Variety hat HBO als Showman of the year gekürt und dazu eine ganze Reihe von Interviews und Artikeln online.
http://www.variety.com/latest-news/show ... -year-HBO/
Am interessantesten sicherlich das Interview mit dem Programmchef und Co-Präsidenten, dass auch auf künftige Serien eingeht, aber auch die Informationen über das Geschäftsmodell inkl. einiger bestätigter Budgets sind lesenswert.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118026455
What pleased you most this year?
Michael Lombardo: I think the most exciting thing is that people are not just talking about one show. You can never predict how any specific show is going to land, but I'm feeling that there's an excitement about a number of programs on the air.
Richard Plepler: I think that's perfectly said, and I would add that we have excitement across of a lot of different categories. So "Eastbound & Down" is addictive for millions of people in our audience, and for them that's the new big show. For other people, it's "True Blood"; for others, it's "In Treatment" and for other people, it's "Boardwalk Empire." So to have that kind of passion engagement across so many different shows with our audience, that's building the kind of creative force we've strived toward from the beginning.
Was there concern about whether "Boardwalk Empire's" would succeed, given that it cost so much and Steve Buscemi is so largely known for his character work and not as a lead?
ML: Certainly not the latter. Can we be honest? There's always a certain amount of anxiety about whether the show will turn out as good as you hope it does. But in this case, when we had Marty Scorsese and Terry Winter at the helm, it was, I have to tell you, this wasn't the one that caused us any upset stomachs. From the get-go, we knew that they knew exactly what they were going for. They had a very clear vision. Every page of the script we saw was right on in terms of what they had promised us, and every piece of film we saw was better than they had promised us.
Is renewing a show for a second season right after its pilot, as you did with "Boardwalk Empire" and "Treme," something you want to do more of in the future?
ML: I think there are two things going on. One is we had seen the shows, and if we're true to what we say we are, which is "It's not all about ratings," the quality was there. We knew that those shows -- in terms of delivering on what they promised us -- deserved another year. If they couldn't find their audience in the first year, they deserved a second year because they were going to find an audience. And the second thing, for shows that require an enormous writing period, we absolutely are committed to bring them back within a 12-month period as opposed to what was going on here about a number of years ago when we were having 18-month hiatuses between shows, even two-year hiatuses. We are very mindful of the viewer response, but we do believe that a good show will grow in support over time, that people will find quality, and we wanted to get the writers back in the room. It was a combination of those factors that led us to make those decisions very quickly.
RP: We also knew those shows were quintessentially on-brand to what we believe defines HBO programming. So, as Mike said, we had seen them all, we knew they were the essence of what we think HBO is, which is differentiation in quality. So it actually wasn't a very complicated decision to do it that quickly.
Can you put the ratings numbers in perspective between a show that scores really high like "Boardwalk Empire" and a show that scores really low like "Treme"?
RP: "That's a good question. The perfect match, obviously, is when you have something that is both critically acclaimed and does a large audience, but we are not parsing to say that if "Boardwalk" had done a lesser number that we somehow would've been disappointed with what is the promise of that show. We believe that if we continue to produce work that's excellent across all of our different categories, that enhances the brand and, at the end of the day, what we're doing is we are selling that brand to our customers. So, again, the ultimate metrics is quality, if that quality happens to also resonate with the popular culture, all the better.
Do you get subscription spikes during the launch of a new show or season?
ML: The truth of the matter is the spikes don't happen. The truth of the matter is so much about our business is dependent on the marketing and positioning by the cable operators and satellite deliverers, that unless they're offering an interesting pricing package in connection with the premiere of a show, it's hard for us to move the subscriber dial on one show alone. I would say almost impossible.
RP: People used to ask incredulously, and still do, "Oh, are you saying when 'True Blood' airs, your subs don't go up? Or when 'Boardwalk' is on they don't go up? Or in the old days, 'The Sopranos?' " The truth is, no.
So you're not seeing any churning cycles?
ML: We always see churn. Churn exists all the time as people move. That happens. But what you don't see is a spike in a period when one show is on, and it come down when that show is off. We believe it's the combination of all of our programming -- being of a high quality across all the genres that we play in -- over time, that's where the strength is, and that's what we'll read as a success. It's not any one program.
What's your most difficult these days?
ML: Honestly, and maybe this is a position we wouldn't have been three years ago when we took this job, it's saying no to projects that are really good, but we just don't have the room for, or more importantly, we don't need right now. That is the hardest part. Saying no to good material and good projects.
RP: It's a high-class problem, but that is the most difficult thing. How do you say no to something that is differentiated, that is of high quality, but we just don't have the real estate for it right now? That's the toughest thing.
In the next year, you will have roughly 17 original series on the air. That's a lot of bandwidth. Is there a limit to what you are capable of putting on the air in terms of marketing dollars spent and other promotion?
