Tag: Shonda Rhimes

2020 award nominations prove broadcast TV is dead. Here’s why.

One. That’s it.

Between the Golden Globes and SAG Awards, only one broadcast show, “This Is Us,” received a nomination. 

Giving the streaming platform growth, this isn’t surprising. Broadcast nominations have been waning for years, but 2020 is proving to be a new low.

Is it worth broadcast shows even trying anymore? They’re fighting an uphill battle against cable and streaming.

Here are issues broadcast networks deal with:

Limits

Comedies have to be 22 min. Dramas are 44 min. Two-hour reality shows have 30 minutes of ads. And there’s no wiggle room. Remember when “Friends” had extended episodes? Not a thing anymore.

Watch any Netflix half-hour series and the times, and you’ll notice all sorts of fluctuation. One episode will run for 34 minutes, 23 minutes, 38 minutes, 26 minutes. The time is based on the story, not the ads.

There’s also the language limit. You can’t swear (unless you work with “The Good Place” forking model). Broadcast networks have to work with certain standards (thanks, FCC), when cable and streaming do not.

Revenue

Ads still run king in media, but subscriptions are providing more and more revenue.

Netflix has hiked its prices steadily over the last few years, and it doesn’t even have ads. Hulu has an ad-free service. I’m waiting for Disney+ to add more/any ads. Apple TV+ doesn’t have ads, but it also doesn’t have that much content yet.

Advertisers follow the money. One screw up and you’re done. In an age when one Tweet can cause an upheaval, for better or worse, it can be a domino effect. 

Networks have to rely on ad dollars, which is why when the Roseanne debacle happened it was handled within hours, before more reputation damage could be done.

Creativity

Ryan Murphy and Shonda Rhimes, two network juggernauts, signed Netflix deals in the last year.

Why? Creativity. They can expand their work without any constraints. It’s no-holds-bar in the best kind of way.

Now, do I think Murphy’s “The Politician” is a great piece of TV? No. (In fact, I found all the characters irritating and plot way too overdone.) But, it’s different, and no one can deny that.

After 10+ years of dominating ABC and being the center of TGIT, Rhimes can leave the set plots behind and explore, even past the confines of “Scandal.”

Can you blame them?

Fall TV 2016: ‘Timeless,’ ‘Frequency’ examine time, skip ‘American Housewife’

October means more fall TV shows.

Here are my thoughts on the latest new shows, based on only the pilot.

‘CONVICTION’

10 p.m. Mondays on ABC

If Shonda Rhimes had her hand in “Conviction,” it would probably air on Thursdays instead of Mondays.

This drama has scandal, backdoor deals, politics, investigations…all under the umbrella of a newly created Conviction Investigation Unit. The CIU investigates claims of innocence by convicted people, but it’s not as nice as it sounds.

Set in NYC, the head of the CIU, Hayes Morrison (Hayley Atwell, “Agent Carter“) is a former first daughter, and the district attorney hires her as a bargain after she’s arrested. And guess what? They have chemistry, because of course they do.

The show is a mix of politics and crime, but it doesn’t grab you. The end of the pilot highlighted many of the characters’ backstories, but I’m not sure the show will have time to uncover it all.

Grade: B

‘TIMELESS’

10 p.m. Mondays on NBC

For a show that’s steeped in historical events, “Timeless” is quite a thrill ride.

A quickly put-together trio of a historian, soldier and coder travel back to time to find a rogue agent, though he might not be the bad guy.

This drama combines sci-fi and history and questions how much one event can change time. Hints of government overrule and security issues pepper the drama, which seems timely.

For those whom enjoy history, it gives a personal touch. I doubt the show will last more than a season, but the mystery will intrigue some.

Grade: B+

‘FREQUENCY’

9 p.m. Wednesdays on the CW

“Frequency” also deals with how changing events affects time, and it’s based on a movie with the same name.

It’s a cop drama, though instead of a father and son communicating 20 years apart through a radio, it’s a father and daughter.

The pilot focuses on saving the father’s life, which of course affects numerous other events in time.

It’s heavy-handed with its foreshadowing and a bit predictable, but since only part of the movie was covered in the pilot, it might deviate from the movie plot in time.

Grade: B-

‘NO TOMORROW’

9 p.m. Tuesdays on the CW

Apocalyptic TV meets romantic comedy.

A man (Joshua Sasse, “Galavant“) thinks the world is going to end, so he has a bucket list. He meets a girl who isn’t sure what she wants and has a health scare during the pilot.

He tries to control her and get her out of her shell, frustrating her, but eventually she stands up for herself.

It’s all a bit cliche, especially the cliffhanger ending, but it’s cute and fits in at the CW.

Grade: B

‘AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE’

8:30 p.m. Tuesdays on ABC

If you’re not skinny, you must be real. Or at least that’s what this sitcom tries to proclaim.

Katie Otto (Katy Mixon, “Mike & Molly“) is the center of the the story, and she’s one of the fattest woman in Wesport, Conn. And yes that’s a huge part of the storyline.

She’s also the narrator, though half the narration was unnecessary and made the character unlikeable.

The sitcom could’ve been good, but it’s full of characters who are fake and superficial. The concerns about weight and family are real, but the show doesn’t come off that way.

Grade: B-

What shows are you enjoying this fall?