The other day, Bill posed a question in the comments about why do the networks not just announce their schedules rather than let all kinds of silly drama play out in public with media spinning each and every move. Bill speculated that it was PR value, but I think in the intervening time Bill actually got one of the primary answers. Probably especially due to the writers' strike there were more "sophomore" shows this year that were given another chance, but only with orders of 13 episodes. Which brings us to the first reason:
1. To keep a show's production staff as motivated and energized as possible.
What seems to be a primary reason heading into winter schedules is simply to keep all the ships afloat. You don't want unhappy, unmotivated people moping around and producing television shows. If the networks know they are not going to order more, but also have no plans to yank the show from the schedule until the current order is up, until the original order is finished and the shows have been made, there is downside to telling the show "we aren't ordering more."
In fact, unless you planned to halt production and/or yank the show off the schedule immediately, there is no upside to letting the show know - even if you know. This might suck a little bit, but it's just the nature of things. Imagine if after 6 episodes had been made of show XZY, network ABC knows it isn't bringing it back for the winter. But having nothing to air in its place, decides to let the show air its full 13 episodes. If you let the people working on the shows know of that decision while there are still seven episodes to be made...lots of moping around. Not a good atmosphere for producing high quality product.
2. Negotiation leverage
Like many businesses television is a power game, with people constantly trying to wrestle for control of the upper hand. I think this is worse in some instances than others and varies network by network (this exists on cable too). I'm sure unless the ratings are just completely atrocious, or obviously very good, the discussions from the network side go something like this:
"Yeah, we're not going to be able to bring back all of these fall shows for the winter. We're thinking about keeping about X (number of shows) and going with Y (number of new shows) in the winter. Oh, by the way, if only your show cost $300,000 less an episode to produce, that would be soooo cool. Anyway, have a nice day."
In all but the case of the true hit, the networks have the upper hand. So if there are five marginally performing shows on the network and they want to bring back only one of them, the network gets some leverage with whichever show they plan to keep. What's it to the network to have them all competing, trying to make better shows and lower costs?
And to complete my list of three - and this may actually be the number one reason:
3. The networks really haven't made final decisions on the schedules yet
It's really simple for us to be black and white with the numbers and say "the numbers for these five shows stink, get rid of them all!" While when it comes to the numbers, it's likely fairly black and white, the networks have to deal with a lot of real life variables that aren't contained in spreadsheets. And especially if the scenario in the second item on the list is true, it may be a difficult process to decide which show out of five you would consider cancelling that you plan to keep.
There are also other factors we're not always (or even usually) privy to, like how production is going on new shows, what the network thinks of those shows, etc. As more data comes in, the landscape changes and so it's in the networks' interest to take as much time as they possibly can.
My guess is that the above reasons have always been in play. It may be more pronounced during this season's transition from fall to winter due to last year's writer's strike which if nothing else mucked up the production pipeline. On a speculative guess, the reason more shows were not cancelled earlier and even cancelled shows are getting to air their full run of episodes is that the pipeline was backed up and there just wasn't a lot already on the bench that they could pull in.
Also, the current economic crisis brings additional pressure so I think we're seeing more "screw it, if we paid for the episodes, we're AIRING them!" than we normally would've.
Update: commenter "Riff Rafferty" nails what is probably the best reason of all -- and I definitely should have (but didn't!) think of it:
If they've canned the show and they plan on burning off leftover episodes (which is just about never the case at CBS), there's one big reason they don't announce it - and it's not listed here. That being that advertisers don't want to buy ad time in cancelled series. At least not for a show which isn't a veteran.
I like what you just said,Mr. Seidman,but I have a question re something Bill|Gorman said in another thread here I didn´t really understand.He said that by letting these rumors fly around,networks would just have to deal with whatever fan backlash they got.What backlash is that,and how important is it?I ask because everybody´s always saying (and I agree) how juvenile statements like “if you cancel my favorite show I´ll never watch you again!!”are.That´s basically what I can imagine as backlash,if these people make good on their promise.
Thanks.
Bill can speak for himself, though he’s gone until at least 8pm EST. My opinion is that sort of backlash doesn’t amount to much skin off the networks’ backs and they would face it regardless of when they make the announcements, but, the longer they take to make the announcements the longer the period where we see that sort of commenting. On a guess, those sorts of comments are more annoying to Bill and I, than they are to the networks!
Hahaha,thanks.
Maybe another reason for keeping the shows in the dark is that the network execs are evil, and want to torcher the world with According To Jim. Yes, that’s it.
Very good article. Perfect for the current situations at ABC and NBC.
Sorry, but networks generally don’t keep them in the dark. For reason 1 they specifically don’t keep them in the dark. They say “ok, you guys need to do this,” and it also does lead to reason 2. By keeping them enlightened in what they expect, when expectations aren’t reached they have more negotiating power.
Execs are generally well covered when it comes to information about their future. Sometimes shows get canned real fast and sudden (like MOWE) but when a show isn’t canceled within the first month of broadcasting, generally the producers are in the know.
Remember these producers generally have multiple shows. If a network screws them over, they would just be alienating that producer. It’s not good business.
