In response to last week's ...
Question: In response to last week's
question about NBC's scheduling of Sunday nights next year, what do you think the chances are that they'll bring back their TV-movies on that night? I think it's kind of a shame that CBS is the only network in the regular TV-movie game right now and TVGuide.com's the Biz just
reported that they may dump their movies as well. So what do you think the chances are that NBC will bring back original movies on that night, particularly if CBS dumps their Sunday-night movie next year? After all,
Kellie Martin and
Tori Spelling aren't going to employ themselves, you know!
Answer: First off, Tori Spelling
has kind of become her own boss. She's listed as an executive producer on her new VH1 so-called comedy series,
So NoTORIous. And Kellie Martin has been making mystery movies for the Hallmark Channel, so I wouldn't cry for either of those leading ladies just yet. But the answer to your TV-movie question is no. On network TV, the made-for-TV movie is pretty much dead. NBC and ABC have more or less abandoned the TV-movie format altogether, with the exception of an occasional "event" movie (usually a disaster movie, in more ways than one). CBS has been the last to bail, but I tend to agree with Stephen Battaglio that CBS is likely to fill those hours in the fall with drama series, although the challenge is to find something that will be viable counterprogramming to the sudsier ABC hits
Desperate Housewives and, if it stays there,
Grey's Anatomy. TV-movies are just one more form of TV that the networks have ceded to cable: HBO most notably, but they also perform well on Lifetime, TNT, Disney Channel (
High School Musical is one of the TV year's breakout crossover hits), etc. I wouldn't be surprised if CBS stays in business with the promotable Hallmark Hall of Fame franchise, but otherwise, it's looking bleaker than ever for the fate of the network TV-movie.
