FX's John Landgraf expressed concern over the declining support for long-running TV series in today's media ecosystem, citing decreased attention spans and patience for demanding content. He also discussed the declining number of scripted shows and the escalating costs of television production. Additionally, Landgraf provided updates on upcoming FX series, including Ryan Murphy productions and the new "Alien" series from Noah Hawley.
FX chairman John Landgraf revealed that the number of original scripted series on U.S. broadcast, cable, and streaming services dropped to 516 in 2023, down 14% from 2022's record of 600, marking the most significant dip since FX started its tally over two decades ago. Landgraf attributed this decline to the impact of the writers' and actors' strikes, as well as a shift in industry priorities towards profitability in the streaming age. This marks the end of the peak TV era, as Landgraf had predicted, with the number of shows on TV experiencing non-stop growth since 2002, except for a pandemic-era dip in 2020.
FX CEO John Landgraf announced a 14 percent drop in the number of U.S.-produced scripted original series for 2023, marking the end of the Peak TV era. The decline is attributed to production delays caused by strikes and a shift in focus towards profitability by major streamers. This content contraction has led to numerous show cancellations and the conclusion of long-running scripted shows, as media companies re-evaluate their needs and cut costs.
Reports from Ampere Analysis and Luminate confirm a significant decline in the volume of scripted TV series being ordered in the U.S., with the number of series titles falling to 481 in 2023, down from 633 in 2022 and 2021. The decline is attributed to a combination of strike action and a downturn in the original content boom, leading to a sharp drop in series orders. Streamers, particularly Netflix, reduced their releases, while global streamers ordered more shows from outside the U.S., indicating a shift towards internationalization in the TV industry.
USA Network is planning to revive its "blue sky" era of scripted series, which included popular shows like Burn Notice, Covert Affairs, Monk, Psych, and White Collar. The network aims to recapture the magic of these fun and breezy hits, with new shows expected to premiere in 2025. The productions will be more cost-effective, with budgets of $2-3 million per episode. Several of these "blue sky" hits have already returned in the form of reunion movies, and there are talks of bringing back beloved characters like Neal Caffrey from White Collar.
USA Network is planning a return to original scripted programming with light, character-based procedurals reminiscent of its "blue sky" era, which included popular shows like Monk, Burn Notice, Psych, and Suits. The network aims to roll out the first new series in 2025, with budgets capped at $2M-$3M per episode. Given the impact of cord-cutting and declining linear viewing, the majority of viewership for these new shows is expected to come from streaming on sibling platform Peacock. USA Network's dominance in the cable entertainment network market was fueled by its "blue sky" programming, but the network shifted towards darker storytelling in recent years.
ABC has announced the return dates for its scripted series, including Abbott Elementary, Grey's Anatomy, and new addition 911, as part of its post-strikes lineup set for early 2024. The network will also feature unscripted staples like American Idol, The Bachelor, and Judge Steve Harvey, along with a true-crime series from ABC News. With production ramping back up after the end of the SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America strikes, scripted series will have smaller episode counts. ABC's midseason lineup will include a Wednesday comedy block, stacked dramas on Tuesday and Thursday nights, and consistent programming on Mondays and Fridays.
CBS has announced that new episodes of scripted series will return in mid-February, making it the first network to lay out scheduling plans since a tentative agreement was reached last week to end the Hollywood strikes. The network will use the Super Bowl broadcast on February 11 to launch its new lineup, with a new series called "Tracker" immediately following the game. Several returning series, including "Young Sheldon," "NCIS," "Ghosts," "Blue Bloods," and "FBI," will premiere later that week. The premieres will arrive about five months later than usual due to the strikes, which severely disrupted Hollywood scripted production since May. CBS has suffered the most without its stable of scripted programming, with viewership averages down more than 30 percent since mid-September.
CBS has announced its midseason schedule for 2024, featuring the premiere dates of returning and new scripted series that were delayed by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. The schedule includes the debut of new drama Tracker immediately after the Super Bowl, with returning shows like the FBI and NCIS franchises, Young Sheldon, and The Neighborhood premiering the following week. The strike-impacted seasons will consist of 10-13 episodes running from February to May. Two new series, Tracker and Elsbeth, will launch this season, while others have been pushed to the 2024-25 season due to production delays. Reality shows Survivor and The Amazing Race will launch their new seasons in March.
CBS is considering reality TV and Paramount+ originals for its fall lineup due to the ongoing writers strike and possible SAG-AFTRA work stoppage. The network's core summer franchises, including Big Brother, will slide into August and continue into November. CBS is also looking at supersizing Survivor and The Amazing Race, airing more Price Is Right and Let's Make A Deal specials, and launching four or five new reality shows. As for scripted fare, CBS is eyeing some of the Paramount+ originals, including SEAL Team and Evil, which originated on CBS. CBS is negotiating with the WGA through their collective bargaining representative AMPTP and hopes to find compromises soon.
The CW, under new owners Nexstar, has announced that it is in production on a dozen scripted shows and developing several others, including a jewel-thief drama starring Sophie Turner and a 'Librarians' spinoff. The network also plans to become a creative partner on future seasons of some of the acquired shows it’s airing in 2023-24. Entertainment president Brad Schwartz said that the network's approach to development is "a mix of everything," including homegrown series, co-productions, and acquisitions that may need deficit financing from a studio.
The CW has announced three new scripted series for 2024, including "Joan" starring Sophie Turner as a jewel thief, "The Librarians: The Next Chapter" spinoff, and "The Swarm" based on a novel about an intelligent life force in the ocean. The network is also adding unscripted series "Patti Stanger: Millionaire Matchmaking," "The Force," and "The Great American Bakeover" to its lineup. "Joan" is currently in production and stars Frank Dillane, Kirsty J. Curtis, Gershwyn Eustache Jr., and Laura Aikman. "The Librarians: The Next Chapter" is produced by Electric Entertainment and Dean Devlin serves as showrunner.
Universal Television has extended Dick Wolf's overall deal at the studio for two additional years, under the same financial terms and featuring new series commitments for scripted and unscripted shows. With this extension, Wolf's deal now runs until 2027. All nine of Wolf's current broadcast scripted series are locked in for next season, and he has a goal of presiding over 12 hours of broadcast scripted programming. Wolf is currently developing Dark Woods, the murder mystery Wolf Entertainment scripted podcast, as a scripted series for Universal Television.
