Coco’s TBS move: It’s the future of television
Pale Force will return to your TV screens wiser ... and earlier. (Image via Wikipedia)
You really have to feel for the boneheads at NBC who (mis)handled the whole Conan-Leno debacle this winter.
Putting Leno on at 10 p.m. screwed their affiliates. But letting Conan O’Brien go may have just put another nail in coffin of the network broadcast model.
The chattering classes and “inside sources” long assumed that Conan would end up on the Fox network, but he confounded expectations and announced today that he’ll resurrect his late-night talk show on the basic cable TBS, part of the Turner broadcasting empire. Surprising? Maybe — but not when you remember that this was a man who played good corporate soldier for 16 years — and then told NBC to go fuck itself when they asked him to play nice with Jay Leno one time too many.
The problem with Fox was the same problem NBC had: those danged affiliates who only want to make a dollar. NBC affiliates were pissed that 30 Rock messed with their local news cash machines — and the Fox affiliates were worried that having O’Brien on after the 10 p.m. news was going to mess with their sitcom reruns cash machine. Long-term audience strategy be damned — as long as they can squeeze every last penny out of those “Home Improvement” reruns, that’s what they’ll do.
And so, Conan wises up and goes the basic cable route. Smaller audience? Sure. But niche audience — and on a channel already primed for his kind of comedy. He’ll rule the roost at TBS, provide a much better lead-in to the now-bumped-back “Lopez Tonight,” and compete against comedic brethren Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.
TBS already thinks a million viewers a night for George Lopez is gangbusters — they’re going to be thrilled with Conan. And Conan doesn’t have to worry about mass appeal or affiliate lead-ins.
Mass broadcasting is dying — niche cable programming is ascending. And while Jay Leno and David Letterman battle it out for aging audiences who care a little less about their shows each year, Conan’s going to be performing for a very long time to an audience that desperately wants to see him. NBC’s late-night programming was once unassailable. Pat Sajak, Alan Thicke, Joan Rivers, Chevy Chase, Magic Johnson and Arsenio Hall can attest to that. But the king has no clothes anymore…
Coco’s played his cards wisely once again.
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Very interesting and enjoyable post, I hadn’t really considered this angle.
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I look forward to seeing how Conan’s presence just a couple of clicks over on the basic cable dial gooses Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. I think there’s going to be a whole lot of DVR action goin’ on.
Why 11:00 pm and not 10:00 pm? Right now, I’m sitting here waiting for Jon Stewart/Colbert to come on. Would be nice to have something regular to watch in this time slot.
I’ll admit, I still though TBS was scheduling programs to start 5 minutes after the hour, so I have no idea what he’d be displacing.
But Sean.. that’s the beauty of basic cable. While he’ll be competing against Stewart/Colbert, the stakes are considerably lower.
This is basic cable — 1.5 million viewers is a windfall.
In response to another comment. See in context »I figured this is what Conan would do. After reading many of your blogs about the complete disaster that is NBC, I figured two things, Fox or cable, more directly TBS. Not surprised, and this will bode really well for his niche audiences.
Indeed terrestrial broadcast is ded. Thanks for the articles.
B.
Well, Bert… you’re smarter than me. TBS wasn’t on my radar… if he was going to go cable, I figured a channel more known for original programming, like USA or TNT — or the gold standard, HBO. But the more I think about this move, the more I like it.
In response to another comment. See in context »now he will be part of the (former) turner family, and can be free to do things with adult swim
one can hope
BSG,
In response to another comment. See in context »Indeed, on cable — and as part of the Turner network of cable stations, Conan will have a freer hand in what he wants his show to be — and potential cross promotion with a truly subversive and cult-attracting suite of shows in Cartoon Net’s Adult Swim. Another good reason to make this move.
Just my not-so-humble opinion, but a network that would axe ‘Life’ is irrevocably Effed. It was a series that completely grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. Damian Lewis, Sarah Shahi, and the rest were stellar. The story and acting were outstanding. I will never forgive…
[...] Coco’s TBS Move: It’s the Future of Television Matthew Greenberg gives his thoughts on Conan O’Brien’s move to cable and what the future will bring for television. Looks like niche programming is the wave of the future, the question I discussed on Tuesday. [...]
[...] attention to television these days.” Which I completely agree with, and which my friend Matthew Greenberg made well a couple of weeks back when the new show was [...]