The U.S. is in the midst of the new fall TV season, and soon VideoAge will explore how the new shows are doing.
But first, we thought we’d check in with some international buyers to find out which of the new shows they liked best during the last L.A. Screenings.
Assuming that they have a good sense of what will be successful, we’re betting on these new series (hello Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.!)
Dermot Horan, RTE in Ireland:
“We all found a very interesting mix this year — there are quite a lot of sci-fi, from fairly mainstream sources, like CBS’s Under the Dome, which we picked up, and will be airing soon. We don’t normally buy a lot of sci-fi, but we found that it was a mainstream show.”
Horan said he also noticed that there were a lot of family comedies this time around (pointing specifically to Warner Bros.’s Surviving Jack, Sony’s The Michael J. Fox Show and Welcome to the Family).
In the realm of dramas, Horan said. “We’re seeing more serialized network dramas, that have often been the domain of cable networks, shows like Under the Dome, which, like British and European shows, are meant to be shorter than the average American show.”
Overall, he called 2013 a “varied year,” adding that “networks are trying to make shows that stand out from the crowd. Procedurals and soapy dramas are their bread and butter, but it’s also good to have these watercooler shows that can compete with cable.”
Horan also pointed to Fox’s Sleepy Hollow, and Warner Bros.’s Almost Human and The Tomorrow People as great shows that, though not necessarily the right fit for RTE, stood out to him as quality programming.
“I also really liked Disney’s Betrayal,” he said. “We did very well with Revenge, and it has the same aspirational, contemporary feel. We’ve been suffering through a long recession in Ireland and people are looking for escapism. Before there were Dallas and Dynasty and now there are these shows.”
RTE also picked up the popular Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. from Disney, and Sony’s Masters of Sex. “We like shows that are a bit alternative, make a statement and challenge the viewer,” he said.
RTE acquired NBCUniversal’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine for its younger skewing channel. For midseason, they secured Sony’s Rake and Disney’s Resurrection.
Angus Ross, Seven in Australia:
Ross pointed to three dramas and one comedy as standouts. The first is Disney’s Resurrection, which he described as “very different to anything else on television at present and filled with outstanding performances from all the cast. We feel this highly emotional drama will connect incredibly well with Seven’s core female 25-54 audience.”
Next up, he said, was Disney’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, where the Marvel brand makes the transition to TV. “The promise of big budget action and the return of fan favorite Agent Coulson make this one of the most promotable series from the screenings.” Seven screened the series in line with the U.S., Ross said.
Finally, in the drama department, Ross pointed to The Blacklist. “An intriguing premise and a powerhouse performance from James Spader make this one of the more compelling dramas in recent years. Relentless in its action and with a movie type feel we are expecting big numbers,” he said. And Ross was right. The Blacklist was the best drama launch of the year.
And on the comedy front, he pointed to Sony’s Us & Them, “a feel good romantic comedy with very funny characters. Dare I say it – broader than the original [Gavin & Stacey] for the Australian market!”
Lanny Huang, Promo Group TV in Hong Kong:
Huang said the U.S. series she liked most were Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., CBS comedy The Millers and The Michael J. Fox Show.
“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, starring Clark Gregg and Ming-Na Wen as Agent Melinda May, will be a hot series for our action adventure viewers,” she said.
“The Millers, created by Greg Garcia what we’re missing in family comedies, and with Beau Bridges as the father, we’re sure it’ll be a strong hit,” she added.
Finally, she said: “Michael J. Fox is a brand name of his own, and we love to see him back in this family and workplace comedy series.”