Producers definitely understand the business side of it all. They understand that if they have a 1.9 in the primary demo they’re in trouble. I don’t know of a Producer who doesn’t think of dropping below 2.0 as being the Kiss of Death. So MOWE producers knew it was coming when they saw they had a 1.4 in the primary demo. When an NBC show pulls CW numbers you have to know your chances of not getting axed are slim.
If they’ve canned the show and they plan on burning off leftover episodes (which is just about never the case at CBS), there’s one big reason they don’t announce it — and it’s not listed here. That being that advertisers don’t want to buy ad time in cancelled series. At least not for a show which isn’t a veteran.
Of course, as you’ve seen with “Lipstick Jungle,” “My Own Worst Enemy,” “Pushing Daisies” and the unwatchable “Dirty Sexy Money,” the news usually leaks out anyway…
Nick, sorry, but like me, you’re a know it all, and like me, you definitely don’t know it all.
I’m certain you’re correct for some cases, but equally certain there are instances currently (or at least as of a week ago) where not even the executive producers of shows were completely enlightened about the outcomes.
That doesn’t mean they don’t realize their shows are in trouble based on the ratings alone or feedback from the network, but that is not the same as certainty.
Robert, I assume you’re mentioning what Bryan Fuller said to the press? What about what Bryan didn’t say to the press? He mentions they haven’t had any “official,” word on the subject. He doesn’t say they haven’t had word on the subject.
I’m not saying your musings don’t have some merit, but it kind of implies that these guys are kept fully out of the loop. Generally ABC works directly with one of the exec producers and keeps them fully informed of everything from how much commercials are going for to how well the show is doing for even the most obscure demos.
Do the networks lead some productions on? SURE. PD is a perfect example.
Riff makes an excellent point. With ABC they now allow advertisers a way to see future plans. This helps the advertiser. If ABC is canceling a show it also gives them a hint of that. So the only way around that is the current ABC argument of “we’re considering bringing those shows back as FALL ONLY shows.” This way they can say “oh we’re not canceling it, yet.”
Nick, I wasn’t referring to Bryan Fuller or Pushing Daisies — I actually have no idea (other than what I read on the Internet) what that show was led to believe. My sense based on past experiences is when the producers stoop to rallying fans, and rallying media for “save our show, write ABC” campaigns, the producers actually have already have gotten some sort of official word. But that’s just what I intuit.
I might be testy due to the federal regulations around NFL games preventing me from seeing the Chargers v. Steelers game even though it was part of a national double header because the 49ers game aired on Fox – and there are BS laws about other games airing when a sold out home game is broadcast.
I agree, Riff’s reason is probably the most important reason of all.
Robert, those bastards. You don’t want to hear it was exciting right up to the end do you? Ok, now I’m a bastard too. 11 to 10. Rare score in football.
But back to subject at hand, I think your reasons are sound, but I think there is more information given than people might think from the statement “keep shows in the dark,” and that’s all I was implying.
I kept my eye on it via the Internet, but all that did was make me madder that I couldn’t see it. I agree a headline along the lines of “Why networks keep some mystery around renew or cancel decisions” would have been more accurate.
Robert– if you don’t take that back I’ll never comment on your blog again!;) LOL!
I have definitely said I would never watch a channel again after they canceled a show. Difference is, I actually mean it. I only do that in situations where it’s clear the network has no respect for their viewers (based on interviews and comments made by the studio brass). I doubt my little stand makes much of a difference, but I refuse to give a channel ad dollars when I disagree with their decisions, and just bitching about it on the web doesn’t do anything. I know it must annoy you and Bill, but really, as television viewers, what else can we do?
You’re welcome to boycott a network, but I don’t really see the “disrespect their fans” aspects the same way as you. For example, I love the show Chuck on NBC. NBC is on record saying that it really likes this show and wants to support it, and has given it a full season order. If NBC called me up right now and said, “We’re cancelling Chuck, and halting production,” I’d be disappointed but I wouldn’t feel led astray and it wouldn’t stop me from watching the Redskins on NBC for Sunday Night Football in 20 minutes. I can’t imagine taking anything the networks say (unless they said “TVbytheNumbers SUCKS!”) or do personally.
I accept that some people do, but I can’t say that I understand it.
Speaking of mysteries, is it my imagination or has NBC not yet confirmed MOWE getting dumped yet? I’ve seen a half dozen articles about it from various outlets, but I’ve yet to dig up any that had any comment from NBC. Is MOWE really, really gone? Or is NBC staying silent and hedging their bet?
By the way, I was just talking with Ben Silverman, and while he wouldn’t comment on MOWE, the one quote he would give me was, “TVbytheNumbers SUCKS!”
The guy really seems like a dick.
I remember reading an article about TV vet David McCallum, who was my first tv idol love way back when. He said he has yet to hear from NBC that they cancelled his series, The Man From U. N. C. L. E., and that was almost forty-one years ago.
Back then, most of the time you sure didn’t know if a show was cancelled-unless you had a subscription to TV Guide(perhaps)-until you tried to tune in to it for a couple of weeks, and when it never came back on, it finally sunk in.
Schmokey, they haven’t commented on it, but they did shut down production of the show.