I started thinking about this phenomenon the other night, for some reason. It has been some time since the major networks (ABC, NBC, CBS) have aired “TV-movies”. I know that the more specialized channels still regularly air such movies, tailor-made for their specific audiences; the example that comes immediately to my mind is the Sci-Fi Channel.
When did the major networks stop doing their own TV-movies? Why did they stop?
Another question – when did this format (movies made specifically to be aired on a particular network) start?
As always, I appreciate any information that you can give me.
They’re expensive to make and don’t have a lot of value in syndication. At best, you can sell them to a cable channel as part of a package, but, if you’ll note, few cable channels play made-for-TV movies they haven’t produced themselves.
The TV movie format started in the mid-1960s. There were antecedents in the late 50s, but the genre started taking off around 1965. It developed a bad reputation, since they were more cheaply done than theatrical movies, and many were not very good. The general made-for-network-TV movie seems to have faded out in the early 1980s. HBO and cable networks do them, but the broadcast networks feel they’re better off with ongoing series (even miniseries are rare on broadcast).
It’s rare to see any movies, made-for-TV or theatrical, on broadcast network TV these days. I remember back when Sunday nights on the Big 3 were dedicated almost entirely to movies. And, especially in the days before VCRs became ubiquitous, it was a pretty big deal if it was the film’s television premiere.
But I can’t remember the last time I saw a movie on one of the broadcast networks.
It’s more common to see something which would have been a TV movie in the old days now made into a two-part miniseries. There are a couple of benefits for the networks. Tnhey don’t tie up an entire night of programming on something that’s untested – they can lead or follow it with proven programming that will draw an audience, even if the project bombs. Also, it lets the network spread the production costs over two nights. And if you spread three hours of material over four hours on two nights, you get a lot more commerical time to sell.
In addition to made-for-TV movies, I remember CBS in particular would air a lot of minor sf/horror movies that today would be recycled on SyFy. I remember first seeing **The Valley of Gwangi, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, **and Five Million Years to Earth on the CBS Wednesday Night Movie.
Answer: They never stopped. As others have noted, two night “miniseries” are basically just TV movies with an extra 30-45 minutes of movie tacked on. And even traditional TV movies are still produced. CBS aired When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story (starring Winona Ryder) just a few months ago.
I noticed that when I was channel-surfing yesterday. However, while it is true the broadcast networks will occasionally air a theatrical movie, it’s usually as a sacrificial lamb thrown up against a show on another network that they know is going to kill them in the ratings. Last night, ABC was up against the Emmy Awards and an NFL exhibition game so it aired Casino Royale (which was four years old and had already been extensively aired on pay-per-view, premium cable, and basic cable) as filler.
As for why you no longer see TV-movies on the broadcast networks (or miniseries for that matter), it boils down to ratings and money. Audiences gradually lost interest in them and they cost too much to produce. It’s cheaper to put on another reality show in the slot and they get better ratings.
Doesn’t CBS regularly run made-for-TV movies on Sunday nights. I never watch 'em but it seems like I see a lot of promos for them during the regular season. Usually something heart-warming about adopting a child, saving an injured animal, youngster befriending old person and learning a valuable lesson, overcoming adversity in a warm family friendly setting - that’s how they all seem to look.
Justin Bailey - When Love is Not enough was a Hallmark Hall of Fame production. These aren’t produced by the network, Hallmark does a limited number for release around various holidays. As I understand it, Hallmark does all the developement and filming, they aren’t just sponsors.
But it’s still a made-for-TV movie airing on a broadcast network. They can’t get their movies on CBS unless CBS actually wants them there. And they were being produced before there was a Hallmark Channel to reshow them. I’d say it counts.
I was wondering if that was a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, and it was. They’ve been reliably producing TV movies under that logo since the dawn of TV. For most of the 2000s they’ve churned out with 3 movies per anum, but only 1 so far in 2010 (I’m guessing they’ll at least have a Christmas-themed movie out before the end of the year).
The TV movie/miniseries Emmy’s almost invariably go to premium cable networks nowadays (and pretty much exclusively to HBO), the networks don’t have/want to spend the money to compete in this category anymore.
This. Also most of their shows are in reruns for the summer anyway. On Sunday nights during the regular season, ABC airs Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Desperate Housewives.
Networks try to maintain ratings these days by shows with followings, especially ones you need to watch every episode to keep up with (which is risky.) Mini-series, with enough budget and quality, can do that also. Single shot movies, not so much. In the heydey of the TV movie viewers had few alternatives for long forms - they’d have to go to the theater, expensive and you have to get off your butt, and there were no VCRs, let along NetFlix and video on demand. So, a movie could make sense. Today, you have a million options, most which are going to be better.
And I agree that the relative lack of syndication opportunities is a big issue.
I certainly remember the excitement when ABC would show one of the Superman, Star Trek, or Bond movies on their Sunday Night Movie franchise (remember this?). But those were the days when VCRs were still rare, so you didn’t have the general ability to see those movies any other way.
CBS is also occasionally showing a new Jesse Stone movie with Tom Selleck.
But definitely no dedicated movie slots like we had when we were kids. For ABC I think they had a dedicated TV-movie slot as late as 2008 when Wonderful World of Disney (which mixed made-for-TV with theatrical rebroadcasts) finally went off the year after a very long run.
ABC does still has a dedicated slot for theatrical movies called ABC Saturday Movie of the Week which plays after the end of football season.
I do miss those horrible movies that the networks would make that would just gather up all the actors on their various network shows and give them an ensemble movie.
It kind of did. The history of show is tumultuous having appeared on all three major networks, PBS, and The Disney Channel during its run. From 1990-1997 it was hidden away from most people on The Disney Channel, but after Disney bought ABC it was brought back to network TV and lasted about a decade.
I especially loved the ones that would feature the kids from their teenybopper and family shows in really dark roles. I don’t remember for sure, but I’d like to say there was a TV movie on NBC in the mid-90s that starred the guy who played Zack Morris on “Saved by the Bell” as a rapist. If anyone here knows what I’m talking about please feel free to post the name of the movie here.