For the last two years, John Landgraf, CEO of FX Networks and FX Productions, has used a portion of his allotted time at the Television Critics Association’s annual gathering to bash Netflix. Last week, Mr. Landgraf complained that Netflix is putting out so many shows that audiences are having a tough time distinguishing “the great … from the merely competent.” He warned of a Netflix monopoly, noting, “I don’t think monopoly market shares are good for society.” He punctuated his concern about Netflix with a plea: “It’s a point of real emotional meaning to me — storytelling and storytellers have a unique place in our society and in human culture.”
For someone morally opposed to monopolies, committed to diverse storytelling and supportive of consumer choice, Mr. Landgraf has a funny way of showing it.
For starters, FX’s parent company, 21st Century Fox, grew its market value to $50 billion (about 20 percent bigger than Netflix) in part by engaging in textbook monopolistic practices: forcing consumers to buy a bundle of cable networks at steadily rising prices in a market that lacked viable substitutes. Conversely, Netflix charges a low monthly price, is sold a la carte and allows for easy cancellation. If Mr. Landgraf’s new pet cause is to combat the anticompetitive effects of monopolies, he could start by pushing Fox to unbundle the FX channel from Fox’s other networks, price it separately and sell it directly to the consumers that actually want it.
Also Read: FX Chief John Landgraf Predicts 'Peak TV' Boom Will End by 2019
Mr. Landgraf may preach the virtues of diversity in storytelling, but his programming strategy is at odds with his sermon. Few FX original series feature non-white leads, and a report released in 2015 found that, of all leading television providers, FX’s record of hiring women and minority directors was among the worst.
On the other hand, Netflix shows such as “Orange Is the New Black” and “The Get Down” feature racially and ethnically diverse casts that depict segments of society never before represented on TV. Showrunners like Cheo Hodari Coker on “Luke Cage” or Melissa Rosenberg on “Jessica Jones” bring a contemporary point of view to iconic source material. As an evangelist for the value of diversity in storytelling, Mr. Landgraf should commend Netflix’s bold choices. He could live the gospel by following suit.
The most aloof position taken by Mr. Landgraf at the TCA was his contention that so many new shows are being made that audiences cannot tell which ones are good. The notion that there are objectively good and bad shows, and that only a tastemaker like Mr. Landgraf can discern which is which, is condescending to viewers and antithetical to the virtue of consumer choice. People have wildly different tastes. The power of the Internet to account for these different tastes through the personalization of content ensures that more shows can get made. That is a huge step forward in the name of consumer choice.
Also Read: FX's John Landgraf Calls Google, Amazon Monopolies 'A Terrible Thing for Our Society'
If Mr. Landgraf is truly concerned that too many shows are being made, there is an easy solution: FX should produce less. Otherwise, maybe next year, Mr. Landgraf will use some of his time to praise Netflix for advancing the causes that he holds so dear.
138 Fall TV Shows: Every New and Returning Series (Photos)
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Find out when the most hotly anticipated new shows and your old favorites return. We'll keep updating this gallery as more Fall 2016 premiere dates are announced.
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Logo
Thursday, Sept. 8 at 9:00 p.m.
“Finding Prince Charming” (Logo) -
FX
Thursday, Sept. 8 at 10:00 p.m.
“Better Things” (FX) -
Amazon
Friday, Sept. 9
“One Mississippi” (Amazon) -
Cinemax
Friday, Sept. 9 at 10:00 p.m.
“Quarry” (Cinemax) -
Showtime
Sunday, Sept. 11 at 8:00 p.m.
“The Circus” (Showtime) -
PBS
Sunday, Sept. 11 at 10:00 p.m.
“Indian Summers” (PBS) -
Showtime
Sunday, Sept. 11 at 10:00 p.m.
“Masters of Sex” (Showtime) -
ABC
Monday, Sept. 12 at 8:00 p.m.
"Dancing With the Stars" (ABC) -
NBC
Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 10:00 p.m.
"Blindspot" (NBC) -
FX
Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 10:00 p.m.
“American Horror Story” (FX) -
IFC
Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 10:00 p.m.
