I have heard countless critisism of networks such as Fox, WB, UPN, ect… for cancelling well liked shows(firefly, angel) in favor of unwatchable garbage. But then i got to thinking of what newtworks get it RIGHT? Which networks make decesions that benifit quality program? Can anyone think of any that you are consistantly pleased with?
All the networks get it right.
You’re under the common misconception that the networks exist to produce entertaining programming. While that is a side effect that they are happy to achieve, TV networks are there for one reason: to sell advertising.
When given the choice of a quality show, and one that brings good ratings (and thus allows for higher ad rates), a network goes for ratings all the time. Occasionally, they will stick with a poorly rated show for the prestige, but it only goes so far. If people aren’t watching, the show will be cancelled. As long as TV is a commercial medium, that will be the way it is.
I remember an executive of CBS agreeing that “Yes, Dear” was pretty dire, but that it didn’t matter as long as it got the ratings.
While it’s true that the purpose of a network is so be as profitable as possible, it is still very possible for them to make “bad decesions”, even from a lucrative standpoint. An example would be airing a show out of order, with fluxuating time slots with no prior warning (firely). Essentialy that show was was never given a real chance to suceed, while DVD sales and fan support seem to suggest that the show WOULD have gotten good ratings had it been marketed and treated right. My question could be reworded “Which networks do you feel play their cards right in the way or marketing and chosing wisely what shows they give a push to”…
That’s like saying all companies make the right business decisions, we know it’s not true. Fox really screwed up their handling of Firefly, IMHO, and their handling of Futurama, which they put on Sunday night 7pm during football season. That’s not to say their goals are wrong, but their execution leaves much to be desired.
I think HBO does a great job with their original programming. High quality shows, good advertising, and they don’t just drop them half way through a season.
I agree with Cheesesteak. As far as management of original programming, in order to maximize both quality and viewership, HBO has been at the top of the heap since Larry Sanders. Um, excepting Arli$$. That sucked. And Mind of the Married Man was kinda iffy. Okay, so they’re not perfect. But they’re leagues beyond the rest. Part of the reason, I think, is that they can afford to be choosy; they’re not selling ads, they’re building a brand name via subscribers, and besides they fill probably four-fifths of their time with movies. Their original-programming producers don’t have to find generic crap to fill hour after hour after hour. That’s left to the movie people (“I’ve seen Porky’s twenty-seven times this week!”). So the original-show folks can really focus on the few hours they have and make sure it’s as good as possible. The networks don’t have this luxury.
I agree that HBO seems to do it right. Quality programming. They refuse to follow the usual paradigm that a show must have a new season between October and May of each year. They use the fact they are a cable network to their advantage with the content they display. They give shows a chance and do cancel them if they suck (Mind of the Married Man was awful, in my opinion). The theme, “Its not TV. It’s HBO” is so perfect because in addition to it being a simple phrase that sums up their programming goal, they actually take the slogan to heart and really make it come true.
I think FOX gets it about as far right as it possible to get and not have Hitler on the business cards.
RealityChuck mostly told it like it is.
Quality is almost accidental. There is very little on worth watching and it seems to be getting worse. I taped Babylon 5 and watch that more than most current shows.
Dal Timgar
The networks don’t get it right. They cancel shows in anticipation of better replacements, which often don’t materialize.
Look at Fox this year. Most of their new crap failed. I bet they wish they had some of the shows from last year that they didn’t renew, because they surely got better ratings than the stuff they outright cancelled this year. Remember “Skin”?
Back to the original question, CBS doesn’t seem to actually cancel good shows to keep their crap ones on the air. “Yes, Dear” isn’t pushing out “Arrested Development” or “Scrubs”. They’ve already renewed all the good ones too. I just looked it up, and the only show CBS has cancelled was “The Brotherhood of Poland, N.H.” So I have no complaints with them.
ABC hasn’t been that horrible either. They didn’t cancel “Practice” or “Alias”, two shows that could definitely have been nuked by another network.
They did cancel Karen Sisco, for which they must not be forgiven. Also, I wasn’t a fan, but friends of mine still get a bitter tone in their voice when they talk about how Sports Night was treated.
If people can mention HBO then I suppose I can do the same for Cartoon Network. Their Adult Swim progamming has continually surprised me in a pleasant way for 10 years. Well, ever since they first started “Space Ghost.” They listen to their customers, some of whom have become whiny babies expecting everything they say to be listened to, and they seem to be able to wade through all the bitching and whineing and take some good stuff out of the morass of the Adult Swim boards. Even their handling of the cancellation of “The Brak Show”, which was my favorite show of theirs, was handled so nicely that the bitterness really never hit me. They make me happy.
My main disagreement with RealityChuck would be that you are ignoring the influence of ego in their decision making process. I’d say it was a battle of wills between FOX execs and Groening and company that killed “Futurama” more then anything else. Execs seem to demand final control over anything they show and when they get out negotiated in contracts which prevent this they seem to act very poorly.
I concur. Rest in peace, Zim. You will be missed.