Television Exec

Anna Gregoline | October 26, 2004
If you were made the programming director of a major television network, what types of programming would you like to produce?

Kris Weberg | October 26, 2004
A lot of genuine journalism -- not talking heads at desks crap, but genuine, even-handed investigative stuff. For pure fun, I'd develop some stuff along the lines of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the late, lamented Wonderfalls. I'd also try to mandate shows that use their seasons to tell a unified story, and develop characters in ways other than soap-opera trickery.

Sitcoms would be heavily policed, and would not be allowed to use eiher the "six cute Yuppies" or "nuclear family" formulae. No laugh tracks. Eithert use a studio audience, or use nothing at all. And nothing at all is preferred.

Movies would be aired based on toll-free polling of viewers the year before. The top 10 movies in the vote would be the ones we'd by the TV rights to. The promise would be, commercials a minimum of 15 minutes apart, and inserted into "natural" breaks wherever possible.

Action shows, dramas, and movies would be broadcast in letterbox.

I'd also throw in a lot of nonfiction entertainment. Not -- gack! -- "reality TV," but instead a lot of stuff like Mythbusters and so on.

No Oprah/Montel/Springer crap talk shows. Jon Stewart and his crew helm the Late Night desk.

Anna Gregoline | October 26, 2004
Geez. I really want to watch your channel!

Scott Hardie | November 2, 2004
Me too!

Seriously, though, I'd run my channel like I run my web site: Some informational content, some creative content, but mostly just games out the wazoo. And I don't mean a traditional game show format like players standing at podiums guessing at content on a giant monitor (though that's how "Celebrity Goo Game Show" would play out), but elaborate productions like "Survivor."

That, or "Star Trek" episodes 24 hours a day, such an easy moneymaker that I'm shocked Paramount hasn't done it yet.