As a seasoned gamer who’s witnessed the rise and fall of countless TV networks, I can confidently say that FX’s Emmy triumph this year is nothing short of spectacular! It’s like watching my favorite RPG character level up to an epic boss status.
Established by Fox in 1994, FX, an abbreviation for Fox Extended, started off as a basic cable channel often referred to as “the network of NASCAR and Fear Factor reruns.” However, it demonstrated potential for more with the debut of its first original drama, The Shield, in 2002. This series garnered Michael Chiklis his first major Emmy nomination and win for a basic cable channel that year. In 2004, John Landgraf, a former executive at NBC during its “Must-See TV” era, joined FX as the head of original programming. Under his leadership, shows such as Damages, Justified, Louie, The Americans, and Atlanta were produced. These shows catapulted FX to become basic cable’s leading network, renowned for premium original programming catering to adult viewers, with a reach of 99 million households at its peak in 2011.
In 2019, FX was incorporated into Disney following their acquisition of Fox. This addition joined an array of other brands under Disney’s control, such as ABC, Marvel, and Lucasfilm. These assets were intended to strengthen Disney’s streaming platforms: Hulu, which offers content suited for adults; and Disney+, dedicated to family-friendly programming.
In the age of abundant scripted programming, dubbed “Peak TV” by its creator Landgraf himself in 2015, concerns arose that FX’s content might get lost, even within the extensive Disney family. These apprehensions were not eased by the perplexing strategy to premiere some FX shows on the traditional channel and then move them to Hulu a few hours later, but to release other FX shows directly on Hulu, labeled as “FX on Hulu” (an enticement to encourage more people to subscribe to Hulu), while Hulu was also producing its own original content. Furthermore, the decline in FX’s Emmy nominations after the Disney acquisition did little to reassure these fears. In 2016, FX achieved a record-breaking 56 nominations for “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story,” but this number dropped significantly to 27 in 2019, 33 in 2020, 16 in 2021, 23 in 2022, and 37 in 2023.
Then came the announcement on July 17 of the nominations for the 76th Emmys.
FX significantly outperformed predictions, earning 93 nominations, second only to Netflix’s 107 and surpassing HBO by two, a position it last held in 1996. This achievement was primarily driven by a field-topping 25 nominations for the drama ‘Shogun’, and a record-breaking 23 nods for ‘The Bear’ in the comedy category. What stands out is its high success rate: It submitted only 17 shows, yet nominations were spread across just nine, a significantly lower number compared to its competitors. Noteworthy mentions include ‘Reservation Dogs’, ‘What We Do in the Shadows’, both making it to the best comedy slots; the latest versions of its anthology series like ‘Fargo’, ‘Feud’ and ‘American Horror Story’; the reality show ‘Welcome to Wrexham’; and the animated series ‘Archer’.
“Landgraf was genuinely surprised by the widespread acknowledgement, he admitted to THR. He would have been content with around 57 nominations, delighted if they reached the 60s, overjoyed if they hit the 70s, and dancing in joy if they made it to the 80s. However, finding himself in the 90s, often referred to as the ‘mayor of TV’, known for his speeches at the TCA winter press tour, he’s mostly feeling grateful – thankful to his creative team for producing such outstanding shows and to his corporate parent, which together received a total of 183 nominations.”
“If Disney hadn’t acquired us, I believe the number of Emmy nominations our artists received on [July 17] would have been virtually nonexistent,” Landgraf states, acknowledging that cable networks such as AMC, Comedy Central, and IFC – which were once significant Emmy contenders a decade ago when Netflix was just starting to impact the scene – are now largely absent from the competition due to the rise of cord-cutters and the emergence of numerous other streaming services.”
He goes on to say: “Hulu was essential for creating a series like ‘Shogun’, something that wouldn’t have been feasible on American linear television in 1980. The production and marketing costs required can only be justified by global streaming services. This is evident as FX has ordered a second season of the show, and ‘The Bear’ is another example of a program initially broadcast on FX but primarily viewed on Hulu. I’d wager that the majority of this year’s voters watched our shows through Hulu.”
Landgraf’s observation: “In my view, this year’s accomplishments by FX demonstrate, in certain aspects, how Disney and Iger structured their company. It explains why Iger acquired Fox and why they haven’t combined everything into a single brand, studio, or marketing department.”
Originally published in The Hollywood Reporter’s July 31 edition, you can find more such stories by subscribing here.
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2024-08-05 18:55