DVDs help keep `Arrested' on the air
metromix.chicagotribune.com/tv/m...story
By Maureen Ryan
The conventional wisdom says Fox's Emmy-winning comedy "Arrested Development" is a cult success but a commercial failure.
The conventional wisdom may well be wrong.
The critically acclaimed show, which returns from Fox's baseball break with two episodes featuring guest star Charlize Theron on Nov. 7, is indeed ratings challenged, but it's surprisingly dominant in another arena.
Fox won't release sales totals, but executives at the company's home-video division say the first two seasons of "Arrested," which chronicles the lives of the dysfunctional Bluth family, have sold very well on DVD.
"There's a lot of awareness of the series" thanks to extensive media coverage of the show, says Steven Feldstein, senior vice president of Fox Home Entertainment, which released Season 2 Oct. 11.
"There are a lot of people who maybe haven't sampled it yet and have the opportunity to do so on DVD; that's in addition to . . . the show's die-hard fans."
Season 2 of the show has spent much of the past week at the top of Amazon.com's boxed-set best-sellers chart, and that kind of commercial success, along with critical praise, industry awards and a supportive Internet fan base, has helped keep the show alive.
"Arrested" creator Mitchell Hurwitz says he doesn't think the show will end up producing the entire run of 22 third-season episodes (Fox cut the show's second season order from 22 episodes to 18), but he says he thinks Fox will keep the comedy in production long enough to make a Season 3 DVD boxed set worthwhile.
"It won't be 22," Hurwitz said. "It might be a good number" so that Fox can release the third season on DVD. "If they know they can sell those DVDs, they might keep it on the air long enough to have enough to sell it [that way]."
Strong DVD sales alone would not keep the show alive, though it's one of many factors in "Arrested's" favor, according to Craig Erwich, executive vice president of programming at the Fox network. "At the end of the day, networks have to sustain themselves with revenue that comes from ratings," Erwich said. "That's not to say other revenue streams don't factor in."
DVD sales, though they are a boon for the company as a whole, mainly function for broadcast executives as an indicator of "the kind of vitality the show has," Erwich said. "Strong DVD sales tell us what we know -- that `Arrested Development' is a great show and people love it. The other benefit is that sometimes DVDs are a good way to bring in new viewers."
Fox has had record-setting success with its DVD releases of "The Simpsons," "The X-Files" and "Family Guy" -- in fact, "Family Guy's" DVD releases were so successful that it was put back into production. And the potential for other revenue has been expanded again, now that Apple's iTunes is offering TV shows for sale.
"In the TV market, there might be a little bit of change," Hurwitz said. "Maybe you used to need an 11 [ratings] share to stay on the air, but maybe now you can have a smaller number, but make up for it with people who purchase the show."
"Ours has always been a country of niche audiences," says Jimmy Schaeffler, senior research analyst for the media consulting firm The Carmel Group. "What developments like these point out is that large media companies are not only starting to realize that fact, but they are making it a part of their business plans. . . . In the new telecom and media business, there are lots of ways to make money."
Passionate fans are an important part of that new equation, and "Arrested" has very loyal viewers. They flooded Fox and media outlets with fake bananas (the Bluth family owns a banana stand) and letters asking the network to bring the show back for a third year, and they're poised to spring into action again.
"If the show is put on hiatus, we would obviously flood Fox with letters again . . . pleading with them to bring the show back, pointing out the potential for future DVD sales, syndication rights, etc.," says Katherine McKee of SaveOurBluths.com. "We might also include a campaign to other networks such as NBC and HBO."
The question now for "Arrested" fans is how many episodes they'll get to see on the air this season. Some media insiders have floated the idea that Fox could move its struggling Monday sitcoms, "Arrested" and "Kitchen Confidential," to Fridays, but Erwich said that's unlikely. And what will happen to "Arrested Development" once "American Idol" churns up Fox's schedule in January is anybody's guess.
Still, though Hurwitz said he greatly appreciates the critical and fan support for "Arrested Development," he says it's not time for a save-our-show campaign -- yet.
