Peak TV Is Over: Number Of Original Series Falls For First Time In A Decade, Per FX

Peter White
·3 min read
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FX’s John Landgraf’s annual tally of original series has revealed that there were 516 scripted titles on air in 2023, which was a 12% drop from 2022.

This marks the first reduction in scripted series in over a decade, since Landgraf and his team have been keeping score, outside of 2020’s Covid year.

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It is notably down on the 600 shows that aired in 2022, which itself was a 7% rise from the year before.

Landgraf, speaking at TCA, joked that he was “finally correct” when it comes to peak TV. He said that it proves that even a broken watch is right twice day.

It comes 12 months after Landgraf predicted that there would be a “strong” indication that there would be a decline last year. While he was wrong a couple of times before, the exec has been proved right this time.

Landgraf is Chairman, FX Content and FX Productions. He was handed more responsibilities last year to oversee Nat Geo and Onyx as part of an expanded portfolio, following the elevation of Dana Walden and Alan Bergman as Co-Chairmen, Disney Entertainment.

RELATED: Peak TV: 599 Original Series In 2022 But FX’s John Landgraf Predicts Decline

FX didn’t break out the number of new shows in the first half of the year, as they have previously.

While many have been predicting the decline of original series in 2023 thanks to a general contraction of the industry and a large number of high-profile cancelations, the theory is that it’s not quite as dramatic as many believed it would be due to the long-tail of production – many of the shows debuting in 2023 had been in the works for some time.

“I think we’re heading right back down to 400 or 450 but it might take a few years to get there,” said one television exec. “It’s a mismatch of money and human attention to try and make 600 television series, which is why all of these companies are not making money.”

RELATED: FX’s John Landgraf Predicts 2022 Will Finally See Scripted TV “Peak” – TCA

The strikes?

FX’s list includes original English-language scripted series but does not include foreign-language shows, kids titles or short-form content and obviously doesn’t include the plethora of unscripted shows, reality series or documentaries. It includes titles from all of the broadcast networks and cable stations as well as streamers including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and Apple, services such as Peacock, Disney+, Paramount+ and Max as well smaller platforms such as BET+, Acorn TV, BritBox and Shudder.

FX Networks’s 2023 slate, which includes series for FX and FXX as well as its Hulu exclusives included American Horror Story, American Horror Stories, a Jon Hamm-led Fargo, What We Do In The Shadows, which is coming to an end with its upcoming sixth season, The Bear, the fifth and final season of Mayans M.C. Class of ’09, The Full Monty, Reservation Dogs, A Murder At The End Of The World, Great Expectations, Archer, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Breeders, Justified: City Primeval, the sixth and final season of Snowfall and Dave.

THE NUMBERS:

2012 – 288
2013 – 349 (up 21%)
2014 – 389 (up 11%)
2015 – 422 (up 8%)
2016 – 455 (up 8%)
2017 – 487 (up 7%)
2018 – 496 (up 2%)
2019 – 532 (up 7%)
2020 – 493 (down 7% – Covid year)
2021 – 560 (up 14%)
2022 – 600 (up 7%)
2023 – 516 (down 14%)

Source: FX/Disney

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