Studio bosses talk about cancellations of ‘American Born Chinese’ and ‘Primo’

Everett Collection

Peak Television was officially declared dead earlier this year when FX boss John Landgraf revealed that the number of scripted series airing in 2023 had fallen 12% from the previous year – the first reduction in more than ‘a decade.

A group of television studio bosses gathered in Austin to talk about the “tension” of producing so many shows – 600 in 2022.

Karey Burke, President of 20th Television, Nicole Clemens, President of Paramount Television Studios, Lisa Katz, President of Scripted Content for NBCUniversal Entertainment, Katherine Pope, President of Sony Pictures Television Studios and Erin Underhill, President of Universal Television, discussed the subject: as well as the contraction over the last twelve months during a panel at the ATX Festival in Texas.

“We’re on the other side,” Burke said. “I never want to celebrate the loss of opportunity, but I think we’ve all felt the pressure of 600-plus TV shows in the market and the inability to get eyes on each other. The shows came and went so quickly. It’s hard for the public, it’s not fair for the creators because the platforms don’t have the marketing resources for 600 shows. It feels like a natural and healthy correction. I understand that it’s scary, every time there is a contraction it can be worrying but I look on the bright side of things. I’m optimistic that we’re still going to make a lot of amazing television, we’ll just have more time to do it and more resources to support it.

Sony Pope said short orders and broadcast volume were impacting the entire TV industry.

“The reason you go to television, as opposed to film, is the novelization format. It’s the fact that characters grow and take small steps forward and backward over a long period of time. Not really being able to do that, where the shows were like these little series that also didn’t break through, I think that was a challenge for the major tenants of television in general,” she added.

There has been a notable contraction in Hollywood, following last year’s writers’ and actors’ strikes.

Pope said the second fear concerns a creative endeavor: you have “failed.” “You just can’t be afraid. You have to keep going at it with enthusiasm, fandom, critical eye, you can’t start being afraid, it’s like death. So no matter what’s going on with the bigger pressures of the industry, I’m going out there every day, excited to find something new, excited to put shows on the air. Yeah, it’s hard if you release something and you think there’s going to be a bidding war and everyone’s going to want (a show) and that’s not the case, it’s hard, but you just gotta dust it off and fall in love with the next guy,” she added.

“We’re a creative company, so you have to be relaxed,” added Paramount’s Clemens.

Universal Television’s Underhill added: “Since the strike, we’ve had tremendous success. It’s certainly a tough landscape, but we’ve sold out and have series orders for over half a dozen shows. The hope is that the industry is healthy and becomes, to some extent, a new normal (because) great stories will always be in demand. »

The group also deplored a number of recently canceled series.

Underhill said she’s still “licking my wounds” from Freevee’s cancellation. First, the comedy series from Shea Serrano and Mike Schur. The show, inspired by creator Serrano’s life growing up in San Antonio, Texas, was canceled earlier this month. “It was so special for those who saw it and for me, it deserved a second season.”

Burke highlighted the cancellation of Disney+ American born Chinese. The fantasy action series, which starred Oscar winners Ke Huy Quan and Michelle Yeoh, was axed in January. “It was well received… it had a premiere at the White House. It found an international audience, which was really lovely, but couldn’t break through here.