The Fall Season

When I was growing up I eagerly anticipated TV Guide's Fall Season preview issue. This thick book contained pictures, stars, and premises for every fall show on ABC, CBS, and NBC's schedule (only three broadcast networks back then). I read each show description thoroughly, planning my viewing for the fall. I loved the book because it was full of promise -- here were all the new shows that the networks believed would entertain us, every one a potential hit.

Of course, most of the new shows weren't hits and disappeared from the schedule after a few months, or at the end of the television year in May. The networks could afford this waste of resources because the rest of their business was so profitable. When I started working in the television business, Network presidents were already proclaiming the death of the fall season. Although competition from cable and other broadcast outlets was just beginning, it was already eroding some of the profit margin. This margin would continue to erode over time as did network viewership. The competitive pressure forced networks to do things like cancel shows after one or two episodes, try more summer replacements, and launch shows outside the traditional fall window. However, they did not kill the fall season. In a couple of weeks magazines and web sites that follow television will be full of information about the new network shows and about changes in the returning network hits. Why is the fall season still around?

1. The fall season fits the rhythm of life in America. Most people in our country still vacation in the summer. School is out. People are outdoors more. It makes sense for the networks to fish where the fish are, and start series in the fall when viewers start staying home evenings.

2. The realities of production: It can take ten days or more to shoot and edit a one hour television drama, and an army of people working on multiple projects to keep it going and make deadlines. These people need a break to recharge their batteries, plan their next season, and work on other projects. Many of them also have families and like having some time off during the summer.

4. It makes business sense. Networks have limited resources. They can't afford to have great shows on all year round. The traditional model of pitching in the fall and creating pilots in the spring still works the best in most cases. Otherwise, they would have changed it years ago.

This doesn't mean there aren't exceptions to the rule. But until our national habits change radically, I expect the fall premiere season will remain with us. So start polishing your program pitches and get ready to hit the networks in the coming weeks.