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:

A Visit to 'The Good Place': Exploring TV's Most Thoughtful, Pun-tastic Comedy Up Close

NBC recently held a "For Your Consideration" Emmy event on the Universal lot for "The Good Place," and Maria and I couldn't resist seeing the setting up close — especially because (spoiler alert), the show has moved on from this world, so who knows how much longer it will be this way. But for now, "The Good Place" outdoor setting still stands, and it even is a popular sight on the Universal Studios tram ride.

At the event, the popular (and ambitious) episode "Dance Dance Resolution" was screened, followed by Q&A with the show's stars and producers — including, of course, Ted Danson, Kristen Bell, and creator Mike Schur. 

These photos don't do the town justice, but suffice to say, the pun game is strong.

KCRW's The Spin-Off: "The Carmichael Show's" Jerrod Carmichael Breaks New Ground

On the latest edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, Joe and I talk to "The Carmichael Show's" Jerrod Carmichael about his groundbreaking show:

For a minute there, the world didn't know if The Carmichael Show would live to see another season. Jerrod Carmichael, the creator and star of the show, tells us what was behind the delay of the announcement of Season 3, and why he wasn't happy with NBC's initial offer of 10 episodes. The show will indeed come back, and while we don't know the date yet, there will be 13 episodes, which is the number Carmichael was hoping for.

Carmichael takes us through the rigorous schedule of shooting live -- each episode gets performed twice in front an audience, and shares why he elected to go the old school route of having a comedy on a broadcast network instead of going to Amazon or Netflix.

The Carmichael Show has grabbed attention for its fearlessness in addressing tricky topics -- everything from depression to pornography addiction to current issues from the headlines like Bill Cosby and Donald Trump. Carmichael tells us why he wants to go there, and how a multi-cam sitcom can sometimes be the perfect medium for breaking down a complicated issue.

Listen below!

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: 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: HBO Now, Andy Lack's Back, Two Comedies/Two Strategies (Listen Now!)

For our first March episode of KCRW's The Spin-Off, Joe and I reunited with Cynthia Littleton for a mini Variety reunion. Here's what we chatted about:

We take a look at one number that gives us a snapshot of the current state of the TV industry. This month's number? $14.99.

Fourteen dollars and 99 cents is what it will cost you every month for HBO's new standalone streaming service, HBO Now, which will launch in April, ahead of the Game of Thrones season premiere. At least for now, the service will be exclusive to Apple devices. Then, we'll soon be saying hello -- or maybe more appropriately welcome back -- to an NBC executive who has some experience getting the Peacock's news division back on track when things have gone awry. We talk about what Andy Lack's return to NBC could mean...or not mean...to Brian Williams' career.

We also say hello to another spin-off on AMC. The network announced a two-season order for a Walking Dead prequel. Add this to Better Call Saul, a Breaking Bad spin-off, and AMC will soon have two prequels on the air.

Then we look at two new comedies that feel more like cable shows, but got their starts at Fox and NBC: The Last Man on Earth and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Both wound up taking different paths and strategies.

There's a lot more too! Listen by clicking below!

MIKE ON KCRW: Hosting "The Business" with Guest Adam Carolla

On this week's episode of KCRW's The Business, I fill in for host Kim Masters and interview Adam Carolla, whose new semi-autobiographical movie "Road Hard" is now in theaters and on VOD:

Comedian Adam Carolla has weathered career highs and lows, but he's been determined to follow his gut and always keep working. Now he's co-directed a movie in which he's also the star. Road Hard is a comedy with an autobiographical slant about a comedian's dark days on the road. He tells Michael Schneider how he got the money to make the film and why he was adamant about working outside the Hollywood studio system.

Matt Belloni of the Hollywood Reporter and I also discuss top entertainment news stories of the week:

- After poor TV ratings for the Oscars, the Academy considers a move back to five best picture nominees, instead of the current system, which allows for up to ten.
- Former NBC executive Andy Lack returns to the network as chairman of NBC News and MSNBC. Could this mean good news for Brian Williams?
- No one said the transition would be easy -- Amy Pascal encountered a potent problem when she tried to move into her new office on the Sony lot.

Listen by clicking below!

THE SPIN-OFF: Interview with Rick Ludwin, the Dean of Late Night (Listen Now!)

