Comments on: NBC's Zucker: 'Seinfeld' wouldn't make it today

NBC Universal chief says that shows don't have as much time to mature. While there is room for hits, average shows are too expensive to maintain.

[dascha1]

He's right you know. Today's content is not the plain, simple, and good, and sometimes mean, folks acting anymore (B&W and color). The light-heartedness, and the fanciful music, is no longer. The fusion of a bad (as in good) person dressed in dark, with darker light, with a twisted theme is the perceived 'norm' it seems currently. That may be because NBC, along with thousands and thousands of other businesses now (vs. the 4-channel older generation) are struggling with Zipf's law - a frequency over rank system. There are too many channels for any individual to commit to now (channel surfing has won) and so time to watch dwindles, reducing the ad revenue for each show (i.e. bigger hits now share money for lower hits except for paid programming).

As for me, I'm ready to cut back on electric media. When DTV goes live I can watch just a handful of stations which could save me a lot of money and also reduce manual repetition hitting buttons all the time when I should be relaxing at home.

[Earl Benzar]

It won't be long before we start getting direct-to-web shows that bypass the traditional networks altogether. The days of big content are drawing ever so slowly to a close.

[retroboy77]

Why can't they go back to the old model with reruns and the such? It worked before, why wouldn't it work again? For a while there it was profitible to air new content during all primetime hours, now that that doesn't work anymore why no fall back to reruns. CBS does it, and it's working for them, god know it's not the content that's drawing people back to CBS and not to NBC.

[doogs--2008]

A few reasons...

1) DVRs make it easier for a pretty big swath of people to keep up with episodes.

2) Serials like Lost, 24, Heroes, et al (pretty much any show that begins with "previously on...") don't work well as reruns since some random mid-season episode won't stand too well on its own.

3) Proliferation of cable channels and more new and worthwhile content means people aren't stuck watching reruns or nothing.

[myles taylor]

Smart man. especially about the Hulu thing. The answer to pirating is to create better and more affordable legal ways to get content. Fighting it only creates more problems for you.

I agree that shows need to be higher quality. Audiences want instant quality, rather than letting a show build. Of course, that means we lose some of the deeper, slower storylines that really build up, but it happens.

[karpenterskids]

You, Myles, should work for these companies! (Minus Hulu, since they already have their heads on straight)

You know what you're talking about. I couldn't have said it better myself.

[PhaseDMA]

Yep. That's why syndication doesn't work anymore.

Oh wait. It does.

Old shows and new alike.

[professionaladventurer]

The overall TV experience today is pretty disappointing.

[sting7k]

TV is in a sad state for me. I used to watch too much I would say. But now few shows even interest me. The only regulars I keep up with are 24 and South Park. Almost all the network shows are pretty bad or are the same; ie it's always some evil company behind everything in every show.

The best shows now are on cable; FX, AMC, and USA have really stepped up their original shows the past few years. I love them; Damages, Rescure Me, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Burn Notice. The best part is I can still catch re-runs of them if I miss one.

[James7777777]

I think television never really recovered from the writer's strike. It forced people to get up from their couches and participate in other activities, usually more stimulating then television. Now networks have to convince people to sit back down and become couch potatoes and everyone I know isn't interested.

[cp256]

NBC has merely become parent GE's publicity arm, pushing the political candidates and ideology that GE believes will be their salvation. All you had to do was watch MSNBC's interview of GE head Jeffrey Immelt on the white house lawn pitching the green initiatives for the Obama administration that will funnel billions of taxpayer dollars into GE's coffers. Can anyone honestly believe that GE would hang on to the swiftly sinking NBC ship if it were otherwise? If not for GE's agenda, NBC would have been begging for a bailout by now. I thought GE would dump NBC after the Olympics and I was praying for a stock price bump to dump it. It didn't happen and I finally sold it at $21.00, thank goodness. It's at $13.20 today and that's up quite a bit from its lows, but still absolutely pathetic.

[ikramerica--2008]

No doubt. Their "green week" with all NBC networks spouting propaganda is not out of the goodness of their hearts. it's because GE knows that they will get oodles of government money from the "greening" of industry while we waste tax dollars replacing things that DON'T NEED REPLACING while letting things that do need replacing continue to decay.

[ewsachse]

And FOX is the mouthpiece of all conservatives, all the time.

24 is the biggest conservative masturbatory hour on the air. All these idiotic ticking time bombs and senseless torturing of people to find the bomb. Seriously, if a bomb was going off in an hour or two and the terrorist was committed enough, the would just endure the torture or face death to succeed. However, that does not work in right-wing fantasy land. Several of the Republican presidential primary candidates actually referred to Jack Bauer in their debates. The guy is not real, and neither is that show. Fools!

[Xenite227]

The higher up's at NBC need shot, they are in third place yet they cancel two of their most popular shows in Medium and My name is Earl. And CBS picked up the option for Medium so now all those viewers will be switching to watch CBS's Friday lineup.

With management skills like that they deserve to be in third place.

[ralfthedog]

TV needs to become even more network agnostic. When I watch TV I don't care what network the show is on. I also don't care when the show is on. DVR's have removed those limitations. The networks should extend the trend. When NBC decides to drop Chuck and Heroes for a new two hour show "So You Think You Can Fart (Celebrity Addition)" They should either syndicate those shows out or auction out the rights to another network.

Please NBC, do something good with the SciFi network. It has the opportunity to cater to a demographic that has unlimited funds and an IQ that lets them spend it well. Bring in some real science fiction writers as consultants and have them help you with your programing choices. You will see a short dip in income followed by a big spike. Your one problem will be contract negotiations. When your shows start ruling the ratings your actors, writers and directors will start asking for more money (Also remember, actors don't make a show a hit. it is the writers).

Talk to S. M. Stirling about doing a TV show derived from his Change books. Talk to Walter Jon Williams about doing a space opera (Like BSG) that will have great ratings but not cost a lot in special effects (Hint it is all about the characters).

[paulej]

Out of curiosity, what percentage of viewers have largely left television entirely -- or at least left the prime-time? Do people keep up with what shows are on?

I could not even tell you what shows are on during prime-time anymore on any network. And I ask myself why. I think the answer is that there are way more things to do these days, whether it is hobbies, work, doing something with the family, or many other forms of entertainment. If I really want to sit down to watch TV, there are always Netflix movies sitting beside the TV I can watch.

Am I in a small minority or is there a growing number of people who just do not watch prime-time TV anymore?

[ralfthedog]

Yes, you are in a minority (Perhaps not a small one) and yes, the number of people in your minority is growing. I don't know anyone who watches TV when TV is on. Most TV watchers have some kind of DVR (I have more than one with several TB external hard drives. I tend to record full seasons of shows in HD, then watch them all at once when I hit a slow spot at work.).

The only time I watch Live TV is when I am tracking the stock market, watching the news, or we have bad weather. Where I live not having the TV on in bad weather can get you killed.

[abcd9009]

Have to give it up to him. For once someone in the top level understands and is open to embracing technology unlike RIAA where suing people is the only solution.

[alchemistmuffin]

I have to agree with Mr. Z here, but without anything good on NBC within next few weeks, or months, NBC WILL GO BANKRUPT this year, they will not survive 2009.

Especially when the network is in 5th place, and My Network TV is almost about to beat NBC. If they do not bring themselves back up to fourth place, they will need to get bailout money soon.

NBC, the only solution is to bring more good content. I know you might have moral standard, but come on, take the show on the edgier direction. Cause some controversy. This is how you get attention. Don't copy someone else, be very very original.

[karpenterskids]

Controversy usually works...but only at the cost of our nation's morality.

In other words...it's NOT WORTH IT.
If it ends up working, all the other stations will try to mimic it as well, until everyone's doing it.

Better to go down by yourself, rather than drag everyone down with you.

[ewsachse]

My Network TV does not even have the nationwide coverage that NBC has, so you are completely clueless.

Please sit down and stop talking out of your second mouth.

[martin_c_e]

No wonder NBC is in 4th place aiming for 5th place behind The CW. Zucker is an idiot. He thinks the cable companies can keep his networks running by forcing everyone to pay for all those channels that most people don't watch.

Most of the comments so far are just so much crap. Most people are watching prime time broadcast shows, maybe using a vcr or dvr. Ota-dtv is free and for all you snobs, why are you paying for cable?

From what I read, the ISPs and wireless companies are trying to figure out how to increase your cost for watching HULU. They may just succeed.

[ikramerica--2008]

Absolutely. As downloading of shows increases, SOMEBODY has to pay for it. The "free ride" of HULU, Youtube, etc. is going to come to an end, where they are going to be responsible for the delivery of their content, and then they'll have to find a way to support the costs. Either that, or the consumer is going to have to pay per GB or per show, or, possibly, there will be fees at both ends.

But right now, there's a reason that Hulu can get by showing 3 commercials per 1/2 hour. Because everyone else is footing the bill for their delivery. It's not a viable business model that could support new content in any way.

[groink_hi]

Do what the Japanese TV market does. Instead of having series that last for several seasons, a typical Japanese drama series lasts only 12 episodes. The Japanese TV season is split into four (winter, spring, summer, autumn,) and each season the major networks refresh their entire line-ups with entirely new shows. Keep in mind that the Japanese watch TV way more than Americans. And this mini-series like format is very popular among all of Asia. BTW, their commercials are also a lot more interesting - another thing American TV advertisers can focus on improving.

[sirlance26]

Jeff Zucker is a complete idoit! Televison can be save but when you dumb ass executives with their thumb up their ass and only care about profits and shares and it cheapned the quality product then you will always lose and bee in third place! That where NBC is 3rd Jeff! NBC always had good shows, but he just like the rest of them dont give a damn. NBC continues to slash budgets left and right, but how come they still pay this dick millions! The shareholders at GE need to fire his ass now!

[kyle5434]

"Instant hit" and "quality" are almost always mutually exclusive, and Zucker, just like the record label bozos, haven't got a clue about developing and cultivating quality content. Expecting immediate success is a characteristic of immature children, not wise and intelligent grown-ups who understand that success almost always takes a great deal of work and time.

[windbag1000]

Wow. Zucker's no longer content ruining television in the present day - now he wants to retroactively cancel NBC's past successes like Seinfeld. Keep this guy away from a time machine. And why can't he shut up about how technology will let his shows be seen anywhere? Who cares where you can see NBC shows if no one wants to watch them in the first place? The 11 year descent of NBC is building momentum, especially when the overnight ratings for Leno's second and third week at 10pm come in.

[wango2007]

"Zucker noted that "Seinfeld" would probably not make it in today's environment."

-----

Yet Seinfeld is shown repeatedly in syndication, and that means people like it. Could Zucker be out of touch with mainstream America?

TV is becoming more of a useless wasteland that it has ever been before. Too much of the same stuff, 15 minutes of commercials each hour, too much content focusing on the particular political agendas held by the networks. Why is TV so bad? Too many Zucker-like people in charge.

Just turn it off. You won't be missing much.

[ewsachse]

TV has broadcast 15 minutes of commercials since the 1980's. The trend away from 50 minute shows in an hour time slot started in the late 1970's.

Please learn some history and get with the program.