Videoage International October 2019

20 October 2019 V I D E O A G E (Continued from Cover) U.S. TV Broadcast Original Series move toward an SVoD model with straight-to- series orders. It would be great if the new crop of original series were due to the fact that U.S. TV execs finally realized that audiences are hungry for unique and exciting content, but it’s more likely that they sought out these series because new incarnations of onetime hits like CBS’s Murphy Brown saw low ratings and were cancelled after just one season. In short, the powers that be at the networks seem to at long last be grasping that everything old can’t be new again every year. Truly innovative concepts abound this season. CBS has Evil , a drama about a skeptical fema- le psychologist who joins forces with a priest-in- training, and a blue-collar contractor to investi- gate miracles, demonic possessions, and other unusual happenings; Tommy , a midseason show focusing on a former high-ranking NYPD offi- cer who becomes the first female chief of police for Los Angeles; Bob Hearts Abishola , a comedy about a man who, after suffering a heart attack, falls in love with his Nigerian nurse; and Carol’s Second Act , a comedy about a woman who, after raising her children and retiring from a teaching career, decides to become a doctor. FOX has Almost Family , which tells the tale of an only child whose life is turned upside down when she learns that her fertility doctor dad used his own sperm to conceive dozens of kids over the course of his career; Prodigal Son , a drama about a criminal psychologist and son of a notorious serial killer called “The Surgeon,” who uses his skills to help the NYPD stop killers; and Filthy Rich , a midseason series that follows the family of the CEO of a Christian network, who, after his death, are shocked to discover that he had grown illegitimate kids who are also in his will. NBC’s most interesting offerings are Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist , a musical dramedy about a smart, but socially awkward twenty-something who finds herself suddenly able to hear the innermost thoughts of the people around her as songs and big musical numbers that they perform just for her; and Sunnyside , about a former New York City councilman who gains a new perspective on America while leading a citizenship class for immigrants. And ABC has Emergence , which centers on a sheriff who takes in a young child that she finds near the site of a mysterious accident, who has no memory of what happened; and For Life , a serialized drama about a prisoner who becomes a lawyer and tries to help other inmates while also fighting to overturn his own conviction for a crime that he didn’t commit. These singular series are great, but (unfortuna- tely) they don’t mean that everything on the slate is going to be one-of-a-kind. Of the 35 series that were picked up during May’s Upfront presenta- tions in New York, four are spin-offs of existing shows. ABC’s mixed-ish is a prequel of its long-running hit black-ish, which takes a look back at black-ish matriarch Rainbow Johnson’s rather unusual upbringing after her parents take her and her It’s admirable that TV execs seem so willing to embrace new and unproven concepts this year. But that doesn’t mean that they’re willing to do so with unknown actors. As such, lots of familiar faces will be on television screens come fall. Patricia Heaton, who’s starred in two hit series — Everybody Loves Raymond and The Middle — plays Carol in Carol’s Second Act . How I Met Your Mother star Cobie Smulders is headlining Stumptown . Sopranos matriarch Edie Falco plays the title character in Tommy . Bradley Whitford of The West Wing and The Handmaid’s Tale plays an Ivy League music professor who takes a job directing a rural church choir in NBC’s Perfect Harmony . Mark-Paul Gosselaar plays Rainbow’s dad on mixed-ish . Jimmy Smits of L.A. Law and NYPD Blue stars in NBC’s Bluff City Law . And Prodigal Son has Michael Sheen of Masters of Sex and Tom Payne of The Walking Dead . Of course, we can’t possibly know which of these series will break out as hits until they officially begin airing, and U.S. audiences either tune in or don’t. But one can only assume that if a number of these unique concepts catch on with viewers, that TV executives will finally recognize that Americans don’t simply want to watch the same types of things over and over and over again — they crave novelty. And here’s hoping the execs will be able to follow through with that come the 2020-2021 season. Returning to the declining number of pilot episodes, as reported by Ampere Analysis, the company also noted that the number of titles fell from 106 in 2015 to 73 in 2019; however, the share of pilots converting into series remains constant at 45 percent. According to Ampere Analysis, only 26 pilots have been commissioned so far this year and only six projects have thus far moved beyond the pilot stage. The research also shows that sci-fi is the worst performer, while crime shows and thrillers have a higher success rate. Ampere Analysis’ figures contrast somewhat with those reported by VideoAge , which indicated that 87 pilots were commissioned in 2015 by the major U.S. broadcast networks, with 48 going to series. In 2019, the number of pilots was 65, with 35 going on to become series. Ampere Analysis added that while diverting away from pilots, broadcasters are using a variety of development methods such as reboots and spin-offs, co-productions, remakes, and straight- to-series orders. Once again, such observations contrast with this VideoAge story, which stated early on that “truly innovative concepts abound this season.” Ampere Analysis concluded that one of the main reasons for the decreased number of pilots is the rise of the ‘reboot culture’. Another is the rising costs of producing content, with some series, such as Game of Thrones , costing $15 million per episode. siblings from the only home they’ve ever known — a hippie commune — to the suburbs. CBS’s FBI: Most Wanted — a spin-off of its hit drama FBI — stars Julian McMahon in a new series centered on the Fugitive Task Force of the FBI, which tracks criminals on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. FOX ordered a spin-off series of 9-1-1 , which follows the lives of first responders in Los Angeles. Titled 9 -1-1: Lone Star , the new show will star Rob Lowe as a New York firefighter who relocates to Austin, Texas, and is set for a midseason premiere in January 2020. And the CW has musical dramedy Katy Keene , a Riverdale spin-off that follows the lives of four iconic Archie Comics characters, including fashionista Katy Keene, as they follow their hearts to New York City. There are also a slew of series based on established properties. The Baker and the Beauty , which is set for a midseason debut on ABC, is an adaptation of one of the highest-rated scripted series ever to air on Israeli television. It tells the story of an unlikely romance between a baker and an international superstar. Stumptown , another ABC drama, which is centered on an Army vet working as a a private investigator in Portland, is based on the graphic novels of the same name. NBC has Lincoln , a midseason drama based on the bestselling Bone Collector book series, which revolves around a forensic criminologist, Lincoln Rhyme, who’s hunting down a serial killer known as the Bone Collector; and Council of Dads , a drama about a father facing a terminal illness, who assembles a group of friends to support his family during this most challenging time. It’s based on Bruce Feiler’s best-selling memoir. And The CW has Nancy Drew . Based on the mystery book series, the show follows 18-year- old Nancy as she becomes entangled in a ghostly murder investigation. In recent years, there have also been tons of superhero shows on network television — especially on The CW, where Arrow , Supergirl , The Flash , DC’s Legends of Tomorrow , and Black Lightning have all found success. This year, just one such program, Batwoman , has been ordered to series. The CW program focuses on Kate Kane, an out lesbian and highly trained street fighter who protects the streets of Gotham as the titular caped crusader. Number of TV pilots ordered between 2015 and 2019 according to Ampere Analysis