Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Lessons From Lone Star

What can we learn from the swift cancellation of Fox's new drama "Lone Star" after only two episodes?

First: You need to reach your audience out of the gate. If your show doesn't get good ratings from the start, it will be gone. How strong is the beginning of your show or movie?

Second: No one knows for sure if a show will succeed until the audience gets a chance to see it. The best film and television programmers are right more often than they're wrong, but even they don't know for sure. "Lone Star's" fate is one more proof of the great William Goldman's statement about the film business: "Nobody knows anything."

Clearly Fox thought "Lone Star" had great potential. They scheduled it on Mondays after "House," one of their most popular shows. The high-salaried cast included veteran stars like Jon Voight and David Keith and many attractive young actors,led by star James Wolk. A team of experienced writer/producers spent a great deal of time and money on writing and production values. Yet the show's premiere lost more than half of the audience "House" delivered and was close to the lowest rated show in that time slot. I saw both episodes of "Lone Star" and believe I know what went wrong.

Viewers didn't like James Wolk's lead character, Bob. In the first scene of the first episode we see Bob leaving his middle class girlfriend, who he loves, to travel for his job. It turns out this nice young man is married to a different pretty girl, who is filthy, Texas oil rich. Then we learn this same nice young man is actually a con man, who married the girl so he could rob her family. That's where they lost me, although I stayed to the end for professional reasons. Why should anyone root for a crook?

Some shows featuring criminals have achieved success on television -- but in those shows the thief was usually reformed and working for good guys. "White Collar" on USA is a current example of that show. The producers may have thought the audience would sympathize with the hero because he felt bad about being a con man and said he wanted to go straight. But he didn't.

The second episode of "Lone Star" had even lower ratings than the first, despite receiving a promo spot in almost every break of "House," and Fox had no choice but to cancel the show.

Third: It's much better for your piece if your main character is struggling to do good than if he's passively accepting his evil role.

Fourth: If you ever become a network programming executive, have a deep bench. Fox can afford to cancel Lone Star because they have episodes of the more popular series "Lie to Me" in the can to start playing next week.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

How is the Head of Programming Like a Baseball Manager?

Simple. Both know they're hired to be fired.

Most baseball managers, no matter their success, are eventually fired. The Yankees fired Casey Stengel after he'd won 10 pennants in 12 years. More recently they fired Joe Torre after the most successful pennant run in recent history (OK, technically they didn't renew his contract, but it was still a firing). Two of the most successful recent managers, Davy Johnson and Tony LaRussa, were fired by several teams. Occasionally the team will allow you to announce your retirement, like the Atlanta Braves are doing this year with Bobby Cox. But in almost all cases, baseball managers are fired.

A similar fate awaits those heading the entertainment divisions of the major networks or movies studios. Even Brandon Tartikoff only had twelve years as Head of NBC Entertainment. Why is that? The people who rise to these top jobs generally have creative flair, a successful track record, and competitive instincts. Why is it so hard to stay there?

Tastes change. What works one year may not work the next. The audience likes their favorite shows, but they also crave variety. For example, police procedurals like Law and Order, CSI, and NCIS are popular, but there is a law of diminishing returns. The next police procedural is less likely to be popular. And in all of those jobs, the goal is to predict public taste one, two, three, or even ten years in the future. No one can do that consistently over time.

So if tastes change, and it's difficult to pick the hits, what do we do as creators of projects? We make our projects as good as we possibly can. We work on several projects at the same time. We remember to be original -- Look for what's not being done, and put your own original spin on the material.

Finally, we should make friends with people at all levels in the business. This has two purposes: 1) You'll have more friends. You can never have enough. 2) You never know when today's development assistant may head the network tomorrow. Jeff Zucker, although he's leaving as head of NBC Universal, started as a research assitant on the Olympics.

So keep working. What have you done on your project today?

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

A Life in The Theatre

Tonight I saw the first preview performance of the Broadway production of David Mamet's play A Life in the Theatre starring Patrick Stewart (of Star Trek fame) and TR Knight (Grey's Anatomy). Previews are public performances with a paying crowd but everyone understands that these shows are not in final form. The director and actors expect to make changes before opening night, depending upon the audience response at previews. No matter how well you think things are going in rehearsal, you don't know what's working until you put it in front of an audience. There was much to like about the play, but based on the performance I saw they still have work to do.

