Crime-related miniseries are all the rage this holiday season, what with TNT’s six-part “Mob City” kicking off on December 4, and A+E Networks’ four-hour, two-night ode to history’s most famous outlaw couple, “Bonnie & Clyde,” airing December 8-9. While both shows are being touted as television events epic in their scope, only the latter will be epic in its reach. Following the recent massive success of its History channel miniseries “Hatfields & McCoys” (the most-watched miniseries in cable history) and “The Bible” (which averaged more than 10 million viewers per episode), A+E Networks has opted to simulcast “Bonnie & Clyde” across all three of its flagship channels: History, Lifetime and A&E.

It is rare for a scripted series to receive the simulcast treatment, and A+E Networks itself has never utilized it. But, after the programmer’s Lifetime movie team originally picked up “Bonnie & Clyde” from Sony Pictures Television and developed it for Lifetime only, A+E began to see the miniseries’ potential as a story that “speaks to people on so many different levels,” said Rob Sharenow, EVP and GM of Lifetime. “We believe ‘Bonnie & Clyde’ is one of those rare moments where all the creative stars align, delivering a story that deserves to be told to the broadest audience possible.”

While “Bonnie & Clyde” benefits from a top-line creative team that includes Oscar-winning director Bruce Beresford and rising stars Emile Hirsch and Holliday Grainger in the titular leading roles, its greatest strength from a strategy standpoint is the unusually versatile nature of its content. Simulcasting can be very effective for “the right project that genuinely qualifies as a major program event,” Sharenow said, “but only if you have the appropriate reach across multiple audiences so that each network is providing viewers with quality programming that is also on brand. [‘Bonnie & Clyde’] is both a notorious true-crime and a love story, all happening against the backdrop of one of the most vivid time periods in U.S. history.

“A+E Networks has a distinct advantage in the marketplace because of the varied and sought-after audiences we attract through Lifetime, History and A&E,” Sharenow said. “‘Bonnie & Clyde’ provided a ripe opportunity to speak to the exact audiences each of our flagship brands is known for attracting.”

While simulcasting can threaten to dilute viewership in the long run, Sharenow said that each A+E brand “targets its own unique demo – men, women and adults,” and that “we’re anticipating strong performances on each network, as well as an impressive cumulative reach.”

Ultimately, the greatest challenges for a successful simulcast, Sharenow said, are the ones posed to any kind of broadcast: “Viewers expect engaging and entertaining content from our channels. So the key challenge is making sure the program features a strong story, powerful characters, top-notch performances and production qualities that, when put all together, deliver on each network’s distinct brand promise.”

“Bonnie & Clyde” airs December 8-9, 9:00 p.m., on A&E, History and Lifetime.

Image courtesy of A+E Networks.

Tags:


  Save as PDF