How do you Network shows picks shows for their fall season?

Hi fellow TV fans, I hope you enjoyed last week's blog about Netflix and how their decisions are causing them to lose subscribers. This week we’ll focus on how networks and TV studio’s pick new shows for their upcoming seasons.

Every year around September the new TV season starts, and with that comes the chance to either renew or cancel shows. How do networks decide what shows to keep and what to cancel?

IT'S VERY COMPLICATED

Each television show has its strengths and weaknesses, especially when you add streaming services, because shows that might not do well on cable television do well on streaming services. For example, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend in a traditional TV format failed to capture audiences. However, once the new season was automatically put on Netflix a few days after the latest season ended each year, it pulled in massive amounts of fans, allowing the show to run for four years, despite not having much audience in a traditional format.

SOCIAL MEDIA HELPS

Social media allows TV networks to see that even if a show isn't doing well, there still may be a strong and passionate audience for it, which is why shows get cancelled but saved and moved to another network or streaming service. As a cable television series, Lucifer did not do well, but when it moved to Netflix, it became one of the most popular shows on the streaming service. Using hashtags and fan accounts dedicated to the show, Netflix realized that the show had potential with its audience, and they used social media campaigns to save it.

NEW SHOWS MUST BE NEW, UNIQUE, AND PROFITABLE FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME

When network studios are looking at pilots for a new television show, they're specifically looking for something that's new, different, and exciting to add to their fall seasons. However, these studio networks are also considering the financial aspects of picking up the shows, such as how many seasons the show may potentially last, making it worthwhile to bring on and renew for a second or third season. While streaming didn’t exist before the premiere of Friends, this show's longevity and profitability were something no one imagined. Through thousands of reruns and streaming rights, the TV show has become increasingly financially profitable for both the TV studio, NBC.

IT'S JUST HONESTLY TIME TO GO

We all know shows that have overstayed their welcome. But for some reason the network continues to renew them. Most likely, someone at the studio likes the show or its creator and wants to continue funding it. However, each year these shows often drop viewers because they get sick and tired of the same old repetitive storylines to the point where even the network must eventually give in because it's no longer giving the studio money through ratings. Good ratings are needed because they lead to commercials and advertisements.

This method of choosing TV show seems to have worked for a very long time but will be interesting to see how this method will continue in too involved as the streaming industry grows

WAIT BEFORE YOU GO

This week was my final blog post. I wanted to take the time to thank all of you for tagging along with me these past few weeks, and I hope you have enjoyed learning more about the behind the scenes of television. I know I have enjoyed focusing on topics that I found to be extremely interesting, and I hope you have too - Anna