“Documentary Now!” (IFC) -
Comedy Central
Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 10:00 p.m.
“South Park” (Comedy Central) -
Comedy Central
Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 10:30 p.m.
“Legends of Chamberlain Heights” (Comedy Central) -
Lifetime
Thursday, Sept. 15 at 9:00 p.m.
“Project Runway” (Lifetime) -
Amazon
Friday, Sept. 16
“Fleabag” (Amazon) -
Syfy
Friday, Sept. 16 at 8:00 p.m.
“Z Nation” (Syfy) -
HBO
Friday, Sept. 16 at 11:00 p.m.
“High Maintenance” (HBO) -
CBS
Sunday, Sept. 18 at 8:30 p.m.
“The Case Of: JonBenet Ramsey” (CBS) -
CBS
Monday, Sept. 19 at 8:00 p.m.
"The Big Bang Theory" (CBS) -
NBC
Monday, Sept. 19 at 8:00 p.m.
"The Voice" (NBC) -
Fox
Monday, Sept. 19 at 8:00 p.m.
Gotham" (Fox) -
CBS
Monday, Sept. 19 8:30 p.m.
"Kevin Can Wait" (CBS) -
Fox
Monday, Sept. 19 9:00 p.m.
"Lucifer" (Fox) -
NBC
Monday, Sept. 19 10:00 p.m.
"The Good Place" (NBC) -
CBS
Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 8:00 p.m.
"NCIS" (CBS) -
Fox
Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 8:00 p.m.
"Brooklyn Nine-Nine" (Fox) -
Fox
Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 8:30 p.m.
"New Girl" (Fox) -
CBS
Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 9:00 p.m.
"Bull" (CBS) -
Fox
Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 9:00 p.m.
"Scream Queens" (Fox) -
CBS
Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 10:00 p.m.
"NCIS: New Orleans" (CBS) -
NBC
Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 10:00 p.m.
"This Is Us" (NBC) -
ABC
Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 10:00 p.m.
"Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." (ABC) -
CBS
Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 8:00 p.m.
"Survivor" (CBS) -
Fox
Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 8:00 p.m.
"Lethal Weapon" (Fox) -
ABC
Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 8:00 p.m.
"The Goldbergs" (ABC) -
ABC
Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 8:30 p.m.
"Speechless" (ABC) -
NBC
Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 9:00 p.m.
"Law & Order: SVU" (NBC) -
Fox
Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 9:00 p.m.
"Empire" (Fox) -
ABC
Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 9:00 p.m.
"Modern Family" (ABC) -
ABC
Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 9:30 p.m.
"black-ish" (ABC) -
NBC
Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 10:00 p.m.
"Chicago P.D." (NBC) -
ABC
Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 10:00 p.m.
"Designated Survivor" (ABC) -
Netflix
Thursday, Sept. 22
“Easy” (Netflix) -
NBC
Thursday, Sept. 22 at 8:00 p.m.
"Superstore" (NBC) -
Fox
Thursday, Sept. 22 at 8:00 p.m.
"Rosewood" (Fox) -
ABC
Thursday, Sept. 22 at 8:00 p.m.
"Grey's Anatomy" (ABC) -
NBC
Thursday, Sept. 22 at 9:00 p.m.
"Chicago Med" (NBC) -
Fox
Thursday, Sept. 22 at 9:00 p.m.
"Pitch" (Fox) -
ABC
Thursday, Sept. 22 at 9:00 p.m.
"Notorious" (ABC) -
NBC
Thursday, Sept. 22 at 10:00 p.m.
"The Blacklist" (NBC) -
ABC
Thursday, Sept. 22 at 10:00 p.m.
"How to Get Away With Murder" (ABC) -
Netflix
Friday, Sept. 23
“Longmire” (Netflix) -
Amazon
Friday, Sept. 23
“Transparent” (Amazon) -
Syfy
Friday, Sept. 23 at 10:00 p.m.
“Van Helsing” (Syfy) -
CBS
Friday, Sept. 23 at 8:00 p.m.
"MacGyver" (CBS) -
NBC
Friday, Sept. 23 at 8:00 p.m.
