# TV Network Execs - as stupid as they seem? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 26, 2013, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-network-execs-as-stupid-as-they-seem/667224 "2013-08-26T18:17:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-network-execs-as-stupid-as-they-seem/667224/21 "2013-08-26T20:18:21Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I can understand canning a good new show because it just doesn’t have good ratings. What I don’t understand is messing with it’s time slot, and then claiming it doesn’t have good ratings. Or putting it on Sunday at 6:30 or 7, and having it constantly pre-empted by football… and then complaining about it’s ratings. It’s not quite that bad on Fox any more; the network already realizes that Sundays between 7 and 8 is where it sends shows to die. (Both _'Til Death_ and _The Cleveland Show_ were moved there _because_ they were in their final seasons.) The problem with _Futurama_ was, when the show was moved to Sundays at 7:00 (one version of the story: Fox executives wanted “_The Simpsons_ in space,” and was told that this is what it was - like _The Simpsons_, “it’s by Matt Groening, and it’s different”), “late” Sunday afternoon football games started at 4:00 Eastern and weren’t expected to run too far past 7:00. When Fox noticed that more and more games were running until 7:15, they asked (well, begged is probably more accurate) the NFL to start the late games at 7:15, so they would run until 7:30; this not only gave Fox an excuse not to air _Futurama_ on nine Sundays a year (then again, in its last two seasons, Fox had a habit of replacing new _Futurama_ episodes with _Family Guy_ repeats during sweeps periods), but could count the football coverage as a prime-time show towards its overall ratings.) ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-network-execs-as-stupid-as-they-seem/667224/22 "2013-08-26T20:39:00Z")
It has been ever thus. Over 30 years ago \* Taxi\* had a great episode where Reverend Jim told an incompetent network executive(played by Martin Short) how to set the schedule . [Part 1](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AOSUsirW9s) [Part 2](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Qt_Z2Rr62Q) ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-network-execs-as-stupid-as-they-seem/667224/23 "2013-08-26T21:07:53Z")
Cocaine is a helluva drug. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-network-execs-as-stupid-as-they-seem/667224/24 "2013-08-26T21:57:05Z")
I’ve met a few people who work on the business side of TV, including the exec of a major network and, in general, I’ve found them to be smart, passionate people with a real love for the craft, doing a very tough job which only attracts criticism, not praise. It’s easy to point to a few examples where, with the benefit of hindsight, were clearly wrong decisions but it’s also important to point out the number of incredibly daring bets over the last decade that were amazingly prescient. The Wire, Breaking Bad, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Bob’s Burgers, etc. all required some network exec to put their reputation on the line for something that sounded crazy and unlikely to work. Also, something that execs are unwilling to say in public but is widely whispered behind the scenes is that piracy puts studios in a lose-lose situation. The audiences that are the most vocal are also the ones most likely to pirate a show. Cult shows like Community are watched by college kids who torrent shows en masse and skip all the ads while broad comedies like The Big Bang Theory is watched by 50 year olds who only use their computers for Facebook. This puts studios in the unpopular position of constantly having to cancel critically acclaimed, well loved shows to the massive protest of fans and TV press, further increasing the hate they get from their audiences. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-network-execs-as-stupid-as-they-seem/667224/25 "2013-08-26T23:03:41Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Some higher up doesn’t like show X, for whatever reason. Maybe they had a falling out with one of the producers over another show years ago, or this show got picked up instead of a show pitched by a friend of theirs, or they don’t “get it.” I heard this was a BIG problem for Futurama. A lot of nerdier jokes, abstract scenarios, etc…that someone who is more comfortable with a traditional sitcom just wouldn’t enjoy. > > So they do what they can to ensure it fails. While I’m sure there’s plenty of politics and greed and infighting involved, none of those are necessary to get this kind of outcome. Even if you had network execs of noblest heart and purest spirit, you’d still get this kind of thing. I mean, _something_ has to be on the schedule after the football game; the viewers are _eventually_ going to tire of listening to reporters interview football players (I hope), and we can’t really have dead air. Every show that’s not actually cancelled has someone who believes in it and wants to keep it out of that slot (and many of the ones that have been cancelled have someone on the inside fighting for them). They can’t all win. Take, for example, the