RP: It's not only that, it's simple real estate. We are there with 52 Sundays of programming, and that's not including our movies, docs, miniseries, specials and Bill (Maher). We are there.
ML: Yeah, next year will be our first year that, I think, when we look at the schedule for what we've penciled in and we will have literally 52 Sundays of the year with an original series and, in the case of "Mildred Pierce," miniseries blocks throughout the entire year."
ML: "I think is the limitation for us -- in the series business at least -- is managing the Sunday night real estate. Again, will we ever go past the Sunday night? We're absolutely thinking about it, talking about it, but right now the focus is on making sure we have strong, exciting, high-quality shows every Sunday night. That's what we're doing right now.
Several years back, you went to Monday night, right?
RP: We did that with "Big Love." That was more a scheduling play than a real estate play. We would never say never but, as you point out correctly, at some point there may be a law of diminishing returns. Because we have original movies, 22 or 23 documentaries, miniseries and specials, we're quite pregnant with quality stuff across a wide range of categories, so we'll see. The door is hardly closed, though. We're taking pitches.
ML: We need new shows. We're still piloting, but we can't pilot every script that's being developed, and we're not ordering every series in pilot. And unfortunately, we're seeing some really interesting, good, high-quality work that we're not able to proceed to pilot with, and that's the hardest part, honestly.
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Are you concerned about "Game of Thrones," considering that it's a wholly new genre for you?
RP: I would just say this: While it is a different genre, the storytelling piece, meaning the themes that it takes up -- power and strife and people vying for their piece of the crown, metaphorically -- those are themes that have been all over the network for years. And David Benioff, who's the creator, had a wonderful line at the very beginning of this project. He said, "You'll quickly forget where you are, because the themes are universal." Having read all the scripts, I think that's absolutely true.
ML: At this point, we have not seen any cuts. All we have seen are dailies.
RP: And the pilot. It's beautiful.
ML: So we're excited and nervous as we would be with any new show. The fan base is a challenge because they love the books, and you really have to deliver a show that delivers on the expectations of that fan base. They follow every piece of casting news, but I think we're going to do that.
RP: (Author) George R.R. Martin, who's been on set and been a part of it, has been publicly very supportive of the care that the producers have taken in making sure that we deliver on that promise.
And sci-fi fans and fantasy who have been very satisfied with "True Blood" are probably willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.
ML: You know the interesting thing about this show is I am not a sci-fi fan, and this show really transcends the genre. When we first read the pilot script, there is nothing that really gives you a full hint of the magic in the Martin books. It's a bunch of compelling and well-crafted stories. There are such interesting and complex characters that we were excited by the drama, not by the genre. I hope people don't look at this as a genre play and refrain from taking a look at it, because I think it is much more than that.
RP: I think it'll satisfy the passion of its natural fan base, but also intrigue and satisfy those people who might not typically be connected to the sci-fi genre. That would be fantastic for us, and I think that's really likely.
When will the show premiere?
RP: Second quarter.
How are David Milch and Michael Mann working together on "Luck?"
ML: I will say they are working really well together. I think they learned a lot about each other during the pilot.
And Michael is involved with the whole series?
ML: Yes. He will be running the production on the show, the visual and production on the show, for the first season at least.
How far will it delve into the nuances of horse racing? Will the general public be able to pick it up immediately?
RP: Absolutely. It's accessible to the non-horse racing aficionado. I know nothing about horse racing, and it was a very, very clear translation for me, and I think the viewer will feel the same.
And when is that set to air?
ML: Again, we're looking at either fourth quarter of '11 or first quarter '12.
How are Alan Ball's "All Signs of Death" and your other pilots coming along?
ML: I spoke with Alan last week. He's very excited about it. We haven't gotten a cut, but we hope to see it within a couple of weeks. We're starting production on a lower budget halfhour in New York by a very talented young woman named Lena Dunham, and we're looking at a few halfhours right now.
And how is the John Logan/Kathryn Bigelow "The Miraculous Year" coming?
ML: We just received a cut over the weekend, and we're going to take a look at it and have some conversations. So we just got that in.
And "Tilda," which acts as a parallel for Nikki Finke?
ML: We met with Bill Condon and two writers who have been brought in. It's one of those instances where, after the pilot, we sort of discovered some truth about what the series needed to be. And Alan Poul has been attached as an exec producer, and then we have added Alexa Junge and John Hoffman as writer-exec producers to work with Bill Condon to conceptualize the series should it go forward. We're still very excited about it."
Bei game of Thrones wusste man ja, dass es wohl März/April starten soll, aber mit Luck hätte ich doch etwas früher als Winter 2011 oder Frühjahr 2012 gerechnet. Ich fürchte ja fast eher Frühjahr 2012, denn da ist der Platz von Big Love frei und sie werden es kaum zusammen mit Boardwalk bewerben wollen.
Tilda scheint wirklich in Gefahr, denn es gibt kein positives Wort über die Pilotfolge und eine Neuausrichtung geht oft in die Hose.