"Caught on Camera With Nick Cannon" (NBC) -
Fox
Friday, Sept. 23 at 8:00 p.m.
"Hell's Kitchen" (Fox) -
ABC
Friday, Sept. 23 at 8:00 p.m.
"Last Man Standing" (ABC) -
ABC
Friday, Sept. 23 at 8:30 p.m.
"Dr. Ken" (ABC) -
CBS
Friday, Sept. 23 at 9:00 p.m.
"Hawaii Five-0" (CBS) -
Fox
Friday, Sept. 23 at 9:00 p.m.
"The Exorcist" (Fox) -
ABC
Friday, Sept. 23 at 9:00 p.m.
"Shark Tank" (ABC) -
CBS
Friday, Sept. 23 at 10:00 p.m.
"Blue Bloods" (CBS) -
Fox
Sunday, Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m.
"Bob's Burgers" (Fox) -
PBS
Sunday, Sept. 25 at 8:00 p.m.
“Poldark” (PBS) -
Fox
Sunday, Sept. 25 at 8:00 p.m.
"The Simpsons" (Fox) -
ABC
Sunday, Sept. 25 at 8:00 p.m.
"Once Upon a Time" (ABC) -
Fox
Sunday, Sept. 25 at 8:30 p.m.
"Son of Zorn" (Fox) -
Fox
Sunday, Sept. 25 at 9:00 p.m.
"Family Guy" (Fox) -
ABC
Sunday, Sept. 25 at 9:00 p.m.
"Secrets and Lies" (ABC) -
Fox
Sunday, Sept 25 at 9:30 p.m.
"The Last Man on Earth" (Fox) -
ABC
Sunday, Sept. 25 at 10:00 p.m.
"Quantico" (ABC) -
Syfy
Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 9:00 p.m.
“Channel Zero” (Syfy) -
Syfy
Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 10:00 p.m.
“Aftermath” (Syfy) -
Comedy Central
Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 10:00 p.m.
“Drunk History” (Comedy Central) -
CBS
Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 9:00 p.m.
"Criminal Minds" (CBS) -
CBS
Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT
“Big Brother: Over the Top” (CBS All Access) -
CBS
Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 10:00 p.m.
"Code Black" (CBS) -
TV Land
Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 10:00 p.m.
“Younger” (TV Land) -
TV Land
Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 10:30 p.m.
“Impastor” (TV Land) -
Amazon
Friday, Sept. 30
“Crisis in Six Scenes” (Amazon) -
Netflix
Friday, Sept. 30
“Marvel’s Luke Cage” (Netflix) -
Ovation
Saturday, Oct. 1 at 10:00 p.m.
“Versailles” (Ovation) -
Starz
Sunday, Oct. 2 at 8:00 p.m.
“Ash vs. Evil Dead” (Starz) -
Starz
Sunday, Oct. 2 at 8:35 p.m.
“Blunt Talk” (Starz) -
Showtime
Sunday, Oct. 2 at 9:00 p.m.
“Shameless” (Showtime) -
HBO
Sunday, Oct. 2 at 9:00 p.m.
“Westworld” (HBO) -
CBS
Sunday, Oct. 2 at 8:00 p.m.
"NCIS: Los Angeles" (CBS) -
CBS
Sunday, Oct. 2 at 9:00 p.m.
"Madam Secretary" (CBS) -
CBS
Sunday, Oct. 2 at 10:00 p.m.
"Elementary" (CBS) -
CBS
Monday, Oct. 3 at 9:00 p.m.
"Scorpion" (CBS) -
NBC
Monday, Oct. 3 at 10:00 p.m.
"Timeless" (NBC) -
ABC
Monday, Oct. 3 at 10:00 p.m.
"Conviction" (ABC) -
Hulu
Tuesday, Oct. 4
“The Mindy Project” (Hulu) -
CW
Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 8:00 p.m.
"The Flash" (CW) -
CW
Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 9:00 p.m.
"No Tomorrow" (CW) -
CW
Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 8:00 p.m.
"Arrow" (CW) -
CW
Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 9:00 p.m.
"Frequency" (CW) -
Netflix
Thursday, Oct. 7
“The Ranch” (Netflix) -
HBO
Sunday, Oct. 9 at 10:00 p.m.
