The end of yet another tumultuous year for the television industry is fast approaching -- and it's no surprise that it has proven particularly punishing for the broadcast sector. This was supposed to be the year when television finally rebounded from the punishing blow of the COVID pandemic. But historic (and historically damaging) twin strikes by members of the WGA and SAG/AFTRA demolished any hopes of returning to the old normal … or even the "new" normal that had begun to take shape toward the end of the pandemic.
Every year at this time I used to wonder which network truly excelled during the previous 11 months and deserved recognition as the best of the year. I stopped doing so in 2020, and didn't even think about it in 2021 and 2022, because it simply did not seem fair to compliment any one of them over the others at a time when they were all working so diligently to entertain and/or inform us during the dawn of this Decade of Disasters.
But this year, which began with production back in full swing, the big bad facing the industry wasn't biological. Rather, the crippling work stoppages brought about by various factions of the creative community that were finally fed up with a multitude of runaway issues -- from crappy compensation by streamers to studio-fueled anxieties from AI -- fired up a fresh hell that threatened to consume them all.
As with navigating the COVID lockdown -- and putting aside the unfortunate reality that many of their parent companies brought the strikes on themselves -- I'm going to give all the networks and streamers that were compromised this year props for the many ways in which they managed to keep themselves going.
However, I'm going to single one out for doing a particularly impressive job: Fox.
Looking back as we move forward, the Fox Broadcasting Company stands out to me not only because it maintained all-important focus on viewer engagement and advertiser expectations as new rounds of chaos sent the industry reeling, but also because it has done exactly that through good times and bad beginning with its launch in the Eighties. Since then, it hasn't simply reflected the popular culture of the time. Rather, it has continuously contributed to the definition of same. Consider the impact on television and beyond of (in no particular order) American Idol, Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, The X-Files, Ally McBeal, 24, House, Party of Five, The Simpsons, Family Guy, Bob's Burgers, Malcolm in the Middle, Arrested Development, New Girl, Glee, Prison Break, Joe Millionaire, Empire, The Masked Singer and so many others that built and reinforced the foundation of Fox. I can't be certain, but I do believe that no other network would have gambled on any of those shows at the times of their premieres. (Many networks, however, did attempt to create clones of them.)
Has Fox had its share of flops? Of course; in fact, some might call it an outsize share. And many of those duds have at least sounded like fun (a recent example being Stars on Mars). Regardless, Fox has consistently delivered across five decades shows that can be described as "historic" … and nothing seems to have compromised that -- not even the multiple blows of COVID and the strikes. This sustained focus also applies to Fox's marketing, branding and publicity strategies, which remain best in class.
Now, every broadcast network has through the years delivered more memorable and profitable shows than anyone can easily recall. And they have all displayed at various times profoundly effective marketing and publicity campaigns on behalf of programs and platform alike. But the truth is, with the exception of Fox I couldn't fully explain the current brand of any of them right now ... at least not when I compare the current state of things to the often dynamic ways in which CBS, NBC and ABC positioned themselves in previous decades (especially the '70s, '80s and '90s). For that matter, The WB often excelled at advancing its identity in this area in the '90s and early 2000s, as did The CW in the late aughts and throughout the teens.
Look, there is still much to admire about all the broadcasters. There is no more powerful or important an entertainment program on television than NBC's Saturday Night Live, which has survived more regime changes than I can recall. The Law & Order franchise continues to matter in a way few broadcast dramas have in the history of the medium. Similarly, CBS' NCIS franchise, along with Survivor, Blue Bloods and the legendarily formidable newsmagazine 60 Minutes, and ABC's Abbott Elementary, Shark Tank and Dancing with the Stars are outstanding reminders of the vitality of broadcast. Television -- and by that, I mean the medium itself -- would be something less without them.
But do those shows truly define their networks? Do they support or reflect unquestionably distinctive branding? I don't think so. Do you?
As impressed with it as I am, I would like to see Fox give us another big breakout hit on the order of American Idol, 24 and 90210. I think the 9-1-1 shows came close … but the original is headed to ABC, and spin-off Lone Star won't return until fall 2024.
In the meantime, I'll do what I can to continue to support Fox and all the broadcasters … even The CW, best described at this moment as a work in progress. Indeed, as they grapple with so many changes in all areas of their businesses all at once, that phrase might be applied to every broadcast network at this time. Not that there is anything wrong with that …
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