Creative freedom enhances series
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Instead, HBO gambled on "Boardwalk Empire," investing a reported $65 million for the pilot and 12-episode first season, and hit the jackpot.
Since its Sept. 19 premiere, the sweeping period drama, which also boasts Martin Scorsese among its pedigreed set of exec producers, has garnered near-universal critical acclaim and triumphed in viewership. (Its first episode was the most-watched debut on the pay cabler since "Deadwood" in 2004 and has, to date, been seen by more than 14 million viewers.)
More importantly, the series, which quickly locked up an order for a second season the day after the premiere, has proven that HBO is still capable of wowing auds with the sort of lavish, provocative big productions that were once the series' division's signature.
"We want to give our viewers an experience they can't get anywhere else, because they're paying for our service," Naegle says. "We want that experience to be beautiful and cinematic. It's very important to us that our shows have high production value, as well as great actors and (top-tier talent) across the board."
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Equally as clearly, that selectivity pays off. Since 1998, every HBO miniseries produced except one has won the Emmy for top miniseries, including the 10-hour World War II epic "The Pacific." Exec produced by Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, "The Pacific," which boasted an unprecedented budget of $195 million according to Goetzman, was vast in scope yet obsessed with period details.
Antholis responds that appearances notwithstanding, the network is budget-conscious. "We do aim for epic even if we're not spending epics amounts of money," he says.
"John Adams" was scaled back from an initial 10-hour miniseries to seven, "Generation Kill" was cut from eight hours to seven and even "The Pacific" was truncated from an original 13-hour production.
As for those who wondered how HBO could justify spending $195 million on "The Pacific" -- its premiere episode was seen by just 4 million viewers on the night it premiered -- Antholis explains that the net takes a further-reaching view of success than just ratings numbers.
"Programming our network is more art than social science," he says. "We look at what we think 'The Pacific' can bring back in DVD sales. We're also looking at ways to go to the Comcasts of the world, the Dish Networks, and give them reasons on what they should market to potential subscribers. They're mindful that they're selling other services in promoting 'The Pacific.' It became a specific part of acquisition campaigns. Comcast did a huge campaign selling high-definition packages, using footage from 'The Pacific.' Cable companies are mindful of the fact that we brought them event programming. We don't measure that, but it is a factor in making a decision."
Moreover, he adds, "We sold it to 60, 70 territories for a lot of money. We're building an international brand, and 'The Pacific' did an immeasurable service to that branding initiative. You may hear about the big money for 'The Pacific,' but it comes down quite a bit on international numbers and DVD sales, and it goes a long way to explain how we build goodwill among subscribers and affiliates."
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Alan Ball: Finding the right place
The experience that stands out to me the most is the first meeting about "Six Feet Under." When I worked at the broadcast networks, all the notes I got could basically be distilled into two thoughts: Make everybody nicer and articulate the subtext. Both of which are just death to good storytelling. When I turned in the 'Six Feet Under' pilot, the note I got was, 'We love it, but it feels a little safe. Can you make the whole thing just a little more fucked up?' Seriously. And I just had this moment of like, 'OK, I'm in the right place.' Doing any show is so incredibly hard, and I feel so lucky in that I've done two with HBO that have been really functional and sane. I'm actually working with people who seem to be interested in making shows better, not just different because they need to justify their salaries.
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David Simon: Blistering honesty
This is where HBO is just heroic. I was in Austin with my son for an event, and the phone rings, and it's Mike Lombardo. He wants to talk about renewing my contract. They were going to have to renew me for another couple years without "Treme"; it was taking that long to get it on the air. "The Wire" had been deemed a success in terms of how much zeitgeist it had bit off and chewed, but it had never pulled ratings, and I felt kind of bad for the guy, like it's a shame he doesn't have something fresh up to see where I'm going and what he's buying. I felt like it was a moment for honesty in advertising so I said, "Mike, I promise, no matter what, I'm definitely not giving you a hit. I don't know how to do it, I can't figure out how people do it and I don't want to start thinking about how it's done. I can tell stories in my own weird way, and that's what you're buying. I just want you to know that." He's just laughing and he said, "You're going to get a hit. You're due." I said, "Accept that you understand that I'm not kidding." I needed him to almost repeat it. And finally he goes, "All right, we'll take what we can get." His attitude was, fine, you win, no hits -- and they signed me up. That's not the normal world of television. I don't know that I would have the balls to do that.
"Marty (Scorsese) was kind of on the fence about doing television," Wahlberg reports of the auteur he recruited for "Boardwalk" after working together on the Oscar-winning film "The Departed." "I said, 'Marty, you'll never be happier. You'll want to do everything that you do with them.' And he called me in the middle of production (on the "Boardwalk" pilot, which Scorsese directed) and was like, 'I'm so happy I did this. I feel like I'm back in the '70s doing my own thing. Nobody's bothering me and if I need something, I have the whole organization behind me.'"
