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FX: Looking to
comedy for new edge
Adding shows of wit sure to wrinkle bluenoses
By Kevin Downey
Cable network FX has a way of
reinventing itself, and it’s at it again.
This might not seem entirely sensible for a network that was reworked only
a few years ago under Peter Liguori from a dumping
ground for Fox’s programs into a top-tier cable network on the
strength of original dramas like Emmy winner “The Shield,” “Nip/Tuck,”
and “Rescue Me.”
FX is about to add comedy to the mix as Liguori
leaves to run Fox, and it makes good sense as part of the network's
ambitious growth plan.
Starting this summer, as the upfront ad-selling season
takes off, FX will put two original comedies on its schedule. The
network will launch “Starved,” about people with eating
disorders, and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” about
twentysomethings who own a bar.
The idea behind the comedies is for FX to broaden its
viewer base with a broadcast-type lineup that will include sports,
dramas and now sitcoms.
It’s a somewhat risky move. FX a few years back
stumbled with Howard Stern’s short-lived “Son of the Beach.”
And it’s risky because the sitcom genre can politely be said to be
foundering, the exception being programs like BBC America’s “The
Office” and HBO’s unscripted “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
Both shows veer far from the typical sitcom format. And they’ve
collected a bunch of awards while pulling sizeable audiences, at
least for cable television.
All that fits into FX’s game plan, which is
essentially to be an edgy network that appeals to young adults with
programs that would get plenty of government scrutiny on broadcast
television.
“We kind of staked out a unique space in dramas that
are very different from everybody else’s, so the next natural
evolution is to do something in the comedy space,” says Bruce
Lefkowitz, executive vice president of Fox Cable Entertainment.
“You look at network comedies and it’s: set-up,
joke, laugh track. It’s very formulaic. We think we can take the
same sensibilities that we’ve put into our dramas of being bold
and audacious [into comedies]."
The network's identity
Under the direction of Liguori, FX became a network
increasingly synonymous with edgy dramas.
Lefkowitz says the network isn’t going to stray far
from what’s been working with John Landgraf running things.
Landgraf, who was previously president of production company Jersey
Television and before that worked at NBC, hasn’t officially taken
Liguori’s place but is essentially in charge.
“I don’t think we’ll miss a beat,” says
Lefkowitz. “[Landgraf] has been here for 15 months, and he’s the
one who negotiated the Glenn Close deal and got her on [‘The
Shield’]. And he also brought Steven Bochco together with ‘Over
There,’” he says, referring to a drama about soldiers premiering
this July.
Landgraf is behind FX’s move into comedies.
Shari Anne Brill, vice president and director of
programming at Carat, says she’s confident FX won’t ditch its
identity even with the addition of comedies.
“They are totally on track with where they want to
be,” she says. “They’ve done very well with dramas that are
probably too cool for network. I’m sure [the comedies] will have
an edginess you couldn’t get away with on broadcast, which will
probably make them out and out funny.
The network's target audience
FX primarily targets adults 18-49 but expects to
attract younger viewers with its comedies. Its viewers have a median
age of 35 years. The network’s audience is about evenly split
among men and women, though shows like “Nip/Tuck” skew female.
FX balances that out somewhat with other shows and sports,
specifically NASCAR races.
The network's ratings
What until recently was a mid-tier network
without much in the way of momentum is now a top-tier network.
In primetime, FX ranks among the top 10 cable networks
in both the 18-49 and 18-34 demographics. Its 18-49 audience in
first quarter was up 6 percent from the same time last year, to an
average 589,000 people. And in the 18-34 demo, its audience was up
13 percent, to 288,000 people.
Lefkowitz says the audience for “The Shield” is up
about 29 percent so far this season, the first with Glenn Close in
the cast.
The network's competitive set
When FX reworked itself under Liguori it became a
general-interest network that competes with TNT, USA, and Sci Fi
Channel. Now with its comedies it will also compete with TBS and
younger-skewing networks like Comedy Central.
What’s new for 2005/06
FX launched into original programs with “The
Shield” and this year, its first programmed with a year-round
schedule, the network will have nine original series, including a
documentary series, two new dramas and the two comedies.
The dramas are Bochco’s “Over There” and “Thief,”
starring “Homicide’s” Andre Braugher. The show is about a bank
robber taking care of a stepdaughter.
The network's upfront outlook
As FX meets with media buyers it will
outline how it plans to keep up the momentum created by “The
Shield” and “Nip/Tuck.”
A lot of media people are rooting for FX to
continue growing, something that will perhaps be kept quiet during
upfront negotiations, because it’s an underdog that came from
nothing and suddenly became something. They want to see a
rising competitor to TNT, USA and TBS.
Still, media buyers will want to hear Landgraf’s
vision for the network, with most hopeful it aligns with the plan
Liguori had in place. And a few buyers will need lots of reassurance
that FX’s move into comedies doesn’t signal the beginning of an
overhaul.
The final prognosis
On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being excellent: 4.
Shows like “The Shield” are still going
strong and upcoming dramas, notably “Over There,” are getting
good reviews from media people who’ve seen clips.
However, the loss of Liguori has a few media folks
concerned the network may lose some momentum during the management
change. And its jump into comedy, while easy to get out of, is gutsy
but anything but guaranteed to generate solid ratings.
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A LOOK
AT FX
Launched in 1994 |
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Parent company |
News Corp. |
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No. of subscribers |
85.5 million homes |
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Median viewer age |
34.7 years old |
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Average primetime
viewers* |
1,033,000 people |
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Average total-day
viewers* |
641,000 people |
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Avg. primetime 18-49
viewers* |
589,000 people |
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Avg. total-day 18-49
viewers* |
379,000 people |
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Target audience |
Adults 18-49; Adults
18-34 |
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Main competitors |
General-interest
networks like TNT and USA |
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Upfront presentation |
None scheduled |
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Nielsen Media Research, first quarter 2005 |
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Kevin Downey is a staff writer
for Media Life.
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