Everybody Loves ABC
- From: Ablang <HilaryDuffPerfectGirl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 27 Aug 2005 23:02:38 -0700
Everybody Loves ABC
(Thursday, August 25 05:45 PM)
By Daniel Fienberg
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) The last time ABC helped lead a network
television paradigm shift was at the turn of the millennium when the
success of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" prompted other networks to
jump on the game-show bandwagon with temporary hits like "The Weakest
Link" and instant duds like "The Chair." Back then, the other networks
all bailed first, leading ABC into an over-reliance on "Millionaire"
and a programming hole that lasted several seasons.
Flash forward to the 2005-06 season and ABC is hot again, thanks to
"Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" (and more recently, "Grey's Anatomy"
and "Dancing with the Stars"), hits that both proved to be that rarest
of network television commodities, the game-changing smash. Naturally,
the competition rushed out to produce imitators. While several
networks had "Housewives"-esque serial primetime soaps on their pilot
slates, those offerings apparently weren't up to snuff. Everybody,
however, seems to have an alien-centric "Lost" clone this season. ABC
Entertainment President Stephen McPherson still thinks his originals
are special.
"One is such a specific, incredible idea and really reinvents
storytelling -- in terms of 'Lost' -- and 'Desperate' is such a
specific voice that I think it would be a mistake to think that you
can do those shows again," McPherson tells television reporters. "I
think you can do shows that are maybe influenced by those or that
appeal to the same audience, but I think it gets a little risky when
people are trying to imitate them."
McPherson suggests that "Lost" and "Housewives" -- both favorites at
next month's Emmy Awards -- aren't the only ABC successes to spread
their influence onto other networks. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"
became a breakout last season, building its audience almost by the
minute every Sunday night. Whereas the model for unscripted shows had
previously climaxed with bug-eating and testicle milkshakes,
"Makeover" is warmer and fuzzier than nearly any show on television,
reducing a terrifyingly high percentage of viewers to tears weekly.
Even the most popular show on television hasn't been immune to the
"Makeover" magic.
"The marketing campaign of 'Idol' last year changed," McPherson
argues. "You know, the year before it was all making fun of everybody
and then, you know, last year after 'Home Makeover' worked, it was all
about how this is the American Dream."
"Housewives" and "Lost" can change a network's fortunes and shift
industry storytelling, but they can't directly help ABC win Thursday
nights. Or Friday nights. They can, however, give the network a tiny
bit of extra flexibility. As a result, "Alias" is shifting onto its
third night in as many seasons, bringing a tiny established audience
to 8 p.m. Thursdays. And "Supernanny" is taking its fans off to
Friday. Will either move make a difference?
"Every night of the week is really important to us," McPherson
insists. "We're going to have greater strength on some and weaker on
others."
http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271|97194|1|,00.html
===
"In a world where more than 10 million americans live with cancer -- we believe unity is strength, knowledge is power, and attitude is everything!"
-- Livestrong, by Lance Armstrong
.
- Follow-Ups:
- Re: Everybody Loves ABC
- From: Boothbay
- Re: Everybody Loves ABC
- From: Silly 1
- Re: Everybody Loves ABC
- Prev by Date: Internet TV
- Next by Date: Re: Why lack of interracial couples in TV
- Previous by thread: Internet TV
- Next by thread: Re: Everybody Loves ABC
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
