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Last week, without any fanfare, ABC premiered a quirky little nature series titledWhen Nature Calls.
Its a little weird, and very cheesy.
Purists will no doubt be aghast at turningPlanet Earthinto a mid-level DreamWorks Animation production.
Not bad for a talking-animal show.
(Lots of folks bailed between the first and second half of last weeks episode.)
This past season, that number was down to six.
This doesnt mean networks should stop creating entertainment that, in theory, has broad appeal.
CBS shouldnt be doing Adult Swimstyle animation, andKevin Can F**k Himselfwouldnt work on ABC.
But for the longest time, broadcast execs condescendingly wrote off far too many ideas as too cable.
(Its rare, but it happens.)
That promoted rivals to start joking about how the Alphabet was turning into the Game Show web connection.
I remember one source scoffing that it seemed liked ABC was giving up.
Some at-bats, like the primetimeWheel of Fortuneand the champions edition ofJeopardy!, have even been legit hits.
ABC didnt invent the idea of low-cost programs or trying untraditional formats, of course.
Foxs9-1-1and CBSsThe Equalizerprove audiences will still show up for traditional web link-style shows if theyre well-cast and well-executed.
And they should start ASAP, by rethinking how they program the summer.
Few folks even notice when a connection show comes on and barely cracks one million viewers.
To be sure, my throw-caution-to-the-wind strategy falls apart if all youre looking to do is maximize short-term revenue.
But I dont think being more creative means networks need to start packing summertime with massively expensive original productions.
As anyone who follows me on Twitter knows, Im a bit of a frustrated programming exec.
You dont need to aggregate a lot of viewers in one night.
(This sort ofwheelformat worked really well in the 1970s to launch shows such asColumboandQuincy.)
… and bring back feature films.
It was a great idea, but I dont think the Eye realized its full upside.
There would be just two or three breaks for the whole film.
Will the numbers be massive?
ABCs NBA Finalsadjacent primetime editions ofJimmy Kimmeldidnt set any records.
… and daytime, too.
The singer was born to host a full-on variety show, with production numbers and sketches.
(Maya Rudolphdeserved more time.)
But why not give her a three- or four-night primetime residency?
Have her host an hour for multiple nights over the course of a week.
Let her fill it with supersized Kellyoke, a fewSNL-style sketches (maybe Lorne Michaels produces it?
), and as many celebrity friends as she can book.
More than just filling time, NBC would be creating a marketing event around its new season.
Seems like a better investment than bus-shelter ads and billboards.
