Batle Of The TV Dramas

For decades the big four (ABC, CBS, NBC, fox) have captivated audiences and promptly kept their attention. Men and women have spent many hours standing around the theoretical water cooler. They speak of the latest episode of a Television drama that they saw the night before. Perhaps an episode of CSI, Law & Order, or even the newest episode of Bones. This is the era of network dramas or shall I say it was?  

 The truth is I should be speaking in past tense. The networks no longer have the hold on audiences that they once did. We are now in the are of the cable drama. I think last year's "Emmy Award" nominations made that apparent. For the first time there weren't any network dramas in the "Best Drama" category. Every serious contender belonged to an established cable channel. 

Award voters aren't the only ones who have turned their backs on the networks. Strong fan following have also the former powerhouses for something else. You can see this at any convention you were to go to. People dressing up as characters from shows like: "The Walking Dead", "Game Of Thrones", or the extremely popular "Doctor Who". Sure, "Once Upon A Time has it's own strong fan base, but that is only one of many network dramas that are on the air today.

If, you were to simply compare the ratings, then it would seem that the networks were still on top. "MadMen" only gets a fraction of the viewers that shows on major networks do, but there is more to it than that. Even though "Madmen"s rating seem low in comparison, they still have the worlds attention. People still discuss it, parody it, and stream it more than they do with network shows. That is the difference between network and cable television at the moment. Cable gets people excited and they get people talking. 

It doesn't have to be like this. The big four can get the audiences and voters back. They just have to do something that is very hard for them. They have to change. People want to hear stories and follow characters. The networks tell situation not stories. Audiences don't want to watch a repetitive crime drama with nothing new to say. They want something new and refreshing.  All people want is a story that they can follow. Not the same situation re-shown every week. Until the networks realize that, they won't be seeing that "Emmy" nomination anytime soon.