But all is not lost. At least the experience made me think about telephone numbers, which inspired me to bust this list of digits from TV series ep titles:
I wonder if people called any of these digits like the masses called 867-5309?
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Busting Digits
Bad flashback today. On my way to work I heard Tommy Tutone blaring from the car next me.
But all is not lost. At least the experience made me think about telephone numbers, which inspired me to bust this list of digits from TV series ep titles:
Call Lehigh 4-9900 (''Amos 'N' Andy,'' 1953)
Call Michigan-7099 (''It's a Great Life,'' 9/4/1955)
Susquehanna 4-7598 (''Naked City,'' 12/16/1958)
Olympus 7-0000 (''ABC Stage '67,'' 10/12/1966)
905-Wild (''Emergency,'' 3/1/1975)
Pennsylvania 6-5000 (''Alf,'' 10/13/1986)
976-SHOE (''Married…with Children,'' 11/12/1989)
555-HELL (''Dream On,'' 9/23/1990)
1-900-CRUSHED (''Saved by the Bell,'' 11/17/1990)
1-900-BEAVIS (''The Beavis & Butt-Head Show,'' 4/4/1994)
Klondike 9366 (''Remember WENN,'' 1/13/1996)
1-900-BIG-SLUT (''Rude Awakening,'' 9/11/1999)
I wonder if people called any of these digits like the masses called 867-5309?
But all is not lost. At least the experience made me think about telephone numbers, which inspired me to bust this list of digits from TV series ep titles:
I wonder if people called any of these digits like the masses called 867-5309?
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Good Things Come in Small Cities
I don't know if you were one of the five million people who missed ''My Kind of Town'' on Sunday. I wasn't. (ABC pulled the show and showed ''EM: Home Edition'' in its timeslot.) I wonder if the good people of Greenville, Mt. Horeb, Hopedale and Ellenville missed the show. I'm pretty sure Egg Harbor City residents were most disappointed since it was their turn for some tube time.
Actually, I found the whole thing kind of odd. People from small cities took buses to NYC to celebrate small towns. Seems counterintuitive. If you want to celebrate small towns, why not just go there? The upcoming series, ''Three Wishes,'' fixes that problem and actually visits small towns.
Why would ''Three Wishes'' worry about Lamars, IA? Small-city envy? An age of diversity? Reaching out to Middle America? Call it what you want because I sure don't know.
Is it a recent phenomena? Hardly. During the first half of the '90s, TV moved to medium and small cities across America. More than one-third of scripted series were set outside the Big Five Cities.
For much of its history, television made it look like America only had five cities: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco. Sure. There were exceptions. "Miami Vice." "Roseanne." And the success of these shows in the '80s probably sparked this trend of the early '90s.
Can you match each show with its city?
1d, 2f, 3a, 4g, 5c, 6i, 7h, 8j, 9e, 10b
Actually, I found the whole thing kind of odd. People from small cities took buses to NYC to celebrate small towns. Seems counterintuitive. If you want to celebrate small towns, why not just go there? The upcoming series, ''Three Wishes,'' fixes that problem and actually visits small towns.
Why would ''Three Wishes'' worry about Lamars, IA? Small-city envy? An age of diversity? Reaching out to Middle America? Call it what you want because I sure don't know.
Is it a recent phenomena? Hardly. During the first half of the '90s, TV moved to medium and small cities across America. More than one-third of scripted series were set outside the Big Five Cities.
For much of its history, television made it look like America only had five cities: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco. Sure. There were exceptions. "Miami Vice." "Roseanne." And the success of these shows in the '80s probably sparked this trend of the early '90s.
Can you match each show with its city?
| Series | City | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | ''The Drew Carey Show'' | a. | Las Vegas, NV |
| 2. | ''Roc'' | b. | Detroit, MI |
| 3. | ''Hearts Are Wild'' | c. | Minneapolis, MN |
| 4. | ''The John Larroquette Show'' | d. | Cleveland, OH |
| 5. | ''If Not For You'' | e. | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 6. | ''Frasier'' | f. | Baltimore, MD |
| 7. | ''Me and the Boys'' | g. | St. Louis, MO |
| 8. | ''The George Wendt Show'' | h. | Dallas, TX |
| 9. | ''My So-Called Life'' | i. | Seattle, WA |
| 10. | ''Home Improvement'' | j. | Madison, WI |
(+/-)answers
1d, 2f, 3a, 4g, 5c, 6i, 7h, 8j, 9e, 10b
Monday, September 12, 2005
Tomorrow Is Another Scheduled Day
You may have noticed a pattern emerge in my posts over the last three weeks. I've been testing a schedule of topics, and I think the plan might actually work. So here's a schedule of posts that you can expect from here on out.
