If you hadn’t heard the good news, I’m happy to be the first to tell you. In 2015, there were 409 scripted television series. That’s not reality, news, MOWs, specials, soaps, or kids shows.
John Landgraf calls this “peak TV,” and seems to think it’s a bad thing, for some reason? For people who watch TV, it’s great. You’ve got 409 shows on the air, plus all the old series on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon
For people who work in TV, it’s even better news. All of those new shows need writers, actors, and crew, from producers on down to lowly PAs like you and me.
This is a great time to get into the business, but there’s no guarantee how long this will continue. You need to establish yourself as invaluable as quickly as possible. When the bubble bursts, as it inevitably must, you don’t want to be blown away.
One Response
As I understood it, that was Landgraf’s point — that we in all aspects of the business of television production are now enjoying a “bubble” economy that can’t be sustained. At some point the golden bubble will pop, and we’ll return to earth grubbing for whatever jobs remain.
He might be right, but what else is new? Hollywood has always been a boom-and-bust economy, so we may as well enjoy the good times while they last. Just don’t spend your extra earnings on the fool’s gold of motorhomes, speedboats, hip-hop bling, or time-share condos in the Bahamas. Save some of that added income to help weather the inevitable bust when it comes…