Fall 2024: Historic Decline in Scripted Shows Signals Lasting Shift for Broadcast TV

As the U.S. broadcast networks unveil their fall 2024 lineups, they will mark a significant milestone: the fewest original scripted series in at least 20 years. This decline includes past challenging years like 2020, impacted by COVID-19, and 2007, during the previous Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike. In a landscape where Hollywood is supposedly operating under “business as usual,” 2024 stands out as a bleak year for the comedies and dramas that have traditionally defined American network television.

For years, there have been concerns about the future of network TV, and the fall season has lost much of the relevance it once held before the streaming era. However, this year’s lineup feels different, signaling a more profound and lasting contraction of the broadcast TV landscape. Only 41 scripted series will be aired across the five major networks—ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and The CW—this fall. This represents a nearly 50% drop from a peak of 76 scripted series just seven years ago.

The reduction is particularly noticeable at Disney’s ABC, where only five scripted shows are scheduled to debut before the new year, down from 11 two years ago. Notably, only one night a week, Thursday, will feature no unscripted titles in primetime.

While some may argue that the decline in scripted series is a lingering effect of the 2023 strikes and that the numbers could rebound as writers develop new projects, there are indications that this reduction may be more permanent. CBS continues to produce a high number of dramatic series, and NBC’s scripted lineup is its largest since before the pandemic. However, the broader industry shows little sign of recovery, with fewer new deals being struck in a post-peak TV environment.

Further evidence of a possible permanent shift can be seen in The CW’s downsizing under Nexstar’s ownership. The network’s primetime slots are now largely filled with unscripted shows and international imports, with only two new original scripted series in production.

This evolving landscape suggests that broadcast networks may increasingly serve as secondary platforms for streaming content. For example, during last year’s production shutdown, ABC aired episodes of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building. This strategy could be expanded, using broadcast TV’s high-visibility time slots to promote streaming content to older audiences, much like what Paramount has done with its Showtime cable channel, now integrated into Paramount+ With Showtime.

The CW’s situation may foreshadow a broader trend in the industry. As streaming services gain prominence, broadcast networks might increasingly become secondary platforms for streaming content. This could mirror the evolution of cable networks, where original scripted content dwindles, replaced by unscripted shows and reruns, as networks prioritize cost savings over unique identities. The future of broadcast TV is likely to follow this path, with the fall 2024 season marking the beginning of this transformation.

Source: Variety