aforementioned sci-fi western series (nitpic: it was called _Firefly_). They aired the Train Job episode first. Ultimately, whoever had to make the call of when to air which episodes probably can’t watch all the episodes of whatever many shows they have to make the call on. So they’re listening to their trusted advisors, and one guy says, hey, this Josh\* guy has a real artistic vision of space cowboys here, and he was real good with that vampire show (before vampires were totally a thing), so let’s do it like he wants, and the other guy says whoa whoa whoa, that first episode is kinda slow getting started and it has all this backstory that no one cares about. Let’s hit ‘em with a barn buster first and then follow up with backstory later. Plus trains play well in the demo’… And so it goes. \*I know. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-network-execs-as-stupid-as-they-seem/667224/26 "2013-08-26T23:52:06Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > \ > Apparently, **The Riches** wasn’t making bank in ad money. Shame, 'cause that was a great show, terrific acting, great writing. That’s what it comes down to (in my opinion) - advertising money. We think ads are in addition to the tv shows, but the reality is that it’s all about the ads - they’re the main event. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-network-execs-as-stupid-as-they-seem/667224/27 "2013-08-27T01:41:18Z")
Uh, it was called [Grave of the Fireflies](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grave_of_fireflies), not Serenity. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-network-execs-as-stupid-as-they-seem/667224/28 "2013-08-27T02:13:51Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > While I’m sure there’s plenty of politics and greed and infighting involved, none of those are necessary to get this kind of outcome. Even if you had network execs of noblest heart and purest spirit, you’d still get this kind of thing. I mean, _something_ has to be on the schedule after the football game; the viewers are _eventually_ going to tire of listening to reporters interview football players (I hope), and we can’t really have dead air. Every show that’s not actually cancelled has someone who believes in it and wants to keep it out of that slot (and many of the ones that have been cancelled have someone on the inside fighting for them). They can’t all win. This would be an ideal place to put M_A_S\*H reruns. Or possibly music videos, or infomercials. Or just cut off the football game when the time’s up, and deal with the overthrow of civilization. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-network-execs-as-stupid-as-they-seem/667224/29 "2013-08-27T03:00:20Z")
> [@Tanbarkie](#): > > Network executives are, for the most part, extremely intelligent, well-trained people whose job it is to make the network money. And they are, by and large, extremely good at this. > [@PSXer](#): > > They know what they’re doing. I’ve said this before. Too many people are willing to suspend their critical faculties and just assume a decision must be smart if it’s made by a guy wearing a suit and collecting a bug salary. But sometimes a decision that appears stupid really is stupid. The entertainment business is especially subject to this. Somebody’s going to make the number one TV show or movie, even if it’s just by random luck. But if you’re the executive who happens to be associated with that success, you could end up in charge of a network or studio. Meanwhile the random luck that made you a success moves on to somebody else and you just make a bunch of dumb decisions until your incompetence becomes obvious. Then you get fired and the next monkey gets your job. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-network-execs-as-stupid-as-they-seem/667224/30 "2013-08-27T03:02:23Z")
Well, you know, the suits may have an overabundance of idiotic ideas, but every now and then, they manage to blunder into a real winner. According to TVTropes, they insisted that Joss Whedon put a “space hooker” character into _Firefly_. We all kinda like how that bit of meddling turned out, don’t we? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-network-execs-as-stupid-as-they-seem/667224/31 "2013-08-27T03:08:46Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > Well, you know, the suits may have an overabundance of idiotic ideas, but every now and then, they manage to blunder into a real winner. According to TVTropes, they insisted that Joss Whedon put a “space hooker” character into _Firefly_. We all kinda like how that bit of meddling turned out, don’t we? Throw enough darts and you’ll hit the target by sheer chance. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-network-execs-as-stupid-as-they-seem/667224/32 "2013-08-27T03:11:19Z")
I thought the show was _River the Reiver Slayer_ and the BDP and BDM were aimed at that goal. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-network-execs-as-stupid-as-they-seem/667224/33 "2013-08-27T13:46:29Z")
