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Peter Rice defined Fox’s plans for pilot season at the TCA summer press tour on Sunday, after the departure of Fox TV chief Kevin Reilly left some questions unanswered. He also addressed how Fox’s new network/studio structure would work. Rice, chairman and CEO of Fox Networks Group, will oversee new Fox Broadcasting chiefs Gary Newman and Dana Walden, who recently took over for Reilly and start their new positions at the end of the month.
Starting off, while Rice agrees with Reilly’s stance on pilot season, he says that previous statements may have been misinterpreted.
“People said Kevin was saying he wouldn’t make pilots anymore, and that wasn’t the plan,” said Rice. “We’re trying to be less rigid, trying to be more flexible, so that creative people can be as ambitious as they need to be. We need to be open to making television year-round,” adding that they could make pilots all year-round, order pilots or order shows straight to series, depending on the project at hand.
Rice also addressed the debate over measurements and ratings in broadcast TV. According to him, while TV is getting closer to a more accurate rating system, “it’s a messy transition,” he said, using shows with declining ratings as examples like “American Idol,” but he sees opportunity with changing ad systems and increasing Fox VOD numbers.
When it comes down to the importance of Nielsen ratings, Rice summed it up as such: “Nielsen provides a currency that is a trusted currency between networks and advertisers. And within that, it’s a system that works. Where it really falls down right now is in measuring cultural impact.”
On the appointment of Newman and Walden in Fox’s new structure, Rice said that the old structure put the advantage to the studio, in that “it was able to sell to everybody, and did that extremely successfully and navigated the relationship with the network. The network was increasingly disadvantaged,” saying that he thinks it will be better for creatives working with Fox.
When asked whether Newman and Walden have what it takes to make a hit for Fox (on the scale of what they’ve done with “How I Met Your Mother” or “Modern Family”), Rice answered undoubtedly yes. Fox is “looking for things that capture people’s imaginations, that resonate,” saying that while of course the network wants to create as many hits as it can, he doesn’t want to only put the emphasis on finding the next big ratings hit.
“We live in a world where hits are disproportionately important,” he said.
Lastly, Rice addressed specific changes to the schedule, saying that Fox decided not to go forward with new series “Hieroglyph” simply because the first episode didn’t deliver.
“It didn’t really live up to the ambitions that we had for it,” said Rice. “When you take a swing that big, you have to try and land it.”
The decision to cut “Glee’s” final season, however, was just seen as more fitting to a show that “burned hot and fast” at first and could work better as a 13-episode season to finish the story.
The “Gotham” panel Sunday focused on how the team could bring fans to a superhero show with no superhero. Cast and crew made sure to clarify that while the show will fit into the Batman universe and respect the original story, it also will take liberties with details.
“It’s not a whole new mythology,” said Executive Producer Bruce Heller. “We won’t break the canonical truths of the Batman story. But in issues of chronology, we will play with it.”
One reporter seemed concerned over whether this show should be marketed to kids because of its graphic violence. Heller said that while the violence is definitely meant to be dark, they’re conscious of kids seeing the show because of its broadcast placement.
“I think violence, if you show it, should be disturbing. It’s important and morally correct to make it disturbing. But it’s a network show, and as a matter of course, you’re always thinking ‘Is this acceptable for kids to watch? ‘Because kids will be watching.”
Heller added that people might have a lighter memory of Batman because of the Adam West series that simply doesn’t fit anymore.
The new sitcom “Mulaney” from comedian John Mulaney has seen a few different incarnations, finally landing on Fox’s fall schedule. Mulaney, who was on the “SNL” writing staff for five years (creating the beloved Stefon character and working with now co-star Nasim Pedrad), was asked what it is like getting his dream cast of Elliott Gould and Martin Short for his show. His simple answer? “It’s pretty ridiculous, isn’t it?”
The show is loosely based on Mulaney’s experience writing for other comedians with a slightly off understanding of what to expect of the entertainment industry. How did he decide to do a semi-autobiographical show? “Just watched ‘Seinfeld’ and copied it,” joked Mulaney. “They run it all the time.”
The large ensemble of adults as medical professionals and kids in a pediatrics wing spoke about “Red Band Society” Sunday, stressing that the story is not a depressing series but instead aims for an uplifting, inspiring tone. The story is partly based on a Spanish format and partly inspired by EP Margaret Nagle’s brother, who spent a lot of time in the pediatrics wing when she was young.
The first season introduces children in the hospital, forming friendships and figuring out their own diagnoses. The question the show hopes to explore, according to Nagle, is: “What if you were able to learn what life is about when you were old enough to do something about it?” asked Nagle. Being compared to “The Breakfast Club,” “Red Band Society” follows both misfit kids who wouldn’t have met in other circumstances while also keeping up with the hospital personnel. Season one will be told through a 12-year-old boy in a coma, Charlie, also starring Octavia Spencer as a head nurse.
The Fox day at TCA also featured a sneak peek of the “Family Guy”/”Simpsons” crossover episode premiering Sept. 28. This weekend, Fox took home the TCA Award for Best News and Information (“Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey”) – see the rest of the winners below.
Program of the Year: “Breaking Bad”
Best New Program of the Year: “Orange Is The New Black”
Best Comedy Series: (tie) “Veep” and “Louie”
Best Drama Series: “The Good Wife”
Best Miniseries: “True Detective”
Best Individual Performance in Drama: Matthew McConaughey, “True Detective”
Best Individual Performance in Comedy: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”
Best News and Information: “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey”
Best Reality Series: “RuPaul’s Drag Race”
Heritage Award: “Saturday Night Live”
[Image courtesy of Fox]
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