As the Peak TV era begins to narrow in 2023, FX chairman John Landgraf said during the Winter TCA Press Tour there’s “cause for concern” but also conveyed optimism for more diverse programming.
While discussing his prediction that this year will likely kick off an industry-wide decline in new scripted series orders, Disney’s chairman of FX content and productions told reporters he is committed to prioritizing shows created by and featuring diverse voices. However, he noted that might not be the case elsewhere, as companies aim to appeal to the widest audiences with their new content.
“If you’re just going for the biggest meat of the audience, the majority, you tend to program to white men. So if you get a scripted program that appeals to men that’s automatically a boom,” Landgraf said. “(Diverse programming) is and will always be a priority at FX.”
Landgraf complemented the parent company Disney’s commitment to “trying to reach everyone in America” with their programming, and touted the industry’s growth in highlighting diverse voices with their offerings in recent years.
He added his hope that companies will continue to make diversity “a part of the normal course of business, which hasn’t been the case for the last 100 years.”
“There is no monoculture anymore, and that monoculture had limitations to it,” Landgraf said. “Ideally, we’d have some consolidation of culture in diversity and excellence — it doesn’t have to be one or the other, hopefully both.”
Landgraf boasted of the cable network’s slate for 23 new shows during his appearance on the tour, including the anticipated docuseries “Dear Mama,” about Tupac and Afeni Shakur; the second season of “The Bear” and third season of “Reservation Dogs”; and the upcoming limited series “Shogun,” set to be released as a Hulu exclusive in 2023.