The thing I don’t get is that it seems like they’re more interested in transient viewers- i.e. that person who’s flipping channels and happens to leave it on “Mike and Molly” because it’s sort of funny and there’s not much else on. That, and ones that get a lot of initial hype and viewership, and then transient viewers. The shows we’re discussing probably don’t have a very big transient viewership, and nor do they start out very strong, but once they get rolling, they have a VERY faithful following. I (holder of an MBA) have to wonder if having a small, but fanatical following may not be a better deal if you can entice the advertisers. I mean, if you have 5 million geeks a week watching “Firefly”, then you can deliver very tailored ads to those 5 million geeks and potentially get better results. I also wonder about the strategy; a lot of these shows aren’t even replaced by something better, or are noticeably worse than other shows that remain on the network in other time slots. I mean, if you put something in the “Friday Slot of Death”, what do you expect? Why not put a show with a fanatical following there? At least you can count on your dogged few to be there every single Friday watching that show. The other thing is that I don’t get how they can be so tone-deaf, or at the very least, how the early 2000s Fox execs could be that way. They cancelled Futurama and Family Guy, both of which rose from the dead to become very successful on other networks. I guess the crap forces out the good; junk like “Nanny 911” ran for several seasons on Fox, and the shows above were cancelled early. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-network-execs-as-stupid-as-they-seem/667224/34 "2013-08-27T13:49:10Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > :smack: Well, sign me up to play network executive. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-network-execs-as-stupid-as-they-seem/667224/35 "2013-08-27T13:54:00Z")
[Relevant Family Guy joke.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oMTmtN7lHI) Also, guys, I’m pretty sure that the show was called something like _Firefly_, while Serenity was the movie that came later. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-network-execs-as-stupid-as-they-seem/667224/36 "2013-08-27T13:59:30Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > According to TVTropes, they insisted that Joss Whedon put a “space hooker” character into _Firefly_. We all kinda like how that bit of meddling turned out, don’t we? I thought that was the writer’s idea, it seemed integral to the story. It was of course used to hammer the program by fans of a canceled show. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-network-execs-as-stupid-as-they-seem/667224/37 "2013-08-27T14:00:59Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > According to TVTropes, they insisted that Joss Whedon put a “space hooker” character into _Firefly_. We all kinda like how that bit of meddling turned out, don’t we? Yeah, but the character they had in mind was _Jayne_. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-network-execs-as-stupid-as-they-seem/667224/38 "2013-08-27T14:03:34Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Yup. That’s my guess, anyway. > > Some higher up doesn’t like show X, for whatever reason. Maybe they had a falling out with one of the producers over another show years ago, or this show got picked up instead of a show pitched by a friend of theirs, or they don’t “get it.” I heard this was a BIG problem for Futurama. A lot of nerdier jokes, abstract scenarios, etc…that someone who is more comfortable with a traditional sitcom just wouldn’t enjoy. > > So they do what they can to ensure it fails. I heard similar things about _News Radio_. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-network-execs-as-stupid-as-they-seem/667224/39 "2013-08-27T14:10:09Z")
Regarding the Firefly/Serenity thing: I can always trust members of the SDMB to run a joke into the ground, back up and run over it again. As for network executives, I think part of the problem is moving shows around the schedule. And it doesn’t help when they show two episodes in September, take a break of several weeks for the baseball playoffs and World Series, air a couple more and then take a break for Thanksgiving. Network television now has to compete with companies like Netflix or Amazon, which are producing their own shows and don’t have to make advertisers happy. Plus of course, there’s the very fragmented nature of television today, when most of us get dozens of channels. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-network-execs-as-stupid-as-they-seem/667224/40 "2013-08-27T14:11:18Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > Well, you know, the suits may have an overabundance of idiotic ideas, but every now and then, they manage to blunder into a real winner. According to TVTropes, they insisted that Joss Whedon put a “space hooker” character into _Firefly_. We all kinda like how that bit of meddling turned out, don’t we? Have you ever seen the original pilot for _Dollhouse_? It’s a complete and total mess. The reworked version that was created with the network notes isn’t great, but it’s light years better than what Joss and crew created on their own. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-network-execs-as-stupid-as-they-seem/667224.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-network-execs-as-stupid-as-they-seem/667224.md?page=3)