“Divorce” (HBO) -
HBO
Sunday, Oct. 9 at 10:30 p.m.
“Insecure” (HBO) -
CW
Monday, Oct. 10 at 8:00 p.m.
"Supergirl" (CW) -
CBS
Monday, Oct. 10 at 9:00 p.m.
"2 Broke Girls" (CBS) -
Freeform
Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 8:00 p.m.
“Ben & Lauren: Happily Ever After?” (Freeform) -
ABC
Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 8:00 p.m.
"The Middle" (ABC) -
ABC
Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 8:30 p.m.
"American Housewife" (ABC) -
Freeform
Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 9:00 p.m.
“The Letter” (Freeform) -
ABC
Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 9:00 p.m.
"Fresh off the Boat" (ABC) -
ABC
Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 9:30 p.m.
"The Real O'Neals" (ABC) -
NBC
Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 10:00 p.m.
"Chicago Fire" (NBC) -
CW
Thursday, Oct. 13 at 8:00 p.m.
"DC's Legends of Tomorrow" (CW) -
CW
Thursday, Oct. 13 at 9:00 p.m.
"Supernatural" (CW) -
USA
Thursday, Oct. 13 at 10:00 p.m.
“Falling Water” (USA) -
Amazon
Friday, Oct. 14
“Goliath” (Amazon) -
Netflix
Friday, Oct. 14
“Haters Back Off” (Netflix) -
Pop
Friday, Oct. 14 at 10:00 p.m.
“Wolf Creek” (Pop) -
PBS
Sunday, Oct. 16 at 8:00 p.m.
“The Durrells in Corfu” (PBS) -
Epix
Sunday, Oct. 16 at 9:00 p.m.
“Berlin Station” (Epix) -
Epix
Sunday, Oct. 16 at 10:00 p.m.
“Graves” (Epix) -
USA
Sunday, Oct. 16 at 10:00 p.m.
“Eyewitness” (USA) -
CW
Monday, Oct. 17 at 9:00 p.m.
"Jane the Virgin" (CW) -
CBS
Monday, Oct. 17 at 9:30 p.m.
"The Odd Couple" (CBS) -
Hulu
Wednesday, Oct. 19
“Chance” (Hulu) -
Netflix
Friday, Oct. 21
“Black Mirror” (Netflix) -
CW
Friday, Oct. 21 at 8:00 p.m.
"The Vampire Diaries" (CW) -
CW
Friday, Oct. 21 at 9:00 p.m.
"Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" (CW) -
BBC America
Saturday, Oct. 22 at 9:00 p.m.
“Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency” (BBC America) -
AMC
Sunday, Oct. 23 at 9:00 p.m.
“The Walking Dead” (AMC) -
AMC
Sunday, Oct. 23 at 10:00 p.m.
“Talking Dead” (AMC) -
CBS
Monday, Oct. 24 at 8:30 p.m.
"Man With a Plan" (CBS) -
CBS
Thursday, Oct. 27 at 8:30 p.m.
"The Great Indoors" (CBS) -
CBS
Thursday, Oct. 27 at 9:00 p.m.
"Mom" (CBS) -
CBS
Thursday, Oct. 27 at 9:30 p.m.
"Life in Pieces" (CBS) -
CBS
Thursday, Oct. 27 at 10:00 p.m.
"Pure Genius" (CBS) -
Amazon
Friday, Oct. 28
“Good Girls Revolt” (Amazon) -
IFC
Friday, Oct. 28 at 11:00 p.m.
“Comedy Bang! Bang!” (IFC) -
BBC
Friday, Oct. 28 at 11:00 p.m.
“Tracey Ullman’s Show” (HBO) -
TBS
Monday, Oct. 31 at 9:00 p.m.
“People of Earth” (TBS)
From returning favorites like ”Empire“ to highly anticipated debuts such as ”This Is Us,“ TheWrap’s guide to Fall 2016 premiere dates
Find out when the most hotly anticipated new shows and your old favorites return. We'll keep updating this gallery as more Fall 2016 premiere dates are announced.