If you're at all a student of TV -- especially the world of late night -- I hope you'll check out the latest edition of our monthly TV podcast on KCRW, The Spin-Off! In this episode, Joe and I are sit down with Rick Ludwin, who ran NBC late night from 1980 to 2012, and was there for all the big moments -- Carson, Letterman, Leno, Conan, Fallon, Meyers. With the late night world undergoing another big transition, there's a lot to talk about:

We pick his brain about Saturday Night Live, famous late night transitions and reflect on the one-year anniversary of Jimmy Fallon as the host of The Tonight Show. We also look ahead in late night, and ask who could possibly replace Jon Stewart and why there's such a severe shortage of women late night hosts. And we talk about the way late night has evolved as television viewing habits has changed. Fortunately, Ludwin thinks late night still has a long future ahead of it, even if it doesn't look the same as it does now.

Listen by clicking below!

TV GUIDE FLASHBACK: From 1976, An Early Profile of "Saturday Night Live"

Tired of all the "Saturday Night Live" nostalgia? Sorry, but I've got another interesting piece for you: The first-ever TV Guide magazine profile of the show, published in the May 29, 1976 issue. (By the way, what a weird photo -- Lorne Michaels' eyes are closed, and his face is partially cut off!) Of course, Chase would be gone by season two, but here's a snapshot of how SNL was already a force by the end of its first season.

COMIC-CON: Watch My "The Blacklist," "Resurrection" and "Constantine" Panels

Last week I posted video of "Greendale Forever: TV Guide Magazine's Tribute to Community," one of the panels I moderated at this year's San Diego Comic-Con. That was my key panel this year, mainly because we helped organize and schedule it. But it was a busy weekend in San Diego, where I moderated three other panels as well: The Blacklist, Constantine and Resurrection.

Below, check out pics and videos of all three panels!



The Blacklist was another big highlight, as star James Spader was in top form. (Pic above by The Blacklist NBC website.) Watch it below.


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Above, there I am with Resurrection stars Frances Fisher and Kurtwood Smith after moderating their show's panel. I can't find a full video of the panel, but here's an excerpt via Vine below.





Moderating the Resurrection panel, which also featured stars Omar Epps, Fisher, Smith and Devin Kelly, and executive producers Aaron Zelman, Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters. (Pic via Facebook and Lynn Telzer.)

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Here I am following the Constantine panel with Series stars Matt Ryan, Harold Perrineau, Charles Halford and Angelica Celaya, as well as executive producers Daniel Cerone and David S. Goyer. Watch the panel below:





And above, another pic from the panel, this time of the stage. (Pic via Bleeding Cool.)

Your Final Upfronts Recap: A Look at the Week in Pics, Including Outkast, Neon Trees, Alan Cumming's Nipples and Rizzoli & Isles' Selfie

Another week in New York for the annual network upfronts -- when the big dogs pimp their new TV wares to advertisers -- is now long over. But before it's a distant memory and we start watching pilots, here's a quick look at some snapshots from the week that helped coin "eventize" as a new catch phrase and ended several major TV streaks (Most notably: CBS will enter fall without a comedy on Mondays at 9 p.m. for the first time since 1948 -- with a bit of an asterisk in 1988, when the TV writers' strike delayed fall.) Above, Seth Meyers opens NBC's upfront


NBC sales chief Linda Yaccarino touts NBC's return to No. 1


Fred Armisen and the 8G Band perform at the NBC upfront


NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt at the NBC upfront


"The Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon at the NBC upfront


Fallon awards Carson Daly the "Even Whiter Ryan Seacrest" title


Fallon also has a gag for NBC Universal boss Steve Burke


Pitbull, who will host Fox's New Years Eve special this year, opens the Fox upfront


Fox Entertainment Chairman Kevin Reilly proclaims Fox as "America's Next Generation Network"


Fox calls on Andy Samberg to provide a few yuks. First up: Fox's new research system, the "E.N.E.M.A.S."


Also, a few new shows on the horizon, according to Samberg: First up, CBS' "CSI: Mike & Molly." (Everyone's still making "CSI" jokes, 14 years later!)


Also: "CSI: CSI Production Offices"


At ABC, Samberg offers up "The Disney Butt Implant Funtime Hour"


CBS reveals its schedule at its annual morning breakfast, the Wednesday of Upfronts


Another tradition: Turner's annual Wednesday post-upfront lunch. Here, my table mates Eric McCormack ("Perception"), Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander ("Rizzoli & Isles") take a selfie.


At Carnegie Hall, Alan Cumming performs at the CBS upfront.


David Letterman gives his farewell at his final upfronts appearance.


Neon Trees performs at The CW's upfront.



And of course, you can see my whole collection of pics from Adult Swim's Outkast concert here.