know why the Tinker philosophy isn't more prevalent. I wonder if Frank Zappa has it right: The young executives come in and think they know it all.Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-2127308876866490112014-05-14T11:54:26.561-07:002014-05-14T11:54:26.561-07:00KEN: I hope you've seen that Salon article ask...<b>KEN:</b> I hope you've seen that Salon article asking why the 10th anniversary of Frasier hasn't received as much attention as the same anniversary of Mean Girls and Friends. <br />The article itself is pompous dog vomit, but the top comments will make your day.<br />I've set a link to the article in my signature.RockGolfhttp://www.salon.com/2014/05/13/the_tenth_anniversary_of_frasier_proves_the_limits_of_internet_nostalgia/#commentsnoreply@blogger.com