In case you haven't seen the play, A Life in Theatre follows the relationship between two actors -- an older actor, played by Stewart and a younger one played by Knight. At the start of the play, the older actor (Stewart) is the star and the young actor (Knight) is naive and eager. Over the course of working together in several plays (some of them quite hilarious) their relationship changes and the mentor becomes the supplicant.

I saw the original production of the play off-Broadway 20 years ago (starring Jose Ferrer). The virtue of that production was its simplicity. There were two actors, a few set pieces that fit all the scenes. In the current Broadway production there are large flats that glide in and out. I felt like we spent as much time watching the scenery move as we did watching the actors. Patrick Stewart and TR Knight did well, but still need to grow into their roles.

But this isn't a theatre review blog; why am I telling you this? To remind us of two things: 1) Keep it simple. The core of your project is the story and characters -- special effects, elaborate scenery and costumes can enhance a good story, but they can't save a bad one. They can hurt a good story, if they're not based on the needs of the piece.

2) No matter how much success you achieved in the past, each new project has its own challenges. I am sure the director, designers, and actors will eventually fix the problems and improve A Life in the Theatre. If these successful artists don't always get it perfect the first time, you shouldn't get down on yourself if you don't, either. Just keep trying to improve every day.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Brandon Tartikoff's most important lessons

If you've read the last two posts you know I admired Brandon Tartikoff's show business acumen, sense of humor, grace under pressure, and leadership skills. What I admired most about Brandon Tartikoff was his courage.

Tartikoff contracted Hodgkin's disease at age 23. He beat cancer then, but suffered a relapse at age 31, the year he was named President of NBC Entertainment. He didn't let a little thing like cancer and chemotherapy stop him. He took chemotherapy treatments, got a wig, and kept going to work. His illness wasn't made public -- Only a few people at NBC knew. Could I have achieved what he did if I was suffering from cancer? I hope I don't have to find out.

Tartikoff left NBC in 1992 for the new challenge of heading Paramount Pictures. NBC continued on top for awhile under Tartikoff's able deputy, Warren Littlefield. Eventually new people came to head the Entertainment Division and the company. NBC's viewership declined and the network fell to fourth place behind Fox, CBS, and ABC.

During his second year at Paramout, Tartikoff's wife and daughter were badly hurt in a car crash. He left his high profile job to spend more time with them. He eventually got back into television working for various companies creating and pitching shows to networks. It was in that capacity that I finally met my hero for a few minutes at a NATPE (National Association of Television Programming Executive) conference in 1997. I was in charge of programming for Golf Channel and Brandon Tartikoff pitched an idea to me for a golf comedy show. I still have the one page pitch in my files. I don't know what it meant to him, but it meant I had arrived in the big time.

Tartikoff passed away not too long after that convention, at the young age of 48. Cancer finally killed his body, but it can never erase his legacy.

The most important lessons I learned from Brandon Tartikoff are: 1) Do work you love. 2) Make time with family and friends 3) Keep learning and challenging yourself to get better 4) Do your work and life your life with joy.

Are you spending time working toward your dream? If not, why not? How do you want to be remembered?

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

More Lessons from Brandon Tartikoff

As promised, I'm passing on some more of the lessons I learned following the career of Brandon Tartikoff. It was easy to follow. He worked in the public eye much like an athlete or actor. When NBC's shows were hits, he was praised. And when they flopped, the critics roasted him. Under those circumstances you have to develop a tough skin and a sense of humor to survive.

Brandon Tartikoff knew televison was a business of ideas. In his memoir, The Last Great Ride, he wrote "Ideas are the key to everything ... Good ideas don't come along very often and they can't be constructed at will. I myself have had at least one Misfits of Science and one Manimal for every Miami Vice. That's to be expected, and it's nothing to get depressed about. It takes just a few good creative flashes to work economic wonders."

That's why I urge you to work on multiple projects. You probably never saw Misfits of Science or Manimal (I did, but I was TV junkie) but they certainly weren't hits. But NBC didn't know that until they aired them. You never know which of your ideas will find an audience until you put it out there and get a response.