Monday (aka Adminday): Mostly administrative items, such as:
new features like On This Date and Total Tube Time. Next week I'll introduce Power Ratings.
highlights of older posts that I've recently updated, such as the list of busted pilots.
new functionality, like the expandable menus (by topic) for all posts on the far right sidebar and the expandable list for On This Date on the near sidebar.
Tuesday (aka Trivia Tuesday): Pretty self-explanatory.
Wednesday (aka Epsday): Fun with episode titles.
Thursday (aka Tech Thursday): Everything technology. Mostly new. Some retro.
Friday (aka Free4Allday): Any topic is fair game.
Saturday (aka Staturday): I'll focus on TV stats and numbers, but I won't post every Saturday since these posts require more research.
Monday (aka Adminday): Mostly administrative items, such as:
Tuesday (aka Trivia Tuesday): Pretty self-explanatory.
Wednesday (aka Epsday): Fun with episode titles.
Thursday (aka Tech Thursday): Everything technology. Mostly new. Some retro.
Friday (aka Free4Allday): Any topic is fair game.
Saturday (aka Staturday): I'll focus on TV stats and numbers, but I won't post every Saturday since these posts require more research.
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Battle of the Network Scars
OK. I can't take anymore. I just have to rant.
I'm tired of hearing that something is wrong with network TV because ratings are down. I'm even more tired of hearing that the networks are financially scarred because ratings are down.
Every time a network wants to show the world how much it's hurting, it points to its share. Remember that a share is "the percent of households or persons using television at the time the program is airing and who are watching a particular program."
For instance, on Wednesday, Aug 3, 2005 the six broadcast networks combined for a 34 share during the 8 o'clock hour. If three TVs were turned on during that hour, then one of those three TVs was tuned to ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, UPN, or WB. The other two TVs showed other programming.
Now let's look at a Wednesday night 15 years earlier. On Aug 8, 1990 the four broadcast networks combined for a 63 share during the 8 o'clock hour. If three TVs were turned on during that hour, then two of those three TVs showed ABC, CBS, Fox or NBC.
Networks say "That's awful!" There are more networks and half as many TVs are tuned to these networks. Our companies are dying.
I say "Shenanigans!"
Today almost every TV station--network or cable--is owned by one of five conglomerates. NBC-Universal. Viacom. Time-Warner. Disney. News Corp. And last I checked the cumulative share for stations owned by these five conglomerates is at least 90%. That's right. If ten TVs are turned on, nine of these TV sets are tuned to a station owned by one of these five companies. Over the last 10 years, these companies competed to purchase and/or start cable channels to get their fair share of TV sets. Broadcast viewership may be down, but corporate-wide viewership has changed very little.
Let's look at a different metric for broadcast TV--revenue per household hour. (Remember that a household hour is the equivalent of a single household watching TV for one hour.)
And we can't forget about cable. In 2004, Disney reported broadcast revenue of $5.37 billion and cable network revenue of $6.41 billion. Yes, you read that correctly. Disney reported greater revenue for cable than for regular broadcast TV.
Now you see why I have a hard time feeling sorry for these companies when they complain about smaller broadcast audiences.
As I went through this analysis, I had a thought. What if ABC let viewers pay them to watch commercial-free shows on an ala carte basis? We just need to know how much revenue comes from advertising.
Let's use ''Desperate Housewives'' as a proxy. Last year first-time ''DH'' broadcasts averaged 16.2 million households. The ad rate for ''DH'' was about $0.3 million for 30 seconds. If we assume 18 minutes of commercials for an hour telecast, then ABC earned about $10.8 million/hour for ''DH'' from ad revenue. Combine those two figures and you find advertisers paid about $0.67 per household hour--just over half of the total revenue. That means if you watched an episode of ''DH'' last year, advertisers paid ABC $0.67 to let you watch the show for free.
Would you be willing to pay ABC $1 to watch an episode of ''DH'' without commercials? Imagine this. ABC feeds two video streams during commercial breaks. If you don't pay ABC, you see commercials. If you pay ABC $1, you see outtakes and special features instead of commercials. Viewers get what they want and ABC probably increases total revenue.
other data sources:
weekly ratings, Nielsen Media Research Co.
