Upfronts 2017: Assessing Each Network’s Needs

CBS

SHILO: As it’s currently constructed, CBS is programming for international and syndication moreso than domestic, which is totally their prerogative. With the state of television as we know it, networks have to make money where and how they can, so if the most procedural and multi-cam network wants to monetize those to death, more power to them. What I wish, though, is that they’d do more to free up good time slots so that they can begin grooming their next crop of syndication stars; for instance, there’s no reason for Criminal Minds, which CBS doesn’t produce, to stay

at 9:00 and use up the (still very solid) Survivor lead-in, particularly when there’s obvious conflict with SVU and Empire is slowly returning to Earth. CBS did good in putting something not NCIS-related behind NCIS this season in Bull, but with rumors persisting that Elementary might be coming back and Madam Secretary already renewed, Sundays might continue to be clogged. Frankly, if ever there was a network that could conceivably program Saturdays, it’d be CBS, which could build episode counts for shows that probably wouldn’t do much worse than if they were on a stronger night.

Where CBS Mondays doesn’t have a Big Bang-esque halo the way that Thursday does, I think they might need to pull another Kevin Can Wait and bring back a figure from CBS past into a new multi-cam. I don’t think Young Sheldon A) would be the answer to Monday’s ills or B) should air without The Big Bang Theory for its first season, so if a direct Big Bang spinoff isn’t in the cards, something like a Ray Romano- or Leah Remini-fronted comedy could be an interesting way to give their second tier comedy night a nice jolt. This need obviously won’t be addressed this upcoming season given that pilots have been ordered/cast/filmed, but if Monday doesn’t get a better foothold next season and CBS wants to continue with two four-comedy lineups, I wouldn’t be shocked to see CBS welcome back a  familiar face.

CRAIG: The Television Critics Association Press Tour response to Glenn Geller and the shows that were being presented last summer was… not very warm. Almost every new show was led by a white guy. And yet… several of CBS’ fall “white guy” shows, the safe bets like MacGyver, Kevin Can Wait, and Man With A Plan, actually worked out. (I am happy, though, that the diverse Superior Donuts received a renewal, but that was a midseason show anyway.)

I’m not suggesting that CBS avoids diversity but I am entirely suggesting that they stick to what they do best, which is keeping its audience comfortable. People know and like MacGyver. They know and like Kevin James. Then again, they know and liked the original Odd Couple, and, well… you can’t win’ em all. Programming for Middle America seems to work for CBS, and I’m not going to suggest any drastic changes in that department. If anything, I’d say that “what they need” is more comfort. Bring some more familiar faces back into the fold; even better if they are people of color and/or women.

But, please, no more “super-technological genius in a hospital” shows. That’s just pure nonsense.

The CW

CRAIG: Again, I get paradoxical here. I still think there are too many DC Comics shows; yet at the same time, picking up Black Lightning – which could have a very different audience that is underserved and deserving of their own hero – is a brilliant idea. I still may recommend not stacking four shows on all at a time, but given the success of the most recent four-show crossover, I doubt anyone would listen to that idea.

The CW does need more shows that actually work with the superhero shows, so that when they do their crossovers, the ratings don’t just drop at such levels. I personally would like to see more diversity in the kind of programming they offer; that’s a reason I like Riverdale, because it’s not yet another superhero show, and it’s also a reason why I think Supernatural has endured, because it’s a familiar show in a world all its own that’s not tied to that other stuff. But sadly, there’s so much of a reliance on these superhero shows that brilliant shows like Jane the Virgin seem overlooked, at least in the ratings.

I don’t really know what the solution is here, to be honest.

What I *do* think is that the network needs more shows like Supernatural – a series which, despite having continuing storylines, I feel you can jump into at any time, giving it great aftermarket value as well. It makes me sad that a show like The Flash, which is the network’s #1 show, is almost impossible to follow now with its own continuity creating a confusing mess.

Before anything, though, I think the network needs their next batch of hit shows, and to have every night being an event. When that time comes, and audiences feel they can’t miss a single thing, hopefully the underrated Jane the Virgins, Crazy Ex-Girlfriends, and iZombies of the world can truly stand out.

SHILO: The most important thing that The CW could do for next season, or even beyond that, is to rebrand their second tier. Even though I think they might be chancing the stability of their primary tier with Black Lightning, I understand why they would want to add another comic show, given that their biggest performers are all DC-based and no other network has been able to get much of a foothold with comic-based shows. This is their niche and with it becoming exceptionally difficult to launch and sustain new shows, staying with what you know is understandable, particularly since jobs are on the line. However, I feel like if they’re going to ride this comic wave until the wheels come off, they need to develop shows that would actually make sense to air alongside the comic shows. For instamce, the four-way crossover in December produced amazing ratings and buzz for the network, but none of the lead-outs benefited at all and made the entire exercise look kind of pointless; while getting Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow to sky-high numbers is certainly a benefit of the crossovers, but the main goal should be helping the second tier shows and that won’t happen until The CW develops for its audience.

The incoherence of the network’s non-comic shows, which range from genre-based procedurals to telenovelas, musicals, crime dramas, and historical dramas, keeps The CW from being able to produce a schedule that works for them from top to bottom. While it’s understandable if they don’t want to become too cable-like in their focus on genre television, given that they’re still a broadcast network and want to ensure non-genre audiences don’t completely turn away from them, it leads to situations where Supergirl leads into Jane the Virgin, No Tomorrow finds itself behind The Flash, and Riverdale‘s support system comes from Supernatural. It’s all very mismatched and might work if you squint your eyes enough, but not only is it misusing some key assets, which won’t be around forever, it’s putting their 9:00 shows in weird situations and expecting them to perform. The strength of any network comes not from its top layer of shows but from those immediately below that, the ones who give you depth and make filling out a schedule less of a hassle. The CW should be developing and scheduling to prevent itself from becoming too top-heavy because one day the comic boom is going to halt and they’re going to be caught with very few shows that would help them survive the next phase of their identity.