Another day, another show under the Viacom umbrella changing networks. This time it’s fantasy drama The Shannara Chronicles, which will be transitioning from MTV to Spike TV ahead of its second season premiere this fall. According to Deadline, the move was precipitated by the show’s audience makeup, which skews older and more male, not aligning with MTV’s goal of becoming a channel geared toward young women.
The move for Shannara, which will be eligible for a renewal and subsequent move to Paramount Network (Spike’s rebrand that will come into effect in January), is the latest in a restructuring of Viacom initiated to combat ratings lows. VH1 dramas Hit the Floor and The Breaks moved to BET as the former network backs away from scripted, while TV Land comedies Heathers and American Woman were shifted to Paramount while still in development. Additionally, Logo reality series RuPaul’s Drag Race was formally moved to VH1 for its current season after testing the waters during its second all stars season.
Going forward, MTV will be focusing on beefing up its unscripted and live portfolio. Scripted isn’t dead, per se, but it’ll have a more limited role for a while, as Viacom has pegged Paramount and BET as its primary scripted hubs.
You can check out the first details released for The Shannara Chronicles season two here.
