How Dealmaking Has Changed in the Post-Peak TV Landscape
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There may be far fewer TV shows being made in Hollywood these days than in the salad days of the peak TV era, but that just means there’s more hustling being done to get writers, producers, directors and actors staffed on a development season that goes on year-round.
For the past 10 years, Grandview Management co-founders Jeff Silver and Matt Rosen have navigated dealmaking for their roster of writers and producers for top series including “Ozark” and “House of the Dragon” with considerable savvy. But this year, they describe an industry environment quite different than what they’ve experienced in seasons past.
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On the latest episode of the Variety podcast “Strictly Business,” Rosen explains that the significant reduction in total volume of original programming being ordered to series by the streaming services and linear networks has raised the bar for creatives who may have had an easier time in previous years.
“Will you just be given a show? Because so many networks have so many hours they’re now needing to fill? No, it’s going to be harder,” Rosen says. “We think that the people who get to those lofty heights, there’ll be less of a chance. But if you have that combination of skill and motivation and character, you can get there.”
According to “The Death of Peak TV,” the data-fueled special report issued earlier this month by Variety Intelligence Platform, the number of original series on cable last year had already plummeted 40% from its all-time high a decade ago.
“It’s always a scary moment when you know supply and demand get a little bit screwed up,” Silver notes. “But if you’re the kind of artist who just waits for books to come your way or assignments to come in, yeah, it’s time to rethink how you do things.”
“Strictly Business” is Variety’s weekly podcast featuring conversations with industry leaders about the business of media and entertainment. (Please click here to subscribe to our free newsletter.) New episodes debut every Wednesday and can be downloaded at Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Play, SoundCloud and more.
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