TV Boss Wants to Revive Classic Shows

FX Networks chief, John Landgraf, has a message for the entertainment industry after years of big budget productions: traditional TV shows are still a hit with viewers. Despite the industry's shift towards streaming and high-stakes content spending, old-fashioned TV shows like procedural dramas and multicamera sitcoms remain popular. FX is transforming into a branded hub on Hulu and Disney+ while keeping its cable channel roots. Landgraf sees a challenge in making shows last for multiple seasons, like the classics from the past. Shows like "Friends, " "Seinfeld, " and "ER" are still streamed a lot. This tells programmers that people want long-running shows. Landgraf thinks the industry needs to find a way to incentivize talent to work on the same show for many years. He believes the audience wants these types of shows, but the industry isn't giving it to them right now.