Give them what they want.
THIS IS WHAT THEY WANT!
I guess it’s hard working in TV nowadays. Ever since the infamous Hollywood writers strike about a decade ago, all of the best writers have turned their skills to crafting great TV. Breaking Bad, Entourage, Weeds and of course the West Wing, the daddy of them all, have all been created by former cinema blockbuster writers. And the world is better for it.
Follow that. In the rush to find the next big thing and to avoid the next Luck, Hex or Party Down (Never heard of them? There’s a reason for that…) it’s all too easy for TV people to be totally focused on the next shiny new success. After all, who doesn’t want to be a TV millionaire?
But rather than seeking the new, the customer focused TV executive could choose another path. Something as simple as finding tried and tested programme formats that continue to work in other countries and hey! giving them a local makeover and seeing what happens. The ABC steadfastly ignored Steven Fry’s QI for the first six years of its life. They now show it almost every day. In fact, if it’s not a re run of the execrable Spicks and Specks, there’s a fair chance it’s QI. Quintessential English, but also very good, Australian audiences love it.
Current blockbusters on UK TV back from the dead include Mr and Mrs, Wheel of Fortune and of course Celebrity Mr and Mrs. The excellent daytime staple Pointless still seems ignored by Australian TV experts.
But to prove the point, Family Feud was re-launched by Channel 10 a few weeks ago. It’s been a huge success. Originally modelled on the UK show Family Fortunes and brought back with a few extra helpings of cheese, it’s a good old fashioned game show. And people love it. After all, why wouldn’t they. If you have a spare hour, google ‘Best of Family Fortunes’ and wonder at the glorious, rabbit caught in the headlights stupidity of the general public on TV. For example…
Q; “Name something pink.” A; “My cardigan”
Q; “Name a bird with a long neck.” A; “Naomi Campbell”
You can’t make this stuff up.
Want to get a big audience for a TV show? Instead of giving huge lumps of money to unproven new ideas from big American networks, update and localise a format that people love elsewhere in the world. It’s what the customer wants.
Why is that so hard?