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    Back to The Business

    The Business

    TCA's; Wherefore Pilot Season; Duck Dynasty

    What are the TCA's and do you care? Some TV networks are changing pilot season. What's the fallout from the "Duck Dynasty" drama?

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    KCRW placeholderBy Michael Schneider • Jan 15, 2014 • 33m Listen

    In this January 2014 edition of The Spin-off, the TV podcast from KCRW's The Business, we discuss the TCA's, recent changes to pilot season, and the fallout from the "Duck Dynasty" drama.

    In this episode

    3 stories
    1. 0:00

      What Are the TCA's?

      We recorded this episode of The Spin-off at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena where Mike, Joe and AJ were attending the Winter press tour for the TV Critics Association (TCA). The purpose of the TCA’s, as they’re known, is for broadcast and cable channels to promote their new shows. But do they really mean anything in the era of Twitter?

      Read the story
      8 min
    2. 7:45

      Wherefore Pilot Season?

      This is the time of year when the broadcast networks place orders for TV pilots that will cost them millions of dollars but may not yield many good shows. Our panelists question the value of this business model-- something the cable channels reject-- while noting that some, namely Fox, are changing their approach.

      Read the story
      9 min
    3. 17:10

      'Duck Dynasty' Drama

      The public relations debacle brought on by the patriarch of the Duck Dynasty clan gave way to culture wars late last month. Now that the dust has settled and the show returns to the air, our panelists look back at what happened. Should AMC have handled it differently? Was the public backlash emblematic of the ‘outrage industry’ in the media now?

      Read the story
      16 min
    • KCRW placeholder

      Michael Schneider

      Senior editor at Variety

    • KCRW placeholder

      Josef Adalian

      Vulture

    • KCRW placeholder

      A.J. Marechal

      Variety

    • KCRW placeholder

      Darby Maloney

      Producer

      CultureEntertainmentArts

    In this episode

    3 stories
    1. 0:008 min

      What Are the TCA's?

    2. 7:459 min

      Wherefore Pilot Season?

    3. 17:1016 min

      'Duck Dynasty' Drama

    Back to The Business