10k reports, SEC filings
I'm tired of hearing that something is wrong with network TV because ratings are down. I'm even more tired of hearing that the networks are financially scarred because ratings are down.
Every time a network wants to show the world how much it's hurting, it points to its share. Remember that a share is "the percent of households or persons using television at the time the program is airing and who are watching a particular program."
For instance, on Wednesday, Aug 3, 2005 the six broadcast networks combined for a 34 share during the 8 o'clock hour. If three TVs were turned on during that hour, then one of those three TVs was tuned to ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, UPN, or WB. The other two TVs showed other programming.
Now let's look at a Wednesday night 15 years earlier. On Aug 8, 1990 the four broadcast networks combined for a 63 share during the 8 o'clock hour. If three TVs were turned on during that hour, then two of those three TVs showed ABC, CBS, Fox or NBC.
Networks say "That's awful!" There are more networks and half as many TVs are tuned to these networks. Our companies are dying.
I say "Shenanigans!"
Today almost every TV station--network or cable--is owned by one of five conglomerates. NBC-Universal. Viacom. Time-Warner. Disney. News Corp. And last I checked the cumulative share for stations owned by these five conglomerates is at least 90%. That's right. If ten TVs are turned on, nine of these TV sets are tuned to a station owned by one of these five companies. Over the last 10 years, these companies competed to purchase and/or start cable channels to get their fair share of TV sets. Broadcast viewership may be down, but corporate-wide viewership has changed very little.
Let's look at a different metric for broadcast TV--revenue per household hour. (Remember that a household hour is the equivalent of a single household watching TV for one hour.)
- 1990: Households watched ABC to the tune of 9.32 billion household hours. That year ABC/Capital Cities reported revenue of $4.28 billion for its broadcast group. That means ABC reported revenue of $0.45 per household hour. If you watched ABC in 1990, then ABC made an average of $0.45/hour while your household watched for free.
- 2004: ABC captured only 4.35 billion household hours for the year--more than a 50% decrease from 1990. But Disney reported revenue of $5.37 billion for its broadcast group. Even though viewership was down, ABC increased revenue per household hour to $1.23.
And we can't forget about cable. In 2004, Disney reported broadcast revenue of $5.37 billion and cable network revenue of $6.41 billion. Yes, you read that correctly. Disney reported greater revenue for cable than for regular broadcast TV.
Now you see why I have a hard time feeling sorry for these companies when they complain about smaller broadcast audiences.
As I went through this analysis, I had a thought. What if ABC let viewers pay them to watch commercial-free shows on an ala carte basis? We just need to know how much revenue comes from advertising.
Let's use ''Desperate Housewives'' as a proxy. Last year first-time ''DH'' broadcasts averaged 16.2 million households. The ad rate for ''DH'' was about $0.3 million for 30 seconds. If we assume 18 minutes of commercials for an hour telecast, then ABC earned about $10.8 million/hour for ''DH'' from ad revenue. Combine those two figures and you find advertisers paid about $0.67 per household hour--just over half of the total revenue. That means if you watched an episode of ''DH'' last year, advertisers paid ABC $0.67 to let you watch the show for free.
Would you be willing to pay ABC $1 to watch an episode of ''DH'' without commercials? Imagine this. ABC feeds two video streams during commercial breaks. If you don't pay ABC, you see commercials. If you pay ABC $1, you see outtakes and special features instead of commercials. Viewers get what they want and ABC probably increases total revenue.
other data sources:
Friday, September 09, 2005
There's a Contestant Born Every Minute
Tonight I decided to catch up on my Awards database. I entered data for many awards, but the 2005 AOL Television's TV's Top 5! Viewers Awards stuck out. (And not just because of the really loooong name.) Ken Jennings was one of the winners. He won the "Best Oh Snap! Moment" for the end of his ''Jeopardy'' winning streak.
And that got me thinking about contestant searches.
''Jeopardy'' used to only test contestants in LA. Then they did huge contestant searches in a few large cities. Now the ''Jeopardy'' Brain Bus travels across America looking for contestants in moderate-sized cities.
How might ''Jeopardy'' look for the contestants in the future? They might check out the movie theatre. Moviegoers who arrive early already play trivia games because the silver screen shows Q&A trivia sprinkled between local ads.
Instead of answering quietly, someday you'll use your cell phone to answer questions. You get more points for answering questions correctly and quickly. You get a little friendly competition. The theatre gives away free movie tickets to the champion. And the gameshow producer automatically sends an e-mail to the winner's phone with information about the final round of tryouts.
