Hollywood Breakdown
Peak TV hasn't peaked yet
As the Television Critics Association summer press tour wraps up, one thing is clear -- the amount of new TV coming down the pike isn't slowing any time soon. FX's John Landgraf coined the term "Peak TV" at last year's press tour. This year, he spoke again, saying that Peak TV is still happening, and that the bubble won't burst for at least a couple more years.
By Kim Masters • • 3m ListenAt his appearance at this summer's Television Critics Association press tour, FX's John Landgraf said we're nearing "Peak TV," but given the number of new shows still being released, we're not there yet. Netflix, especially, continues to crank out new shows at an unbelievable rate. Some are questioning how Netflix can keep quality up with so many new projects on the docket, but for them, the individual success of each show is not as important as the total numbers of subscribers. FX, on the other hand, is dependent on ad sales, and prides itself on being more hands-on with its show creators to keep quality high. It's also aiming to be more diverse in front of and behind the camera. CBS, though, remains largely white and male, even though its head of entertainment, Glenn Geller, did admit the network need to improve in that area. It's getting to the point, however, where critics aren't happy with an empty promises -- they actually want to see change. But with white, male-led shows like The Great Indoors and Kevin Can Wait, it looks like they'll be waiting for at least another year.
