Fox chairman Kevin Reilly opened his executive session with a R.I.P. sign “Fox Pilot Season 1986-2013″ and stated that the network will not adhere to the traditional pilot season starting this year. “We are going to be bypassing pilot season,” he said. “The broadcast development system was built in different era with three networks and is highly inefficient. It is nothing short of a miracle talent can still produce anything of quality in that environment,” which includes ordering a ton of pilots, then screening them and making a decision over a two-week period, with the producers of the newly picked up series tasked with delivering a series on the air in six weeks. Reilly pointed to Lost co-showrunner Damon Lindelof’s comments last week that the slow-cooking development season in cable, where he works now on his HBO series Leftovers, is superior to broadcast, and said he fully agrees with him. “Every first-season show needs a course correction and reshoting,” he said, noting that one of cable’s biggest hits, FX’s Sons Of Anarchy, recast its lead and reshot a large chunk of the pilot, arguing that the broadcast model would’ve just discarded the inferior pilot and missed out on a hit show.
Reilly noted that, heading into the traditional pilot season, Fox already has 9-10 series in various stages of production, event series 24: Live Another Day, Wayward Pines, Gracepoint, comedy Mulaney, recently ordered drama Backstrom as well as a few pilots that Reilly envisions as series, with episodic pickups considered a formality, including drama comic book drama Gotham and comedy Fatrick. “I anticipate a few more ordered to series or production, and the balance pushed or ordered for summer and fall.”
Reilly noted that, heading into the traditional pilot season, Fox already has 9-10 series in various stages of production, event series 24: Live Another Day, Wayward Pines, Gracepoint, comedy Mulaney, recently ordered drama Backstrom as well as a few pilots that Reilly envisions as series, with episodic pickups considered a formality, including drama comic book drama Gotham and comedy Fatrick. “I anticipate a few more ordered to series or production, and the balance pushed or ordered for summer and fall.”
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Interested to see how this works out for FOX.
ReplyDeleteInteresting it has been clear for a while the pilot process needs changing whether this approach will work or not well it is early days yet
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love that they are making changes and seeing how modern TV should be done. I hope it works out perfectly for them!
ReplyDeleteI am really excited to see how this works out for FOX. The cable standard has been working for quite some time and is producing a lot of quality TV. The networks have needed to do something similar for quite some time and it's ballsy of FOX to be the first to try it. So major props to them.
ReplyDeleteSmart plan.
ReplyDeleteThis is a fascinating game plan Reilly is trying.
ReplyDeleteGuess its either going to blow up in his face, or be a hit.
Good luck with his new idea.
It's time for changes on the network model.
ReplyDeleteI hope this works and makes FOX a model for the other 4 channels, ending this madness that is the pilot season.
Nice to see FOX trying to move forward as a better network.
ReplyDeleteI guess that explains why they were so aggresive snatching new projects over the last couple of months.
ReplyDeleteI can certainly see how this will help save some shows that wouldn't have been picked up with the pilot method. Though, it seems to me that the bigger problem the networks have is recognizing a good show when they see it.
ReplyDeleteIf instead of getting crap we get polished crap, that won't help us much.
and if this plan turns out to be an epic failure, then we can all talk to them about firefly. Again. and how canceling that was such a great idea. (sarcasm doesnt translate well into text)
ReplyDeleteWow, this if quite a dramatic change FOX is doing! Hope it works out for them, it seems like the right choice, but a risky one nontheless
ReplyDeleteCompletely see your point. I feel like the networks are slowly getting more adventurous. A few years ago, a network would never have even LOOKED at Hannibal, let alone give it a second season. Sleepy Hollow was a definite risk as well. They are still far from perfect, but we're getting a lot more quality shows than we used to (as my DVR that hates me will attest to).
ReplyDeleteGood, shows should be picked up and aired when the network chose. Stretching 22 episode shows across 36 week seasons is ridiculous. Programming should be year round. I commend FOX for trying to move forward and I hope it works out for them.
ReplyDeleteGood luck FOX! That sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteGood choice I think. Sound reasoning behind it.
ReplyDeleteMy DVR is ready to melt down too. Though that is more due to the massive number of sci-fi/fantasy/supernatural shows on this year, rather than the quality of network tv. There will be about 80 different genre shows aired in 2014 (only about 1/3 of those on the networks.) The networks have only increased their number of genre shows slightly. The cable channels have seen the great success of shows like True Blood, Game of Thrones, and The Walking Dead and have fully embraced genre shows.
ReplyDeleteThe crazy success of The Walking Dead has finally scared one of the networks enough for them to make a major change in their methods. I just hope it is a change that is good for the viewers and not just for the production studios.
Pilot season isn't FOX's problem. The series pick-ups they've been choosing is the problem.
ReplyDeleteThis is how TV works everywhere besides USA.
ReplyDeleteIf that means more quality I think it's a good choice. Wait and see.
ReplyDeleteI'm all in favor of networks trying new things- shows with 13 episodes, bypassing Pilots, etc. It's good to get out of an old mentality and try new and relevant things.
ReplyDeleteMajor, major props for Kevin Reiley. Even if this backfires, and I hope it doesn't, I have the biggest respect for the man for trying out something different. He is going all in with:
ReplyDeletea) trying to invest more time in actually producing shows with quality
b) giving uninterrupted runs and shorter seasons to serialized shows
c) programming all year round, with serious stuff planned for summer!
That's really the way to go!
Well clearly he is trying to fix that by going with another way to pick and work on their series!
ReplyDeleteI subscribe that entirely!
ReplyDeleteIMO, it's better to take risks and fail than not take them and fail anyway. At least they try it out. And I am convinced this will be the future anyway.
ReplyDeleteI subcribe to that. Major props to them!
ReplyDeleteAnother point is that quite often networks only have the time to look to the pilot and then they realize that what comes after i not worth of a shot, thus burning off shows without even giving them a try (The Goodwin Games, Us and Them, Save Me, Next Caller, Family Tools, Friend Me). Clearly, with this method, FOX aims to correct that!
ReplyDeleteAnd this is all happening because of Fringe,and what the Fringe Fandom started!
ReplyDeleteIt will work,they started talking about this for 4 years now...
ReplyDeleteYa, I mean it's pretty incredible that he agreed and sited Lindelof too! If only they would have not messed with AH (JH Wyman also divulged in that July ING interview that they were kind of wresting with fox for the mythos elements....)
ReplyDeleteWe are on the same page; it's the right choice, but the risk is there
ReplyDeleteABC should take notes, they could learn a thing or two from FOX
ReplyDeleteI really hope this works out and spawns similar movements with the other networks
ReplyDeleteThis is part of an article that birdandbear wrote in Fringenuity.Thought you might like to read it.The whole article i put on my fb page.
ReplyDeleteThe level of sense that just came of this man, a network head and all, is amazing. Finally the head of one of the big 4 gets it.
ReplyDeleteLet us all hope and pray the rest of them soon come to their senses as well.
Cool! Thanks a ton! I will check it out in full later today! :D
ReplyDelete