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EXCLUSIVE: ABC Studios is making a concerted effort in the low-cost TV arena with the appointment of Tracy Underwood to run development of cable as well as lower-cost network programming for the studio. ABC Studios had been pondering a formal entrance into the low-cost TV space for a long time. According to industry speculation, one idea floated last spring included launching a dedicated unit referred to as Keystone. Instead, ABC Studios is starting off with one studio executive, Underwood, dedicated to developing lower-cost programming.
One by one, most major TV studios have expanded into cable/alternative development. ABC Studios has a history of producing for cable. It currently has the long-running Army Wives on Lifetime and two series originally developed for broadcast that have migrated to cable: Cougar Town on TBS and Devious Maids on Lifetime. Additionally, the studio has produced lower-cost original scripted series for summer, most recently the upcoming Mistresses.
Underwood has been at ABC Studios since 2010, serving as VP drama development. She comes from the feature world. Before joining ABC Studios, she was with Vendome Pictures, an independent feature film financier and production company where she brought in the first production, the Jake Gyllenhaal-starring Source Code. Prior to that, she ran Jason Blum’s production company during their three year deal at Paramount and worked with John Wells for 6 years on the feature side of his Warner Bros. based production company.
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Underwood is one of my favorite execs in the business, film, TV, you name it. She is poised and professional, respectful of writers, kind even (!) while managing to GET. SHIT. DONE. Absolutely love her and excited to see her soar.
My favorite person in the business!
Let me ask you fine folks a question:
I know I’m oversimplifying here, but it seems to me that the barriers to making a film (by making, I mean being one of the key creative forces of the film – writer/director/producer) are lower than they are for producing a television show. You could be a regular shmoe, but as long as you have access to the necessary capital (a big hurdle, admittedly), you can make an independent feature film, screen it at festivals, etc, and with some luck, sell it. You’ve got a film out in the marketplace.
But if your project is best suited for television, do you have any recourse that is similar to that of the independent feature filmmaker? You don’t just go out and independently finance a television series – or even a pilot -and pitch it to the networks (I mean, I suppose one could do so, but I imagine it’s never worked?). And I haven’t heard of TV taking on any shows from regular shmoes either. Maybe I’m mistaken there, though. So what is the recourse? Do you have to toil in the trenches with staff positions at established shows first?
I’m curious because it seems to me that presently TV is a lot more ambitious narratively than film – even independent film (yes, I know it’s a subjective opinion) – and more willing to take risks on offbeat characters, storylines, structures, etc. Except that it’s barriers to entry seem to be a lot more prohibitive than those of film, from a “creator” standpoint. Is that right?
@Vin: other than the fact that your question is a non-sequiter to the article about Tracy (A very good exec b/t/w)! your observations are right on. Staffing is one great avenue but getting staffed is very hard in and of itself. Other ways in are to write a kick-ass spec pilot and get it into the hands of development exex at tv companies; there are many now run by showrunners (John Wells, Tracy’s former boss, being one of the first)looking to mentor young writers. Also, you can score an invitation to the “club” by having a critically acclaimed independent feature get notice.But you are correct — if one can marshal the resources anyone can make a movie..not so w/t.v.
Make a solid indie film, then get an agent and pitch projects to TV.
Vin–you are largely correct. Independent financing/distribution for television is much, much less common and to even start to have the conversation to do it you have to be very established. It perhaps could change somewhat in the years to come with the big changes in distribution but certainly at the moment that is how it is, for better or for worse.
Hey Vin – I never post comments up here but this is so pertinent to my situation I can’t resist. I am one of the regular shmoes to which you refer, and I have been pitching television projects in L.A. and N.Y. to top-rank network and studio execs for several years, mostly without success. I finally have something BARELY out of the starting gate, but only after attaching name-brand directing/producing talent to the project. Prior to this, I brought a different project around, including a very high-quality 14-minute promotional piece (not quite a pilot, but ample demonstration of our abilities), including taking it to Tracy Underwood. As other posters have said, she is indeed about the nicest person we have met in our many meetings, also very sharp. Still, having a great idea, a great story, and even a self-financed, filmed product was not enough to get buy-in. In film, all you need is cash. In television, you need buy-in from people in development, programming, marketing and then the real higher-ups. Many hurdles to get over for a shmoe like me. Get the cooperation of a top-line director/producer and watch how quickly the dynamic changes. It has been a real eye-opener for me and my partner. And by the way, that earlier project? – we are now doing it as a movie. – Jeff Pucillo
That sounds about right. However the web does allow for some potential “indie TV” that might get some notice and then get you a show on a network like that recent “Tiny Apartment” web series which Comedy Central just shot as pilot..or of course like “Fred”…
Low cost independent TV = YouTube. Go for it.
If you could raise the money for two hours of content, you could either do a film or six twenty-minute episodes of television. The question, though, is what to do with that TV content. There are a few festivals for indie pilots (NYTVF and ITVFest most notably), but relatively very little comes from them. The “festival” circuit for television projects is really the web – I have a friend who sold his independent series to Hulu. At the very least, you could create a series and post it to YouTube. So – if can raise the money for two hours of content, you could conceivably choose to do either a film or a TV show. There are a few examples of indie pilots/web series becoming series – ALWAYS SUNNY is the most notorious, WORKAHOLICS the most recent.
I would think it’d be easier to shoot an independent pilot than a film – it’s basically a twenty-forty minute short film which has an open-ended narrative. But right now it seems like there’s more interest in independent features. However, I think the shifting landscape of the internet will lower the barrier of entry to shorter content.
Tracy is amazing, and a great choice for this position. Well done, ABC!
Poor Tracy is gonna be lonely. She’s a good exec – but this is a tough uphill climb. Good luck.
The. Best. Tracy continues to rock it, huge congrats!!
Great move. Tracy is the real deal.
Congrats to Tracy! She’s great to work with.
What do they mean by lower costs exactly? What kind of budget exactly? Army Wives is a low-budget? Really?
Their lower costs and my lower costs are two different things.
Love Tracy! Totally on top of thing, smart, funny, easy to deal with. ABC Studios make a terrific choice.
As someone who has worked with Tracy on a network pilot/series, I can say she is one of the best! Sad that the network projects @ ABCS are losing her tenacity and intelligence. But those traits will be great in the cable world!