Hands: Billionphotos/Adobe Stock; Tvs: Scanrail/Adobe Stock, Parinpix/Adobe Stock, Saravuth/Adobe; Stock; Flowers: Christa Kramer/Adobe Stock; Mountains: Volker Loche/Adobe Stock; Valley: Getty Images/IstockphotoTelevision development has slowed considerably across broadcast, cable and streaming in recent months.
and WarnerMedia saw high-level executives such as Paul Telegdy, Kevin Reilly and Bob Greenblatt fired; Disney Plus’ Agnes Chu The reorganizations combined with the pandemic have also accelerated plans to move certain networks out of scripted programming altogether. NBCU’s E! and Bravo were both home to scripted shows but are now focused almost exclusively on unscripted fare. Likewise, WarnerMedia’s TBS, TNT and truTV all currently have scripted content, but their lineups have been dramatically pared down.
Many linear networks are now seriously moving into developing projects year-round while also handing out more straight-to-series orders and adopting a script-to-series model. To the latter point, AMC has opened writers’ rooms for multiple projects in the past few years with an eye toward series orders. Fox recently did the same for an untitled country music drama originally put into development last year.
“We don’t want to be shooting our pilots all at the same time no matter what,” Sethi says. “We’re creating a new path forward in terms of doing things in batches with the best people when things are ready — and that wouldn’t necessarily be during a traditional pilot season.”