The second lesson is that, no matter how good your ideas are, the details of how you create the show are crucial. Tartikoff gave producer Michael Mann a two word phrase of an idea -- MTV Cops -- from which Michael Mann created Miami Vice. His execution of that idea changed the way dramas looked on television forever. What would you do with that idea? What would another producer do? It's not just the idea, but the show you create, that becomes the hit. Ideas are important, but the show you create from the idea is what people will see.

So keep developing your ideas, and don't worry if one or two of them don't work. You will develop one that will work, if you keep at it.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Lessons from Brandon Tartikoff

Who is your role model? You may have different role models for different parts of your life. My role model as a television programmer has always been the great Brandon Tartikoff, head of NBC's program department in the 80s, who left us much too soon.

Tartikoff became Head of Programming when NBC made the legendary programmer Fred Silverman head of the network. When he started, NBC was in last place. Tartikoff led NBC to first place in the ratings, and held that spot until he left the network. As he liked to say, "Our plan was to play dead for four years and then put Bill Cosby on Thursday night."

Tartikoff loved television and loved his job. He understood the business of television very well, but it was his love for the medium that made him great. He was the perfect audience member. He supported 'cutting edge programs like 'Hill St.Blues' and 'Fame', but also thoroughly enjoyed escapist fare like 'The A-Team.'

That's the most important lesson I learned from Brandon Tartikoff. You do your best work, and you get the best work from your team, if you love what you do. Enthusiasm is contagious. Do you love the material you create? If not, why are you making it? Lesson Two: It's important to try different things, because not everything is going to work. The Cosby Show came to NBC after all other networks turned it down. Even Tartikoff didn't expect it would be one of the most popular shows of all time. NBC certainly had its share of flops under Tartikoff, but the strength of the hits made up for it. Are you working on more than one idea?

There are too many lessons to be contained in one post, so I will write more about this in my next post.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Labor Day

This weekend is Labor Day, the traditional end to the summer. Here in Florida students are already in school, but up north classes will start next week or the week afterward. Wouldn't you love to take a three-day weekend just to relax?

Don't do that this weekend. If you have a full time job, a three day weekend is a great time to take stock of your projects. Block out some time to review your material. I like to work early in the morning before everyone gets up, but you may work better at night, or right after lunch. That actual time you pick is not as important as your reserving time for your idea, just like you would for a meeting with your children's teacher or your favorite TV show.

Write a summary (no more than a paragraph) of your project status -- it's either in first draft, second draft, being polished, or finished. If it's finished, send it out. If it's not finished, write down three things that you need in order to finish it. Pick a date by which you want to accomplish them. Then do them.

It's so easy to get caught up in a daily routine of work, family, errands, food, and entertainment that we lose sight of our creative goals. Time passes and that movie, television idea, or novel stays in your drawer. Don't let that happen to you. Take time this weekend to work toward your dream.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Five Tips for Effective Evaluations

How many of us dread facing a friend who hands us their latest work and casually asks, "Could you look this over and let me know what you think?" I remember going to see a theater showcase in New York some years ago that was the worst show I ever saw. After the house lights came on the entire audience remained in their seats. We were all friends of one member of the production or another, and dreaded going backstage to see them because we had nothing positive to say. Finally, I settled on shaking their hand and saying, "Good isn't the word."

But we must learn to honestly evaluate our work and others, if we're going to create more compelling, effective entertainment. Here are some tips that I've used over the years as a theatre director, television programmer, and writer, that can help you evaluate better without hurting too much.

1. Praise First -- there's usually something good you can say about anything. Say it first, and the criticism becomes less harsh.

2. If there's nothing good to say at all, just pick out one thing that's particularly bad and talk about that. At least that will improve in the next draft.

3. Point out areas where you were confused and lost the story line. A good phrase to use is, "I wasn't sure why you did ..." or "I think I lost the thread of the story on this page (or this timecode)..."

4. Be specific -- point out page numbers and paragraphs (or scenes of the movie) or lines where you have questions. Avoid general comments like "it should be funnier," or "it lacked drama."

5. Praise last -- Always end on a positive note. Remind your friend or colleague that there's promise in the material and it will get better if they work to improve it. That will encourage them to revise and improve the idea.

Remember that no one can be sure what show, movie, or novel will achieve popular success. Every network passed on The Cosby Show before NBC took it. Studios paid top dollar for the screenplay of 'Showgirls.' Your friend's idea could become a hit, too. So praise and encourage, and be specific.