This concept becomes quite viable once theatres have digital projectors. Questions can be changed quickly if producers are looking for contestants who excel in certain subjects. On top of that, the projector can show patrons' scores in the upper right corner of the screen next to their IM handles to further promote competition inside the theatre.
And that got me thinking about contestant searches.
''Jeopardy'' used to only test contestants in LA. Then they did huge contestant searches in a few large cities. Now the ''Jeopardy'' Brain Bus travels across America looking for contestants in moderate-sized cities.
How might ''Jeopardy'' look for the contestants in the future? They might check out the movie theatre. Moviegoers who arrive early already play trivia games because the silver screen shows Q&A trivia sprinkled between local ads.
Instead of answering quietly, someday you'll use your cell phone to answer questions. You get more points for answering questions correctly and quickly. You get a little friendly competition. The theatre gives away free movie tickets to the champion. And the gameshow producer automatically sends an e-mail to the winner's phone with information about the final round of tryouts.
This concept becomes quite viable once theatres have digital projectors. Questions can be changed quickly if producers are looking for contestants who excel in certain subjects. On top of that, the projector can show patrons' scores in the upper right corner of the screen next to their IM handles to further promote competition inside the theatre.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
I'd Like a Large Pizza with Pepperoni and a Constant Gardener
Thursdays are quickly turning into Tech Thursdays; so I thought I'd continue the tradition today. But with a twist. Every so often, like today, I'll do a Retro Tech Thursday.
Today I was following an SUV with four LCDs embedded in the head rests. While I was watching Finding Nemo on one of the screens, the driver slammed on the brakes and swerved into the parking lot for Pizza Hut. LCDs and Pizza Huts don't have much in common, but they reminded me of this older news time.
I wonder when every pizza box will have a VOD voucher imprinted so that you truly get dinner and a movie when you get pizza delivered? The cross-promotions would be endless.
Today I was following an SUV with four LCDs embedded in the head rests. While I was watching Finding Nemo on one of the screens, the driver slammed on the brakes and swerved into the parking lot for Pizza Hut. LCDs and Pizza Huts don't have much in common, but they reminded me of this older news time.
Pizza Huts offer TV by the slice
AP Report in The Pantagraph (Bloomington, IL; July 9, 1991)
CHICAGO (AP) - Roll into a restaurant booth, order a pizza and drop a few coins in a booth-side television set to view some sports or rock videos.
A coin-operated TV set has been developed by a suburban Rolling Meadows company and is being test-marketed at four suburban pizza parlors.
(+/-)read rest of article
The sets display specially condensed and edited videotapes of sports, music, cartoons and comedy and are being tested at Pizza Huts in Lombard, Elk Grove Village, Northridge and Aurora.
So far, the biggest enthusiasts seem to be children.
"Parents will put in a dollar for cartoons to keep their kids quiet. Teen-agers put in a couple of quarters for rock. Adults may put in a quarter for a look at `Candid Camera,' but that's it," said Daniel Slater, head of Wessex Inc., which is developing the televisions-in-booths system.
It's not cheap - equipping a 25-booth restaurant costs about $25,000, including a control center in the back room.
But Slater hopes to reduce the cost of his Entertainment Vision considerably by mass producing the units.
The system still has some bugs.
Diners have complained that 5-inch screens are too small, so the screens are being increased to 8 inches. Customer-controlled volume dials are being added, too.
Programming also is being revised.
"We tried great moments in sports, but it was the least popular and we are changing it," Slater said. "We're doing a lot of experimentation to see what works. Some (videos) may work well in one restaurant but not in others. Tastes also vary from region to region."
I wonder when every pizza box will have a VOD voucher imprinted so that you truly get dinner and a movie when you get pizza delivered? The cross-promotions would be endless.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Big Eps on Campus
College football kicked off this past weekend, which means we get to read absurd stories about student-athletes. And after reading stories that USC surrounds their prized quarterback, Matt Leinart, with security guards, I think it's truly safe to say that he's the BMOC.
The concept of Big Man On Campus is hardly foreign to TV. WB even aired a reality series, "BMOC: Big Man on Campus," last TV season.
Since it's Wednesday, that means it's time to look at ep titles and find out who else is Big on Campus in TV Land. Here are the ep titles that complete the phrase "Big _____ on Campus" in reverse chronological order.
