The Return of My Annual Fall TV Network Presidents Survey

It’s the return of my annual Fall TV Network Presidents survey! I asked 18 programmers — from Netflix, ABC/Hulu, NBC, CBS, Fox, The CW, TBS/TNT/TruTV, HBO/HBO Max, Showtime, FX, A+E, Freeform, AMC, Discovery, Paramount Plus, Epix all included — the think that irks them the most about the biz; what show they’d steal from a rival; their potential sleeper hit; their pandemic hobby and more. See all answers here.

And we got 13 of them on to this chart, which ran in the most recent issue of Variety. Click to make it larger:

Final Upfronts Wrap-Up: Priyanka Chopra, Mariah Carey, James Corden and Nicki Minaj Take Over New York

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Another week in New York for the annual network upfronts -- when the big dogs pimp their new TV wares to advertisers -- ended over a week ago. And as I wrote for Indiewire, the big story of the year was broadcast networks acting, well, like broadcast networks again.

It feels like a rather antiquated practice, yet the broadcast networks still pull in around $9 billion annually -- so it's still a pretty big deal. We don't obsess about the schedules quite as much as we used to, but it's still a fun part of the pomp and circumstance. The networks still put on a show for advertisers -- including Adult Swim's annual late-night Wednesday event, which this year featured Nicki Minaj (above). More highlights from the week:


James Corden does a "Hamilton" parody at the CBS upfront.


Priyanka Chopra opens the ABC upfront.


CBS gives us a sneak peek of the new "Star Trek" series' logo.


Fitz and the Tantrums performs at The CW upfront.


Mariah Carey makes a grand entrance at the NBC upfront.


Kiefer Sutherland introduces his new series "Designated Survivor" at the ABC upfront.


ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey introduces Jimmy Kimmel.


Fox jabs at CBS, notes that "Gotham's" new villain was "Lex Moonves."


NBC Universal stars at the upfront pose behind Kate McKinnon (as Ellen DeGeneres), parodying Ellen's Oscar selfie.


At the Fox upfront, Homer Simpson reminds us that "The Simpsons" will hit an astounding 600 episodes next year.


The "Downward Dog" looms over ABC stars.


"Hamilton" was hot this upfront. Jimmy Fallon did his own parody as well.


Rachel Bloom and Gina Rodriguez on stage at the CW upfront.


Stephen Colbert at Carnegie Hall for CBS' upfront.


The cast of "Empire" performs at Fox's upfront.


The cast of "The Big Bang Theory" offer up "Star Trek" suggestions to new CBS Entertainment president Glenn Geller.


"Supergirl" star Melissa Benoist hits The CW stage with stars of "Arrow," "The Flash" and "DC's Legends of Tomorrow."

KCRW's The Spin-Off: Fox's Dana Walden and Gary Newman on "The X-Files," Pilot Season, Ratings, and the Future of Broadcast

On the latest special edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, we share a conversation I had with Fox Television Group chairmen Dana Walden and Gary Newman in January. My pal Diane Gordon covered the chat for Paley; check out her Storify round up here.


Fox Television Group CEOs Gary Newman and Dana Walden speak with moderator TV Guide Magazine's Michael Schneider at The Paley Center for Media presents Dana Walden and Gary Newman In Conversation at The Paley Center for Media on January 28, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Paley Center) Details:

Michael Schneider sat down with the chairmen-CEO's of Fox, Gary Newman and Dana Walden at a recent Paley Center event for the Paley Media Council.

Their wide-ranging conversation covers everything from The X-Files' reboot to Scream Queens to "Peak TV" to pilot season to why Netflix and other streaming outlets have become both a blessing and a curse. You can watch their entire conversation here.

Listen below!

Behind the Scenes at Friday's "Grease Live!" Dress Rehearsal

Sunday night, "Grease" is the time, is the place, is the motion. I'll go ahead and add that "Grease" will be the way we are feeling.

Fox's heavily promoted "Grease Live!" is worth the hype. I was there on Friday at the Warner Bros. lot as the show's cast and crew went through the first of two dress rehearsals, before going live on Sunday evening. The massive production takes place over three soundstages, plus outdoors on the Warner Bros. lot. (Yes, it's happening even with the rain.) The logistics of pulling this off is pretty amazing. The casting is spot-on, and the classic songs are all there -- plus a few new ones. You'll get an idea of the scope of the production from the opening number, when Jessie J sings "Grease" while walking through the various stages and heading outside.

We weren't allowed to take photos during the actual rehearsal, but here are some snaps I got before the Friday dry run began:


Wendell Pierce is Coach Calhoun


Didi Conn, the "Grease" constant, is back!


Football players


Sizing up the Rydell gym/auditorium's basketball hoop


Rydell High, re-created on a Warner Bros. soundstage


The Pink Ladies' lunch table


Join the Rydell pep squad!


