Hopefully you’re not a fan of AMC’s Small Town Security or 4th And Loud. They’ll be disappearing along with the other unscripted series on the network’s schedule. The only two to survive the cut will be Talking Dead and Kevin Smith’s Comic Book Men. The move comes from a shift back towards scripted original programming for the network, making it a priority. From The Hollywood Reporter:
“Scripted originals are at the core of the AMC brand. Iconic shows like Mad Men, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead have driven AMC’s evolution into a must-have television network,” an AMC spokesman said in a statement. “We are proud of our efforts in unscripted programming and the unique worlds we have been able to introduce, but in an environment of exploding content options for viewers, we have decided to make scripted programming our priority.”
You’ve surely read a number of articles referring to AMC’s future woes in programming following the departure of Breaking Bad and Mad Men. With the failure and low impact of shows like Low Winter Sun, Halt And Catch Fire, and Turn, it’s really no shock that the network wants to refocus their efforts towards their scripted arm.
The part I am surprised by is the ejection of the entire slate of shows. I always thought they were beneficial to the scripted shows because they provided cheap programming that still earned advertising dollars. I guess that only works when those unscripted shows are actually successful. Who saw that coming?
(Via IGN / The Hollywood Reporter)
