By Joe Flint
Liz Feldman created what she thought would be a perfect Netflix
show: a dark comedy about a woman struggling with grief and anger
over the hit-and-run death of her husband and its effect on her
family.
There was only one problem: Ms. Feldman's production deal was
with CBS Television Studios, which had signed the former "Two Broke
Girls" writer to create broad-based comedies for the CBS broadcast
network.
"This was not at all what I was hired to do," Ms. Feldman said
of her idea, comparing it to being given "a history assignment and
you come in with a science experiment."
When Ms. Feldman met with studio brass in August 2017, she was
prepared to pivot her pitch to something that could work for CBS.
To her surprise, she got a thumbs-up from Kate Adler, the head of
comedy at CBS Studios, who agreed to try to sell it to Netflix
Inc.
Netflix liked the idea. On May 3, Ms. Feldman's "Dead to Me,"
starring Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini, will debut on
the streaming service.
Ms. Feldman made her pitch at a time when CBS Television Studios
was in the midst of its own pivot. Long a pipeline for CBS Corp.
properties, the studio decided its future would depend on being
able to sell shows to outlets it didn't own. CBS, which is smaller
than many other major media companies, sees selling to other
outlets as both an important revenue source and a way to build up
its library.
"We don't want to just be in one spot. We need to have a broad
portfolio, " said David Stapf, president of CBS Television
Studios.
CBS's push to sell content outside its own ecosystem comes as
other media giants such as Walt Disney Co. and AT&T Inc.'s
WarnerMedia focus on making more content primarily for their own
platforms.
"Given that everyone is now selling more shows to themselves,
CBS could end up being one of the truly scaled arms dealers," said
media analyst Michael Nathanson of MoffettNathanson Research.
It is a strategy embraced by necessity by smaller TV producers
such as Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Television and Sony Pictures
Television, which don't have big in-house platforms to program. If
Viacom and CBS -- which share common ownership -- merge, it could
give the combined entity even more clout in the creative
community.
In addition to "Dead to Me," CBS Studios also makes the comedy
"Insatiable" for Netflix and has a drama called "Unbelievable"
premiering on the streaming service later this year.
Netflix isn't CBS Studios's only customer. CBS also has shows on
cable channels Starz and TBS, and a project in the works for Quibi,
the short-form platform being launched by veteran Hollywood
executive Jeffrey Katzenberg and former Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Co. CEO Meg Whitman.
Upcoming streaming service Disney+ was designed to showcase
Disney's own content, but one of the first shows the company
ordered was "Diary of a Female President," a CBS Studios production
about a young girl's journey to the White House.
CBS also is developing content for Hulu, Amazon.com Inc.'s Prime
Video and Apple Inc.'s new programming service.
The advantage to selling to streamers is that they typically pay
a heavy upfront fee for long-term rights, Mr. Stapf said.
"We're making money out of the gate," he said. "It becomes an
annuity."
Selling to nonaffiliated platforms isn't without risks. The
buyer has no incentive to sustain a show if it isn't delivering big
numbers. Netflix canceled "American Vandal," a CBS-made critically
acclaimed mock-documentary series parodying "The Jinx" and "Making
a Murderer," after only two seasons. And because Netflix deals are
comparatively restrictive, the show couldn't be moved to All
Access, CBS's direct-to-consumer streaming platform.
Mr. Stapf said that could happen at CBS, too: "If it's not doing
what it should be, it goes away."
For the 2018-19 television season, CBS Television Studios had 66
shows across 14 platforms, compared with 34 shows on four platforms
five years ago.
The strategy took a long time to bear fruit, Mr. Stapf said. He
would keep telling writers CBS could make shows for any platform.
"Until you have shows anywhere, nobody really believes you," he
said.
The turning point, Mr. Stapf said, was "American Vandal," which
premiered on Netflix in September 2017.
Mr. Stapf dismisses concerns that selling so much to outside
platforms could hinder developing content for CBS outlets.
"There are enough good ideas coming in the door where it doesn't
have to be one or the other," he said. In addition, the shows the
studio makes for CBS lean toward procedural dramas such as "NCIS"
and multicamera sitcoms like "The Neighborhood." Many of the shows
the studio sells externally wouldn't necessarily fit on the network
or All Access.
Mr. Stapf's approach also extends to talent. When Hulu
approached CBS Studios to see whether Alex Kurtzman, executive
producer of "Star Trek: Discovery" for All Access, could develop a
Hulu series based on the novel "The Man Who Fell to Earth," Mr.
Stapf said yes.
Some creators credit Mr. Stapf for not forcing shows into the
CBS pipeline or worrying about making hits for rivals. When I Can
And I Will Productions -- the production company of "Jane the
Virgin" star Gina Rodriguez -- pitched a show about a 12-year-old
Cuban-American girl who later becomes president, Mr. Stapf
immediately thought of Disney's new streaming service, which
ordered 10 episodes.
"David doesn't have an ego," said Ms. Rodriguez, adding,
"Sometimes you have to give things away for them to come back," Ms.
Rodriguez said.
Mr. Stapf said finding the best home for a show ultimately
benefits CBS. Case in point: CBS Television Studios is producing a
reboot of the 1990s teen hit "Beverly Hills 90210" for Fox that its
sister network wanted.
"We looked inward and said, 'Where is this show going to thrive,
where is it going to stay on the air, where does it belong?' And we
all decided Fox was the best place for it," he said.
Write to Joe Flint at joe.flint@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 01, 2019 08:14 ET (12:14 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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