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NBC: an addendum
Dec. 10th, 2008 05:31 pmJust a quick follow up to yesterday's post about NBC's pullback on scripted shows. Defamer pointed out that the real loser in NBC's strategy is the SGA. After all, shows like Leno etc. have WGA writers (unlike reality shows) as do the news, but the performers are covered by AFTRA, not the SGA.
I forgot to look at another daypart: daytime. When I was a kid, back in the 70s and 80s, the Big Three networks all had 3 1/2 hours of soaps, and CBS still does, while ABC has three hours. But NBC has only one hour-long soap, Days of Our Lives. And what have they replaced this with? Two additional hours of Today, which may be unionized but ain't scripted. To be fair, Today is a juggernaut, while NBC soaps were rarely in the top of the daytime ratings. But still, that's 17 1/2 hours a week for CBS and 15 hours for ABC v 5 hours for NBC of scripted daytime programming.
On Monday Zucker suggested that NBC might pull back from scheduling 22 hours of primetime a week. Given the Leno deal that was announced the next day, he doesn't mean leaving the 10pm hour, but he may well mean leaving Saturday night. One really begins to wonder if Zucker, who rose through the news division, is really interested in scripted programming full stop, given that all we hear from (fourth-place) NBC is how pricey it is. Just because you guys can't seem to develop anything, Zucker, doesn't mean it's impossible. It just means you actually have to do it well.
God, remember when NBC meant quality programming?
I forgot to look at another daypart: daytime. When I was a kid, back in the 70s and 80s, the Big Three networks all had 3 1/2 hours of soaps, and CBS still does, while ABC has three hours. But NBC has only one hour-long soap, Days of Our Lives. And what have they replaced this with? Two additional hours of Today, which may be unionized but ain't scripted. To be fair, Today is a juggernaut, while NBC soaps were rarely in the top of the daytime ratings. But still, that's 17 1/2 hours a week for CBS and 15 hours for ABC v 5 hours for NBC of scripted daytime programming.
On Monday Zucker suggested that NBC might pull back from scheduling 22 hours of primetime a week. Given the Leno deal that was announced the next day, he doesn't mean leaving the 10pm hour, but he may well mean leaving Saturday night. One really begins to wonder if Zucker, who rose through the news division, is really interested in scripted programming full stop, given that all we hear from (fourth-place) NBC is how pricey it is. Just because you guys can't seem to develop anything, Zucker, doesn't mean it's impossible. It just means you actually have to do it well.
God, remember when NBC meant quality programming?