Big Crane on Campus (''Frasier,'' 2/3/2000)
Big Mouth on Campus (''The Steve Harvey Show,'' 2/18/1999)
Big Twin on Campus (''Sister, Sister,'' 5/8/1996)
Big Screech on Campus (''Saved by the Bell: The New Class,'' 9/30/1995)
Big Girl on Campus (''Step by Step,'' 5/12/1995)
Big Mon on Campus (''Where I Live,'' 11/6/1993)
Big Girl on Campus (''Who's the Boss?,'' 9/29/1987)
Big Nazi on Campus (''Sledge Hammer,'' 9/24/1987)
Big Man on Campus (''Delta House,'' 3/17/1979)
The concept of Big Man On Campus is hardly foreign to TV. WB even aired a reality series, "BMOC: Big Man on Campus," last TV season.
Since it's Wednesday, that means it's time to look at ep titles and find out who else is Big on Campus in TV Land. Here are the ep titles that complete the phrase "Big _____ on Campus" in reverse chronological order.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
A Movie's Reach Should Exceed Its Grasp
I took a quick look at some of the series that debut this week, and one series caught my eye. ''Movies That Shook the World.'' It premieres on AMC this Friday at 10PM. According to the production company's website for the skein, the series will analyze the following movies:
Fatal Attraction (this Friday's ep) The China Syndrome The Graduate The Birth of a Nation American Graffiti 2001: A Space Odyssey The Last Temptation of Christ Do The Right Thing The Exorcist
That's a pretty impressive list, but these movies aired infrequently on regular TV in the last 20 years.
Which theatrical films aired most often on TV? You should be able to guess some of these films right away since some holiday classics air almost annually. But a few of these movies will surprise you. Did you know that The Nutty Professor aired nine times in less than four years? Just enough to place it in the top ten.
Here are the theatrical films that aired most frequently during the last 20 years (9/2/1985 - 9/4/2005, inclusive) on primetime network TV.
That's a pretty impressive list, but these movies aired infrequently on regular TV in the last 20 years.
Which theatrical films aired most often on TV? You should be able to guess some of these films right away since some holiday classics air almost annually. But a few of these movies will surprise you. Did you know that The Nutty Professor aired nine times in less than four years? Just enough to place it in the top ten.
Here are the theatrical films that aired most frequently during the last 20 years (9/2/1985 - 9/4/2005, inclusive) on primetime network TV.
(+/-)most-played theatrical films on TV
| Airings | Movie |
|---|---|
| 18 | It's a Wonderful Life (1946) |
| 17 | The Sound of Music (1965) |
| The Ten Commandments (1956) | |
| 15 | The Wizard of Oz (1939) |
| 12 | National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) |
| Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) | |
| 10 | Bad Boys (1995) |
| Happy Gilmore (1996) | |
| Jurassic Park (1993) | |
| 9 | The Fugitive (1993) |
| The Mask (1994) | |
| The Nutty Professor (1996) |
Friday, September 02, 2005
After All Is Said and Done, Less Is Said Than Done
This event was quite trivial in the big scheme of things, but you may have heard that Fox News broadcast the f-word during its live coverage of Katrina, as reported here. Few people probably cared, but I'm sure that the PTC will continue its campaign.
Speaking of the PTC and the f-word, that reminds me of something I still find amusing. An uncut version of "Saving Private Ryan" aired on Veteran's Day in 2001 and the Parents Television Council (PTC) gave it thumbs up. But when ABC showed the same version of the movie on 11/11/2004, the PTC joined the censorship charge causing many affiliates to probably show "The Andy Griffith Show" or "Billy Graham."
And then I started to wonder about about the history of that monosyllabic word.
From 1980-90, "Saturday Night Live" owned the word. Charles Rocket. Prince. Morris Day. Aerosmith. They all snuck 'fuck' or 'fuckin' passed censors during live telecasts. The only casualty? Charles Rocket. Now very few people care about late-night profanity. The FCC didn't even blink when Colin Farrell said "I shit you not" on SNL (12/11/2004) in the midst of their big censorship hunt of 2003-2005.
But don't worry, Sweet Child O' Mine. The 1990 American Music Awards ushered in a new era of profanity when Guns N' Roses twice squeezed 'fucking' into a live primetime telecast on network TV. And the shit really hit the fan when U2's Bono exclaimed "This is really, really fucking brilliant" during a live telecast of the 2003 Golden Globes. That last event resulted in the FCC report, "How to Dismantle an Atomic F-Bomb."
