Interview with Nancy Cotton, MGM+

Our periodic FOCUS on United States Audiovisual Industry talents is dedicated today to Nancy Cotton, Executive Vice President, Head of Scripted Programming for MGM+ (former EPIX).

Ms. Cotton, what is your role at MGM+?

“My title is Senior Executive, Scripted Programming, and I oversee all original scripted programming on behalf of the network. In the simplest terms, I work closely with writers and filmmakers to help bring their stories to life on screen. We currently only make a limited number of series a year, so we have to truly love and believe in the shows we choose to make, and our job is to help deliver the best versions of those shows. We are a small team, so we are very hands-on with our series, many of which we also produce in-house. That means we work closely with our showrunners on all creative aspects of each show and the production side to ensure the process is streamlined and functioning efficiently.”

Recently Epix became MGM+, a sister company of Amazon. What does it mean for the audience and your career?

“We are incredibly excited to have now the MGM+ label, which we can see is already resonating with consumers familiar with the iconic MGM name. We are equally happy to be a part of the global Amazon brand and to have their support. Our new title will mean more people will find our programming; thus, our shows will have a higher profile. I hope to continue to work on our breadth of shows, which I enjoy so much, and to continue to pursue material that we feel will stand out creatively and commercially.”

What are the criteria for choosing those projects?

“Our core audience is a slightly older, affluent, relatively sophisticated viewer, slightly male-skewing, so we look for programming that we know will appeal to that core. Within that umbrella, we have a diverse slate that embraces an expanse of genres, including crime (Godfather Of Harlem), character-driven horror (From), iconic westerns (Billy The Kid), historical dramas (Belgravia), and spy thrillers (A Spy Among Friends) which we hope keeps our slate fresh and eventful. Ultimately, we are drawn to partner with writers and filmmakers whose voices we admire and whose stories we are eager to tell.”

Hollywood used to export most global hit series and movies. With the phenomenon of series like Narcos and Gomorrah, the narrative has changed, and the industry has opened to international content. From your point of view, what are the rules to a perfect co-production?

“We don’t have exact rules, but we strive to be good creative partners on our co-productions by ensuring that we are in sync with the filmmaker’s vision and our partners’ expectations and participate creatively and respectfully. ”

What advice would you give to an author to be greenlit? What’s the most crucial ingredient for a show to be successful?

“While we consider a variety of genres, we often look for ideas within recognizable genres that have an unexpected element that hopefully will allow viewers to see a story in a different and exciting way.”

Before streaming channels, you worked on broadcast networks. How different was the job back then?

“I happily transitioned from working primarily in broadcast to almost exclusively in cable over 15 years ago! In many ways, a lot of that earlier cable content, which includes The Killing and The Americans, two shows I was lucky even to work on, shares many similarities to what we now look for in our MGM+ shows, specifically, complex character development and sophisticated storytelling propulsiveness.”

What’s your favorite TV series now?

“I’m biased about our programming and am particularly proud of Godfather Of Harlem, whose 3rd season is currently airing. It exemplifies the shows we aspire to make at MGM+, and it’s one whose story, which sets a classic crime story against the explosive Civil Rights movement in Harlem in the 60s, I find so rich and compelling. Also, how could I not tell an Italian publication that one of my favorite recent series was the second season of White Lotus, shot in Sicily? In addition to its delicious, clever storytelling, it was thrilling to be transported to that Italian paradise every week.”

Speaking of Italy, what do you think of Italian TV series?

“I’m very impressed with the current breadth of the Italian series, and in particular, I found the adaptation of My Brilliant Friend breathtakingly stunning. I have read the Elena Ferrante books, and the producers have done a superb job translating the world and characters to the screen. I’m also proud that we have our own amazing Italian series, Domina, which is English language, but shot in Rome and whose second season will be airing on MGM+ in the upcoming months. We loved the premise, the story of the Caesars told from the women’s point of view, and it’s been a fun, juicy show to work on.”

A strike is in sight. How could the looming writers’ and directors’ walkout impact Hollywood since the last big (writer) strike was way before the launch of streamers? And what are opportunities for internationals?

“We are very conscious of it and are discussing how best to handle a strike. We hope, for all involved, that an agreement can be reached quickly. We also have a considerable number of shows that are co-productions with various European partners that won’t be affected. We also regularly speak with our European colleagues about their upcoming projects. Yes, that could be a good opportunity for international shows.”

How important are events, meetings, and festivals (like ITTV Forum&Festival) to make international realities meet?

“I love participating in these events and have established so many new partnerships through these gatherings as well as further developed existing relationships. These events are becoming more relevant and helpful as our the business continues to be globally facing.”

How do you imagine the future of the business?

“I am a perennial optimist and believe there will always be new stories and great storytellers to tell. We will continue to seek programming that entertains and moves us, and I love that hits can ultimately still come from anywhere.”

And for you, personally? What’s in your professional future?

“I love what I do and hope to continue doing it.”