My TV Draft 1.0 Choices
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So many of my interests have been lining up this week. Not only have the brackets taken over my life, but the good folks at the Hollywood Reporter have talked about doing drafts! Tim Goodman lays out the rules as follows:
What it might be like if cable channels, networks and streaming services were in a “league” and a new channel/network/streamer was allowed into the league and, to get started, was given the chance to cherry pick 25 series from the others in the league. Creating a well-rounded streaming platform where viewers would be sufficiently enticed to want to spend $10.99 a month on it…A key rule: Picking a series gives you access to all the previous seasons. That’s huge. Less key rule: Series selected have to be, loosely, in production (otherwise I’d pick 30 Rock, The Wire, The Sopranos, Mad Men, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, etc.).
This is a really fun activity and cool way to analyze how the Peak TV era has played out. I gave myself some additional rules in that I could only choose the following amounts:
5 network: Fox, CBS, CW, ABC, NBC
5 basic cable: FX, ESPN, etc.
5 premium cable: HBO, Starz, Cinemax
5 streaming: Hulu, Amazon, Netflix, Crackle, CBS All Access
5 miniseries/anthology
Cause after all, you don’t stockpile quarterbacks when you need a variety of positions. This would force me to be even more balanced and judicious…and allow me to get more FX content. On to the choices!
Network
The Big Bang Theory
Scandal
Supernatural
The X-Files
NCIS
For my Network selections I valued shows with huge catalogs that can be comfort food for the viewer. I also want the back catalogue of The X-Files and the original binge worthy show Scandal, to keep viewers on my service.
Basic Cable
The Walking Dead
Archer
Schitts Creek
Drag Race
Dr. Who
Now here is is where I am picking strictly for strategy reasons. I do not and will not watch The Walking Dead, but you’d be a fool not to take it super high in a draft. To be honest, it would be a battle for #1 with this and Game of Thrones. From there I want buzzy series (Schitts Creek and Drag Race) and mainstays that will force you to keep watching (Dr. Who and Archer).
Premium Cable
Game of Thrones
Veep
Outlander
Power
Sesame Street
This was the hardest section of shows to curate. Of course you want Game of Thrones as your #1 overall pic and Veep provides you beaucoop Emmy wins and a deep roster of episodes. I then shifted my focus to Starz which was two underrated ratings winners in Outlander and Power. Then, in a twist of fate due to the TV landscape, I get to take Sesame Street and it’s insane catalog of episodes for the children.
Streaming
Star Trek Discovery
Trollhunters
My Hero Academia
Dark
Jessica Jones
It is important to diversify your audience and streaming gives me the greatest opportunity to do that. I will take the 50 years of Trek fans and their sparkly new show Discovery as well as the Marvel stans with the highly regarded Jessica Jones. I also want to compete with the other streaming networks in the anime sphere and My Hero Academia has broken through into the mainstream. To round this out, I’d take Trollhunters for the kids and Dark for the adults.
Miniseries/Anthology
Manhunt: Unabom
American Crime Story
Fargo
30for30
Black Mirror
I will let you know I created this category specifically to cheat and add more shows. I think that every streaming service needs that one thing from another channel that no one saw and they can exploit a la Manhunt: Unabom. For the others, I wanted critically acclaimed series. 30 for 30 is the wild card pick and I would love to lure the doc and sports audiences to my service.
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