Here's a short & recent history of famous incidents for 'fuck' on U.S. TV:
Mar 5, 1978: 1st on national primetime (''Scared Straight'')
Feb 21, 1981: 1st firing (Charles Rocket, ''SNL'')
Feb 21, 1981: 1st in song (Prince, ''SNL'')
Jan 22, 1990: 1st on network primetime (GN'R, ''American Music Awards'')
Feb 23, 1997: 1st scripted show on network primetime (''Schindler's List'')
Jun 29, 2000: 1st (mouthed) on morning TV (Bryant Gumbel, ''Early Show'')
Nov 11, 2001: Most frequently used (''Saving Private Ryan'')
Jan 19, 2003: FCC FUBAR (U2, ''Golden Globe Awards'')
Nov 2, 2004: 1st in print: ''fuck this shit'' on t-shirt (CNN, Election Coverage)
This list is definitely not intended to be a comprehensive log. If you know of other famous events, feel free to add them in the comments section.
Speaking of the PTC and the f-word, that reminds me of something I still find amusing. An uncut version of "Saving Private Ryan" aired on Veteran's Day in 2001 and the Parents Television Council (PTC) gave it thumbs up. But when ABC showed the same version of the movie on 11/11/2004, the PTC joined the censorship charge causing many affiliates to probably show "The Andy Griffith Show" or "Billy Graham."
And then I started to wonder about about the history of that monosyllabic word.
From 1980-90, "Saturday Night Live" owned the word. Charles Rocket. Prince. Morris Day. Aerosmith. They all snuck 'fuck' or 'fuckin' passed censors during live telecasts. The only casualty? Charles Rocket. Now very few people care about late-night profanity. The FCC didn't even blink when Colin Farrell said "I shit you not" on SNL (12/11/2004) in the midst of their big censorship hunt of 2003-2005.
But don't worry, Sweet Child O' Mine. The 1990 American Music Awards ushered in a new era of profanity when Guns N' Roses twice squeezed 'fucking' into a live primetime telecast on network TV. And the shit really hit the fan when U2's Bono exclaimed "This is really, really fucking brilliant" during a live telecast of the 2003 Golden Globes. That last event resulted in the FCC report, "How to Dismantle an Atomic F-Bomb."
Here's a short & recent history of famous incidents for 'fuck' on U.S. TV:
This list is definitely not intended to be a comprehensive log. If you know of other famous events, feel free to add them in the comments section.
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Hope Springs Eternal in the TV Viewer's Mind
As you watch TV do you sometimes think to yourself, "This show sucks. I have a great idea for a show! And really, how hard can it be to create a TV show?" And then your mind wanders, thinking about Seinfeld-like residual payments for the rest of your life.
Boy, have you come to the right place.
I've developed a proprietary four-step method that will help you generate a concept that will be as big as "Seinfeld." Guaranteed!
And because I want you to be a loyal reader, I give this to you for free. That's right. Absolutely free. All you have to do is read "Trivial TV" at least once a week for the next year.
Here are your four steps to TV riches:
Step 1: You know that great idea that you have? Write it down. Go ahead. You gotta' start somewhere. Just jot down a few words about the concept. You're on your way now!
Step 2: Wow! Your idea is pretty awesome. But I know you can do better. Think really hard and write down one more idea for a TV show. Perfect.
Step 3: Now write down 4998 more ideas. No. That's not a typo. Four thousand nine hundred and ninety eight more thoughts.
Step 4: Those 5000 concepts can't all be winners. Take a critical look at your list and highlight 1000 of your best thoughts. One of those highlighted ideas is your ticket to riches.
Just pitch each of these concepts to the appropriate network exec because:
From these 1000 pitches, networks will order nearly 200 scripts.
Networks will commission 60 pilots from this pile of scripts.
Only 20 of these pilots will ever see the airwaves as a regularly-scheduled program.
Six of these skeins will see a second season.
About three of these six series will air four seasons or more.
One of these shows will air more than seven years.
Disclaimer: Results are approximate and may not be typical. Statistics are based on the experiences of people familiar with the TV industry. People not experienced with the TV industry may suffer severe side effects and may not be as successful.
Boy, have you come to the right place.
I've developed a proprietary four-step method that will help you generate a concept that will be as big as "Seinfeld." Guaranteed!
And because I want you to be a loyal reader, I give this to you for free. That's right. Absolutely free. All you have to do is read "Trivial TV" at least once a week for the next year.
Here are your four steps to TV riches:
Just pitch each of these concepts to the appropriate network exec because:
Disclaimer: Results are approximate and may not be typical. Statistics are based on the experiences of people familiar with the TV industry. People not experienced with the TV industry may suffer severe side effects and may not be as successful.
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