TV Writer/Producer Kay Reindl has an amusing and informative post on the state of the TV biz going into 2009 and her hopes about what will change. One of her observations is that even though procedurals and detective show are doing well, the networks don't want to hear pitches for lighter detective fare…
Talk to almost any TeeVee writer about what show they wish they could sell and they'd invariably say a light detective show. Remington Steele, Magnum PI, Hart To Hart, Simon & Simon, hell, even Riptide. We all want to do this show! But it's virtually impossible to sell. And believe me, we've all f–king tried. But executives turn a deaf ear to these pitches. They do NOT want to hear the word "detective."
She also says that pitches about thieves aren't selling (art thieves in particular), but that's to be expected after the monumental failure of so many thieving shows (remember SMITH, THIEF, and THE KILL POINT anyone?) She also makes many other sharp observations…as usual.
I know of two light detective shows sold recently.
I guess it’s who’s doing the selling as opposed to the idea…
Isn’t MONK pretty light? And PSYCH? And BURN NOTICE (for the most part)? And those shows aren’t worth copying?
Both MONK and PSYCH are long-in-the-tooth and, from what I understand, skew older than what the networks would like. And while MONK is a hit on USA, it has not done well its airings on ABC and, more recently, NBC.
BURN NOTICE probably isn’t dark enough for network TV. You’ll notice that all the new detectives… THE MENTALIST and 11TH HOUR come to mind… all have dark pasts.
Lee
Maybe I misread the post. I didn’t she/he was talking major networks only.
Both shows I know that sold, sold to cable nets.
Hmmm…. those light detective shows are some of my all-time favorites, and yes, I’m in an older demographic. (So I guess I don’t count!) No wonder I can barely find anything on television I want to watch anymore.