FOX’s entertainment chairman Kevin Reilly took the stage today at the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour in Pasadena, California to discuss his network’s programming slate. The tides have turned against FOX this round; while The Voice and Revolution helped NBC jump to #1 in the coveted 18-49 demo this fall, FOX’s dead-out-of-the-gate Mob Doctor and its creatively sound but low rated Tuesday night comedy block (including Raising Hope, Ben and Kate, New Girl, and The Mindy Project) contributed to the net’s 24 percent decline in ratings (falling from #1 to #3) for the 18-49 crowd. Reilly came out and admitted the obvious after a critic messed up a question aimed at the network exec: “We all screw up — look at my fall,” he said and the audience erupted in laughter. “Here at FOX we are leaping into the new year, [and] no one is happier than us to turn the page.” And with that he focused the remainder of the session on specific shows like The X Factor, Glee, the upcoming thriller The Following and the violent themes surrounding it, and he shared the fate of the In Living Color reboot and when you can expect The Goodwin Games to air. Follow the bullet-points after the break.
- On the low-rated Tuesday night comedy block: Reilly calls it his “biggest frustration” of the fall. But he went on to say, “I believe in those shows. We’re sticking with the block. I believe good work will eventually pay off.” He added, “Our shows weren’t rejected, they were never really sampled.” He places some of the blame on the fact that the “urgency to view” comedies is less than that of dramas.
- On the future of Glee: “We’re going to negotiate now for the fifth season and beyond, so we’re talking about those things now,” Reilly said. He also shared that he’s happy with the level of “consistency” the current season is carrying. “The New York concept has worked very well. Cutting back and forth [from Ohio to New York] has been seamless and both worlds have been dynamic.” He also confirmed there will not be a Glee spinoff since the McKinley High-NYADA back-and-forth is already working well within the show.
- On Britney Spears and The X Factor: “I think Britney did a really good job,” he said. “People remain fascinated with her and always will… Maybe people were waiting for more drastic displays that never came. But pound for pound, I thought The X Factor was excellent this year. She tucked in really nicely on that bench.” He added, “We would be on board to bring her back.”
- On the potential of heralding a new genre series with Fringe on its way out: “FOX has never left the genre business,” he said. “It was great to finally see one through and finish it in a great way for fans, and not leave them hanging,” he said of the departing Fringe. “We set the standard many years ago with The X Files.”
- On the upcoming serial killer drama The Following and violence on TV in general: “This show adheres to our broadcast standards,” he said. “It’s intense because of the psychological nature of it. There have been more violent shows on television and nobody noticed or cared because they were insignificant bad shows.” When asked about the correlation between violence on TV and real world violence he responded like this: “I think it trivializes it to link it to television or broadcast television specifically. As a parent, as a participant in society who worries about the safety of my family, of course these things are on my mind. I have a lot of sleepless nights. I think the conversation is an important one and should happen in the broadest possible way.” Later: “Everyone is looking for a scapegoat, or wanting to put a finger on one thing that’s the problem,” he said. “We are just in an age of complex issues. It’s no one simple thing.” He went on to say, “We’re not glorifying serial killers. Clearly there is an appetite, let’s just say that for a fact. People like these things. That is the business we’re in providing things that people like.” He recognizes that cable has become a formidable force in the game to attract the most eyeballs. “The challenge in this day is competing with TV. We have always competed against broadcast networks. Now there are so many other access points. It’s a goal of mine to get FOX back in FOX. Before there was cable, Fox was cable. We were on the edge of what was bold, and I still want to be there. We are competing not with Criminal Minds but every show on cable.” AMC’s The Walking Dead was specifically mentioned at one point. “When you put on a thriller you have to compete at that level… We must match the intensity, otherwise we’ll pale in comparison.”
- On the In Living Color reboot from original creator Keenan Ivory Wayans: In short, it’s not happening. “It just didn’t seem like it was going to reinvent the next chapter,” he let on. “[The original] was a seminal show for FOX, and the bar was set at that level.” Apparently the reboot that was shot this past summer did not live up to the aforementioned bar. Reilly went on to say that late-night sketch comedy show might be revisited again, but the new material that was shot for this revival has been scrapped.
- On the still yet to be scheduled sitcom The Goodwin Games: “If I thought Goodwin Games was going to be an injection of life to the [comedy block], I’d bring it on earlier,” he said…burn. “Goodiwn Games is a nice show, but I’m not sure it’s going to improve the night ratings-wise.” If the network does decide to eventually air the seven produced episodes it will likely find time to do so this summer.
- On Bones‘ renewal: Today Bones was renewed for a ninth season. Reilly reacted with this statement. “After more than 150 episodes, Bones continues to be one of television’s most dynamic and consistent dramas. We at Fox, along with millions of zealous fans, look forward to seeing where the incredible creative team takes the series next season.”
- On developing new short-form “event series:” FOX is making a push for anthology-like series that will produce 10-12 episodes and have a defined beginning, middle, and end. The first two projects in development are Wayward Pines from well-known film director M. Night Shamyalan and Blood Brothers from Bruce C. McKenna (The Pacific). Wayward Pines is described as an intense, mind-bending thriller that revolves around a Secret Service agent who travels to an Idaho town to solve a mystery. Blood Brothers is a true story about the West Point Class of 1861. “With top-notch auspices and feature-quality production plans, Wayward Pines [which he calls “excellent, the closest thing to Twin Peaks I’ve ever seen”) and Blood Brothers represent exactly the kind of high-impact, 10- to 12-part events we set out to develop when we entered the limited series business,” said Reilly. “These two series are the first of many big ideas, big names and big talent that you can anticipate will be on our air in the next 12-24 months.” He anticipates that these projects attract “movie stars and top-notch talent…who want to do television but are not going to sign up for five years.” Sound a lot like Ryan Murphy’s original plan for his FX series American Horror Story and that worked stupendously for him.