Hollywood Reporter interviews ABC's Stephen McPherson yesterday on Sons & Daughters - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

rm94quake · 04-14-2006, 01:33 AM

Check out the link below for an interview that took place on April 12 between The Hollywood Reporter and the President of ABC, Stephen McPherson.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr..._id=1002315654

or read it below:

April 12, 2006

Dialogue: Stephen McPherson
president, ABC Entertainment

The Hollywood Reporter: What's most important in putting together a sound schedule?
Stephen McPherson: What we do is look at the launch pads we have on the schedule and see if we have shows that are compatible to the programming, but not in a way that duplicates that programming. Sunday night is a strong lineup for us, a good benchmark for the kind of programming flow that works. It's not four of the same shows. Families can come in and watch some of it or all of it. That's the kind of flow we're going to try to do. We want to build off of "Lost" or "Dancing With the Stars," but we don't want to do the next versions of those shows.

THR: Is it time for "Desperate Housewives" or "Grey's Anatomy" to move to another night?
McPherson: That will be a big debate for us. Sunday has been a big platform for us. It's great to set up the whole night rather than move it prematurely. Obviously, we'll look at both shows to see whether either can be an asset to another night. Monday, post-"Monday Night Football," has been on our radar. "Wife Swap" has done well there and so has "The Bachelor." "Grey's" could go there and anchor that. Thursday has always been a challenge for us, but with "Dancing With the Stars" and "American Inventor" there, we have some good tools.

THR: What's your thinking on finding a companion for "Lost"?
McPherson: I think there's some truth to the fact that "Lost" is an intense, emotional hour, and that audience doesn't flow into the next hour. 10 p.m. is a project onto itself rather than looking at it and "Lost" as two blocks. There are all of these shows that are so different from each other. We want to be in a place that breaks the mold a little bit and takes chances. Right now, the audience is so demanding and so sophisticated and has so many choices.

THR: How do you plan on delivering ABC some good comedies?
McPherson: We try to go back and make it completely about voices, whether they are actors or stand-ups or show creators who have voice or point of view. In the tougher days of the sitcom, there were situations that would be funny, but there was no voice or point of view behind it. Chances need to be taken. That's the good news for comedy right now. People are taking chances because the same old, same old isn't going to work out. That's what we're doing with "Sons & Daughters," which we're superproud of. We hope we can get it a bigger audience.

THR: A lot of returning ABC comedies are struggling. Will there be room for them on the schedule?
McPherson: We have good returning assets. We have utility players. It would be hard to guess at this point. We would like to see blocks of comedy as opposed to isolated hours of comedy. I have to see what pilots we get in. We have to judge the material.

04-14-2006, 01:33 AM	#1
rm94quake Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Apr 08, 2006 Location: Northridge, CA Posts: 5	Hollywood Reporter interviews ABC's Stephen McPherson yesterday on Sons & Daughters Check out the link below for an interview that took place on April 12 between The Hollywood Reporter and the President of ABC, Stephen McPherson. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr..._id=1002315654 or read it below: April 12, 2006 Dialogue: Stephen McPherson president, ABC Entertainment The Hollywood Reporter: What's most important in putting together a sound schedule? Stephen McPherson: What we do is look at the launch pads we have on the schedule and see if we have shows that are compatible to the programming, but not in a way that duplicates that programming. Sunday night is a strong lineup for us, a good benchmark for the kind of programming flow that works. It's not four of the same shows. Families can come in and watch some of it or all of it. That's the kind of flow we're going to try to do. We want to build off of "Lost" or "Dancing With the Stars," but we don't want to do the next versions of those shows. THR: Is it time for "Desperate Housewives" or "Grey's Anatomy" to move to another night? McPherson: That will be a big debate for us. Sunday has been a big platform for us. It's great to set up the whole night rather than move it prematurely. Obviously, we'll look at both shows to see whether either can be an asset to another night. Monday, post-"Monday Night Football," has been on our radar. "Wife Swap" has done well there and so has "The Bachelor." "Grey's" could go there and anchor that. Thursday has always been a challenge for us, but with "Dancing With the Stars" and "American Inventor" there, we have some good tools. THR: What's your thinking on finding a companion for "Lost"? McPherson: I think there's some truth to the fact that "Lost" is an intense, emotional hour, and that audience doesn't flow into the next hour. 10 p.m. is a project onto itself rather than looking at it and "Lost" as two blocks. There are all of these shows that are so different from each other. We want to be in a place that breaks the mold a little bit and takes chances. Right now, the audience is so demanding and so sophisticated and has so many choices. THR: How do you plan on delivering ABC some good comedies? McPherson: We try to go back and make it completely about voices, whether they are actors or stand-ups or show creators who have voice or point of view. In the tougher days of the sitcom, there were situations that would be funny, but there was no voice or point of view behind it. Chances need to be taken. That's the good news for comedy right now. People are taking chances because the same old, same old isn't going to work out. That's what we're doing with "Sons & Daughters," which we're superproud of. We hope we can get it a bigger audience. THR: A lot of returning ABC comedies are struggling. Will there be room for them on the schedule? McPherson: We have good returning assets. We have utility players. It would be hard to guess at this point. We would like to see blocks of comedy as opposed to isolated hours of comedy. I have to see what pilots we get in. We have to judge the material.