WBD execs on adapting to ‘generational shift’ in TV

Senior execs at Warner Bros Discovery’s unscripted division have admitted a “generational shift” is taking place in the US industry, forcing a rethink of the types of shows being produced and how they are delivered to audiences.

Warner Bros Unscripted TV’s team is behind shows ranging from The Bachelor and the Real Housewives franchise to Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking, but during a panel at SeriesFest in Denver the company’s execs warned of an industry in flux.

“TV is always changing - that is the constant - but it does feel different this time, it feels like there is a generational shift happening,” said Dan Peirson, senior vice-president of programming and development at WBD’s Shed Media.

Peirson, a former Ricochet exec whose company is behind Peacock’s Paris in Love and recent Bravo launch Love Hotel, said competition for viewers’ time had ratcheted up, causing networks and streamers to focus on tentpole shows.

“Buyers and networks are looking for bigger content, which is great and exciting because we can take bigger swings than we might have done in the past. They are looking for ideas that really stand out and potentially define their offering,” he continued.

“One of the big changes in the marketplace is how streamers measure success compared with how a cablenet did.

“Series completion is so important to a streamer, if you don’t watch a whole season then as far as they’re concerned there is some content still left on the shelf, so why would they do more?”

While cable networks were once keen on episodes that could work as “endlessly repeatable” standalones, streamers focus on “the binge watch”, he added.

“It means we are now telling stories in that arcing way, rather than in a closed-ended way and that is a big effect of streaming.”

Lisa Lettunich, senior vice-president of production and operations at Warner Bros. Unscripted Television, added that the company is also exploring how it “can do things differently”, reflecting shifts such as creators of digital-first shows “shooting on iPhones”.

“They’re producing content on their own and we are taking some of that and incorporating it into our shows,” she said. “We have the ability to do that now, whereas years ago the tech specs wouldn’t have allowed for it.”

With streamers keen in some cases to drop entire seasons, Lettunich said she has also shifted work patterns.

“Streamers might drop a whole season or three eps then go weekly, so we have to change post as well, speeding up and going wider.

“That means more editors, editing quicker, and that impacts the budget and changes the way we deliver.”