It’s About Making Babies!

Oh, wow. I read a Wired.com article, that points out how TV revenue is falling fast (and just in time for All Digital TV come February 12, 2009).

We know this can end our favorite programs. After decades of showcasing young talent, and entertaining families and old folks, the Lawrence Welk show was canceled. Commanding much audience respect and delight, commanding by far the audience share of it’s time slot – there wasn’t enough advertising revenue to keep the show on the air. It seems Geritol had pretty much saturated the older audience market, and none of the other advertisers felt the money would pay off. No advertising, no show.

Advertising revenue is down, like, some -2.5% for September (-8% for 2009), depending on what you read, for TV shows. And their is another strike looming. Some pundit claims this will be the final death of TV networks – the audience has moved to the internet, the revenue for TV is shrinking, yada, yada.

What I see is that with more people being entertained on YouTube, fewer are drooling over George Clooney or whoever it is this year.

Remember how TV started with sitcoms? The Phil Silvers Show (takeoff on “No Time for Sergeants”), The Andy Griffith Show, Jackie Gleason’s The Honeymooners? I love Lucy (OK, there are enough reruns so someone likely remembers that last). Cheap. Cheap sets, cheap theatrics. Modest story lines told well (sometimes!).

The first 30-40 years of movies was the story of poverty. Studios signed actors to a term contract, make so-many pictures or whatever we want for a year or three. A very few got more perks, lots of movies got made for very little money.

Edward Burns made “She’s The One” on a shoestring, relatively, about $3 million. It made money.

There has always been an interest in amateur and community theatre. How about a return to the earlier models? Start up a new network studio(with no legacy union contracts), offer term contracts. Abandon most of the technology and special effects. Refuse to cater to ‘names’. Get the budget down to what the advertising revenue will support.

Community theatre still draws communities together, explores ideas and customs, and enriches lives. Instead of striving for the big blockbusters, bring more community theatre presentations out.

There are many romantics that would love a chance to perform, would like a bit more cash – especially if the studio were to provide minimal housing and food while working.

A minimal approach works on YouTube – look at the amount of exposure BlendTec has garnered with it’s “Will It Blend” segments.

The credit crisis may cause advertisers to cut or eliminate budgets. This will pressure productions to take up a new business model, may end individual (currently) lucrative careers, and may give consumers and advertisers more control over what gets funded for broadcast. But there is still going to be people wanting to advertise, there are still people wanting to perform. And there are still studios and broadcasters wanting to put the pieces together for our entertainment.

Heck, shudder at the thought that we could see a 90-120 prime time program following a college student – including the class lectures for a particular course. Of course, today’s 10-12 episodes per year won’t cut it, when college classes meet once to five times a week. But a cheaper format for a weekly show? Or twice daily – perhaps with audience testing and credits awarded for taking the central course. Why, just fielding course-related questions, would open new opportunities. One hour of course lecture, the rest of the time following two or three students to their dorms, activities, dates. And studying, in case the folks are watching.

What about a weekly high school program – follow a school band through practice to the Friday football/basketball game, through the game and the (live) half-time. Different schools each week. I mean, we *know* for dead, certain sure that school bands build better character, better citizens. Why not promote a couple-three?