Gym shoes only


Preparing the National Bandstand scenes



Scene of the dance


The outdoor carnival


Site of the big finale

KCRW's THE SPIN-OFF: Preston Beckman, The Scheduler Unmasked

On the latest edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, Joe and I are joined by retiring scheduling guru Preston Beckman, who crafted the network strategy at NBC during the height of "Must See TV," and then again at Fox as it rode the "American Idol" wave:

By the mid 90's, NBC was on top. They had a Thursday night lineup that included Seinfeld, Friends, and ER. Beckman tells us how he knew Seinfeld was something special and why scheduling at the networks in the late 90's became something like pro-wrestling, with lots of big talk and even bigger egos.

He also reflects on less successful lineups, like in 1997 when NBC had 18 comedies on the schedule. While that may seem crazy now, he walks us through the thinking at the time.

When Beckman moved to Fox in 2000, it was right at the start of the reality revolution, and he was ready to embrace it. He says no one quite knew what to do with American Idol when they first got it, but Beckman came up with the idea to put a results show on an entirely separate night.

As for as shows he's encountered over the years he wishes he could have saved, those include I'll Fly Away, Grounded for Life, and yes, Firefly.

Listen below!

KCRW's The Spin-Off: The Last Man on Earth / Togetherness / Portlandia Edition

On the latest bonus edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, we replay the audio from my Emmy For Your Consideration panel featuring the people behind Fox's "The Last Man on Earth," IFC's "Portlandia" and HBO's "Togetherness." I wrote about it back in May; now you can listen to it too! Details:

Members of the panel included Carrie Brownstein and Jonathan Krisel from Portlandia, star and creator of Last Man on Earth Will Forte, and Mark and Jay Duplass from Togetherness. For years the Duplass brothers were known for their work in indie film. They kicked the conversation off by telling Schneider how they got drawn into working on television projects.

Listen below!

MIKE ON KCRW: Murdoch Drama, Game of Thrones Drama and Netflix Drama

On this Monday's edition of The Business, Kim Masters and I bantered about several topics including:

- In a much-admired smooth plan of succession, Rupert Murdoch will pass control of his media empire on to his two sons.
- Netflix is paying $30 million for the new Brad Pitt movie War Machine. While the streaming outlet has invested in original movies before, this move represents their largest payment and serious move towards making prestigious, potentially award-worthy films.
- Disney is out about $140 million after director Brad Bird had a rare flop with Tomorrowland. It's a loss Disney can certainly afford, but some movie-lovers are worried this misstep will move them away from "original" movies and make them depend even more on reliable franchises.

Listen by clicking below:





On last Thursday's Hollywood Breakdown, Kim Masters and I talked all about the Rupert Murdoch succession plan at 21st Century Fox:

The Murdochs are showing the world how to set up a succession plan. In what seems like a seamless transition, Rupert Murdoch has said he will hand the reins of 21st Century Fox to his son James. Both James and Murdoch's other son Lachlan have long worked in their father's businesses. And while James Murdoch's career may have been marred at one point by the phone hacking scandal in Britain, he's now become a seasoned and respected media executive. In other news with the reorganization, Chase Carey will step down from his role as CEO at Fox and work as an adviser to the company.

Listen below:





On Monday's Press Play with Madeleine Brand, Slate's June Thomas and I discussed:

For those of you still smarting from the Game of Thrones finale last night, perhaps the new season of Orange Is the New Black will work as a salve? We talk about how HBO’s historical fiction/fantasy series ended its latest round of episodes, and more in our weekly television segment.

Listen below:

KCRW's THE SPIN-OFF: "Wayward Pines" Executive Producer Chad Hodge

On the latest edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, I've posted audio from an interview I did last month with Chad Hodge, who developed Fox's new drama "Wayward Pines." We spoke at an event organized by the Northwestern University Entertainment Alliance.

We talked what drew Hodge to the story and how he decided to structure the show -- each episode ends and the next episode begins in the same moment. And what’s more, Wayward Pines reveals most of its secrets by Episode 5 -- and unconventional move indeed. For Hodge, "Wayward Pines" has been a labor of love, from the moment he first encountered the book three years ago.

Listen below!

A Comedy Hipster's Dream Panel: Carrie Brownstein, Will Forte and the Duplass Brothers, All Together

Last week I moderated a joint TV Guide Magazine/TV Insider/IFC/HBO/Fox panel, timed to Emmy campaign season, about comedy stars who do it all: Write, produce, direct and star. These super impressive talents also have time to work on other projects at the same time. Carrie Brownstein is a rock star (Sleater-Kinney has a new album out and is touring) in addition to co-creating and starring in "Portlandia." Will Forte does it all on "The Last Man on Earth." Mark Duplass stars in "The League" and countless movies in addition to co-creating (and starring in) "Togetherness," while Jay Duplass stars in "Transparent" in addition to co-creating "Togetherness" and also working on many other things. (The Duplass brothers even appear on "The Mindy Project.")

Check out Diane Gordon's write-up of the panel for TVInsider.com. And check out some pics below, courtesy IFC: