As competition from streaming video services has intensified for TV viewers, cable network AMC is throwing away the script 鈥� at least some of the time.
Recently, AMC aired a documentary series on the history of science fiction narrated by acclaimed filmmaker James Cameron. In June, the cable channel will launch a live companion talk show for its new scripted series 鈥淒ietland.鈥�
While AMC is still committed to making dramas such as 鈥淏etter Call Saul鈥� and the long-running zombie apocalypse mega-hit 鈥淭he Walking Dead,鈥� it is increasing its dependence on nonfiction series, documentaries and live talk shows.
The network will devote 65 hours to unscripted programming this year, more than double the level in 2015.
The push has been accelerated by rapid shifts in the TV industry. Adding lower-cost unscripted fare will give AMC more hours of original programs, which has become a necessity as cable networks are fighting to keep video-streaming consumers from dropping or slimming down their pay-TV subscriptions.
What鈥檚 more, making Emmy Award-winning hits such as 鈥淢ad Men鈥� and 鈥淏reaking Bad鈥� is expensive and AMC can鈥檛 match what Netflix, Amazon, Apple and others are spending as the tech giants make a big push into TV production.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to make really good scripted television and it鈥檚 expensive,鈥� said David Madden, who became president of original programming for AMC, Sundance TV and AMC Studios last year after a long stint at Fox鈥檚 TV operation. 鈥淔or a network to have a broad enough portfolio to keep the audience watching it, we need more unscripted programming.鈥�
Though AMC Networks reported record earnings last year, ad revenue dropped nearly 10 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2017 compared with a year ago.
The pivot to unscripted television has been subtle as the network has kept its projects in line with its signature programming. AMC鈥檚 reality series 鈥淩ide With Norman Reedus鈥� features the 鈥淲alking Dead鈥� star touring the country on his Triumph Tiger motorcycle and will begin its third season this year.
鈥淚t鈥檚 fun making stuff,鈥� said Reedus, who is preparing to pitch another nonfiction show to AMC. 鈥淚 like being in front of the camera, but it鈥檚 also nice to be on the decision-making side too.鈥�
AMC, which once stood for American Movie Classics, has long been the home of the 鈥� Godfather鈥� movie franchise, and used that association to launch 鈥淢aking of the Mob,鈥� an original miniseries that mixed documentary footage with reenactments to tell the history of organized crime in the U.S.
Such nonfiction fare is much cheaper to produce 鈥� about 75 per cent less than the budget for a scripted program, which typically costs more than $5 million an hour. AMC鈥檚 additional unscripted shows also are displacing its theatrical movies, which have become more widely available on streaming services.
Madden says he believes drama fans come to the network with the expectation of seeing a quality show. The network is aiming to set the same standard on the unscripted side with 鈥淎MC Visionaries: James Cameron鈥檚 Story of Science Fiction.鈥�
The six-episode documentary series features the director of 鈥淎liens,鈥� 鈥淭erminator鈥� and 鈥淎vatar鈥� getting together with a few of his friends (including Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ridley Scott and Guillermo del Toro) to explore the genre they helped build over their careers.
鈥淎MC Visionaries鈥� serves as an example of how an unscripted project 鈥渙ffers us a chance to get talent to the network who might not be as easily lured here on the scripted side,鈥� Madden said.
While Cameron may not be available (or affordable) for a scripted TV series, he was happy to sign on for a project where he could talk shop with his peers on camera.
Cameron said he jumped at the concept when Eliot Goldberg, AMC鈥檚 senior vice president for nonfiction programming, first approached him about it several years ago.
鈥淭his is something I have imagined doing many times over the years,鈥� Cameron told The Times. 鈥淚 was kind of inspired by Martin Scorsese鈥檚 series on film noir. He was so knowledgeable on that subject that having his voice lead us into that realm was pretty fascinating. I said, 鈥橶hy don鈥檛 we do that with science fiction?鈥� If this succeeds, I can see doing a heck of a lot more.鈥�
With Cameron in the fold, AMC has been able to line up other big names to front documentary series under the 鈥淰isionaries鈥� banner. Director Eli Roth is set to do a history of horror, while Questlove, drummer for the Roots, has signed on to explore the story of hip-hop.
Talking about movies and TV shows is a lot cheaper than making them, and AMC is attempting to turn pop culture conversation into an industry.
Over the years, its live 鈥渁ftershows鈥� 鈥� water-cooler chats hosted by Chris Hardwick that follow the first runs of the episodes of its biggest hits 鈥� have become a staple of the channel. (The 鈥淭alking Dead鈥� session that ran after the Season 8 premiere of 鈥淭he Walking Dead鈥� last year drew 3.1 million viewers in the 18-to-49 age group.)
AMC is expanding the concept with a new live talk show that will air after 鈥淒ietland,鈥� the network鈥檚 upcoming scripted series with Julianna Margulies that sends up the beauty and weight-loss industries. The network is hopeful the feminist revenge fantasy launching on June 4 will become part of the current public discourse over the empowerment of women spurred by the #MeToo movement.
The planned 鈥淒ietland鈥� aftershow, which does not yet have a title or host, will cover topical issues that go beyond what happens on the episode.
鈥淭he dual purpose is to support the show, to connect the fans with this new completely groundbreaking show for AMC, and then 1/8have3/8 really a much broader conversation on the #MeToo movement that is not being serviced on television,鈥� Madden said.
AMC鈥檚 live aftershows are also an incentive to watch the network鈥檚 scripted series live when they run with a full load of commercials. Goldberg says having a live conversation run right after the airing of an episode helps preserve the habit of showing up to watch at a set time each week so fans can discuss the shared experience with their friends.
鈥溾�橶alking Dead鈥� wouldn鈥檛 be the show that it is if it did not have a slow week-to-week rollout, where you get to savor it and talk about it and come back next week and do it again,鈥� Goldberg said.
Michael Morris, a financial analyst for Guggenheim Securities who follows AMC鈥檚 parent company AMC Networks, says most cable networks face an uphill battle against Netflix and its ability to provide a huge amount of content without commercials and at a price that is well below the typical pay-TV subscription. But he said AMC鈥檚 nonfiction strategy can be effective.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a cost-effective way to stay engaged with your core audience and your dedicated fans,鈥� Morris said. 鈥淚t also creates urgency around the discussion of the shows that helps bolster live viewing,鈥�
AMC executives are aware that binge-watching shows is a reality and have started to adapt their business to the trend. All six episodes of 鈥淎MC Visionaries鈥� with Cameron can be viewed starting Monday on AMC Premiere, the service launched last year that offers the network鈥檚 programming on demand and commercial-free for an additional monthly fee.
AMC Premiere is available to 20 million Comcast cable customers and will soon be offered to subscribers to the over-the-top streaming service YouTube TV.
Meanwhile, the network鈥檚 signature show, 鈥淭he Walking Dead,鈥� is showing signs of age in its eighth season. While still the top drama on TV for viewers younger than 50, the show has seen its audience decline 30 percent from last year. Still, Madden says there is plenty of life left in the series and there is no discussion of winding it down.
鈥淧eople are really happy when they like what we do on 鈥橶alking Dead,鈥� and they get mad at us when they don鈥檛 like what we do,鈥� Madden said. 鈥淎ny show that arouses that much passion must be doing something right.鈥�
