The recent release of ...
Question: The recent release of
Kidnapped on DVD and the upcoming release of
Kitchen Confidential, both shows that didn't last more than five or six episodes, surprised me and left me wondering about more creative uses of the TV-show box set. It must be lucrative for the production companies or they wouldn't do it. Do you think that in the next four to five years, high-quality, creative, outside-the-box TV shows that don't make it on their network will instead go straight to DVD? I think it would be great if there were limited-run miniseries that were heavily promoted (maybe even a one-episode run on network TV) but weren't then dumped onto networks and time slots where they can't possibly survive. This proposal would also solve the recent problem of the serialized dramas that we all know won't make much sense after one season (
Reunion,
Day Break) while still rewarding creativity and experimentation. Since you know more about the industry than I do, I would love to know what you think.
Answer: At the moment, when you hear of anything going straight to DVD or being produced solely for the DVD market, your first thought isn't, "Wow, bet
that's gonna be good!" DVDs are an ancillary, not a primary, source of revenue for the studios (and depending on the corporate partnerships, the networks), and I can't imagine a scenario under which high-quality episodic work will be produced solely for what is now the aftermarket. It's great that certain limited-run shows (I'd include something like
Invasion, which at least lasted a full season) are finding their way to DVD, but the impetus of the business is still to get on a show on the network and have it work there first. I don't see that changing just yet.