"I really believe everyone at Fox desperately wants the show to succeed and is tremendously dedicated to that goal," Hurwitz said. "I hope they've come to see the show as a loss leader, not a negative to the network, but a different kind of positive."
metromix.chicagotribune.com/tv/m...story
By Maureen Ryan
The conventional wisdom says Fox's Emmy-winning comedy "Arrested Development" is a cult success but a commercial failure.
The conventional wisdom may well be wrong.
The critically acclaimed show, which returns from Fox's baseball break with two episodes featuring guest star Charlize Theron on Nov. 7, is indeed ratings challenged, but it's surprisingly dominant in another arena.
Fox won't release sales totals, but executives at the company's home-video division say the first two seasons of "Arrested," which chronicles the lives of the dysfunctional Bluth family, have sold very well on DVD.
"There's a lot of awareness of the series" thanks to extensive media coverage of the show, says Steven Feldstein, senior vice president of Fox Home Entertainment, which released Season 2 Oct. 11.
"There are a lot of people who maybe haven't sampled it yet and have the opportunity to do so on DVD; that's in addition to . . . the show's die-hard fans."
Season 2 of the show has spent much of the past week at the top of Amazon.com's boxed-set best-sellers chart, and that kind of commercial success, along with critical praise, industry awards and a supportive Internet fan base, has helped keep the show alive.
"Arrested" creator Mitchell Hurwitz says he doesn't think the show will end up producing the entire run of 22 third-season episodes (Fox cut the show's second season order from 22 episodes to 18), but he says he thinks Fox will keep the comedy in production long enough to make a Season 3 DVD boxed set worthwhile.
"It won't be 22," Hurwitz said. "It might be a good number" so that Fox can release the third season on DVD. "If they know they can sell those DVDs, they might keep it on the air long enough to have enough to sell it [that way]."
Strong DVD sales alone would not keep the show alive, though it's one of many factors in "Arrested's" favor, according to Craig Erwich, executive vice president of programming at the Fox network. "At the end of the day, networks have to sustain themselves with revenue that comes from ratings," Erwich said. "That's not to say other revenue streams don't factor in."
DVD sales, though they are a boon for the company as a whole, mainly function for broadcast executives as an indicator of "the kind of vitality the show has," Erwich said. "Strong DVD sales tell us what we know -- that `Arrested Development' is a great show and people love it. The other benefit is that sometimes DVDs are a good way to bring in new viewers."
Fox has had record-setting success with its DVD releases of "The Simpsons," "The X-Files" and "Family Guy" -- in fact, "Family Guy's" DVD releases were so successful that it was put back into production. And the potential for other revenue has been expanded again, now that Apple's iTunes is offering TV shows for sale.
"In the TV market, there might be a little bit of change," Hurwitz said. "Maybe you used to need an 11 [ratings] share to stay on the air, but maybe now you can have a smaller number, but make up for it with people who purchase the show."
"Ours has always been a country of niche audiences," says Jimmy Schaeffler, senior research analyst for the media consulting firm The Carmel Group. "What developments like these point out is that large media companies are not only starting to realize that fact, but they are making it a part of their business plans. . . . In the new telecom and media business, there are lots of ways to make money."
Passionate fans are an important part of that new equation, and "Arrested" has very loyal viewers. They flooded Fox and media outlets with fake bananas (the Bluth family owns a banana stand) and letters asking the network to bring the show back for a third year, and they're poised to spring into action again.
"If the show is put on hiatus, we would obviously flood Fox with letters again . . . pleading with them to bring the show back, pointing out the potential for future DVD sales, syndication rights, etc.," says Katherine McKee of SaveOurBluths.com. "We might also include a campaign to other networks such as NBC and HBO."
The question now for "Arrested" fans is how many episodes they'll get to see on the air this season. Some media insiders have floated the idea that Fox could move its struggling Monday sitcoms, "Arrested" and "Kitchen Confidential," to Fridays, but Erwich said that's unlikely. And what will happen to "Arrested Development" once "American Idol" churns up Fox's schedule in January is anybody's guess.
Still, though Hurwitz said he greatly appreciates the critical and fan support for "Arrested Development," he says it's not time for a save-our-show campaign -- yet.
"I really believe everyone at Fox desperately wants the show to succeed and is tremendously dedicated to that goal," Hurwitz said. "I hope they've come to see the show as a loss leader, not a negative to the network, but a different kind of positive."
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