As the coronavirus outbreak continues to upend business across the country, what will it take to get Hollywood back to work?Viewers might not see a flurry of new scripted shows in late September, as is the tradition. Instead, several network executives said the September-through-May television season may become a thing of the past, with networks shifting to a calendar year by staging premiere week in January.
One veteran TV producer, who asked not to be identified, said he considered second scripts as an “audition,” so network executives can narrow the field without shooting any video, thus saving time and millions of dollars. This much is clear: TV production, a major source of employment in the Los Angeles region, will fall well short of last season. Broadcast networks, cable channels and digital platforms produced 196 new scripted dramas and comedies from June 2018 through May 2019, according to anAuthor Michael Connelly, center, on the set of “Bosch” in the San Fernando Valley on Oct. 16, 2018.
“This was a trend that was already gaining momentum,” said Gary Newman, former co-chief executive of the Fox network and TV studio. “Now that trend will probably speed up.”
The best thing to come of this virus is the end of stand up comedy and trash TV.