As we get closer to the traditional start of the broadcast TV season, some folks are beginning to worry. The last several years, we’ve seen new shows debut close to the first day of fall. That’s about a month away. Most of the production for those shows takes place in July and August, in some cases earlier. Those oh-so-popular medical and cop shows take time to do. It’s all the special effects. So here we are in late August, far too late to do anything for an October debut.
There won’t be… nothing. That’s about all we’re sure of
The major broadcast networks are busy pivoting away from their original plans for scripted programming. I suspect that in about a month, you’ll be inundated with reality competition shows. This kind of television has been with us ever since the beginning, but it’s really only been in the 21st century that it’s gained this massive foothold in prime time. Broadcasters started relying on competition shows to keep people watching live TV in the early days of the DVR. Then, during the last writer’s strike, the flagging competition show format got a shot in the arm. Broadcast networks struggled to fill hours just like they are now, and they found that reality shows don’t need union writers and they’re cheap to make. Ever since then, it’s been a pretty steady stream of that sort of stuff.
You should also expect to see the broadcast debuts of some shows that have only been available on streaming. Paramount/CBS has already announced plans to bring streaming content to prime time. Disney/ABC and Comcast/NBC could do the same with their libraries.
Fox’s plans are expected to be different since they don’t have a captive streaming app. Remember, FX and 20th Century Fox programming is produced by Disney now. the Fox TV network is separate from that.) They have sports to rely on, and it’s possible that they may rely on the Fox News division for content as well.
(*bleep*)
I don’t have any evidence to back it up, but I have this image in my mind. It’s of legions of editors pouring over thousands of hours of streaming content to clean it up. There’s a lot of great content that could work on broadcast if you took out the nudity and profanity. I’m thinking, for example, of Peacock’s Mrs. Davis and Poker Face. Neither really delved too much into the nudity end, so most of the editing would just be taking care of adult language and putting a warning on about the smoking. Seems to me that if they can make a version of Sex and the City that could air on TBS, they could do this without a lot of trouble.
When will we get new original scripted programming?
That’s the real question, isn’t it? It’s pretty unlikely that we’ll see anything truly new until the spring at this point. It takes a long time for a production to resume, especially if it’s on location. Then you actually have to produce the show. The combined strikes have been among the longest and most impactful in media history and that means it’s going to be a pretty slow and quiet couple of months.
The impact on movies could last two years or more. Getting a movie into theaters is a juggling act already. All of this could mean that it’s 2026 or later before the film release schedule is back to normal. When you count the disruptions from 2020-2022 because of well, you know, that makes the entire decade of the 2020s potentially one of the worst in cinema history.
Good news for satellite and over-the-air antenna fans
Satellite TV and over-the-air antenna TV are the two best places to get older programming. With nothing new coming down the pike, you might be really tempted to revisit some of the shows you loved from years past. There’s no better way to do that than watching them live. If this latest strike has shown you that streaming can’t be trusted, come back to live TV! We’re here for you! Call the experts at Solid Signal and we’ll recommend the best option for your home, business, vehicle, or boat. We’re here for you during East Coast business hours. Just call 888-233-7563. If it’s after hours, fill out the form below. We’ll get back to you quickly!
