Netflix abandons "Terra Nova"

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  • starsailorstarsailor Posts: 11,347
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    TV companies really need to get their head around the new marketplace which technology has created.

    In the days of PVR's and internet downloads, viewers are no longer tied to sitting down at the channel time to watch shows.

    My viewing habits have totally changed over the last few years. Now I rarely sit down to watch programes, but I'll save a few up at at time, or watch them over the weekend etc.

    I saved up Terra Nova to watch, but started to hear how the audience ratings were going and so never watched what I knew would become another canceled after 1 series show. I bet I'm not alone, and I bet that audiences getting used to canceled shows make that siuation worse by not investing in them at the start.
  • T.K.T.K. Posts: 19,502
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    mrkite77 wrote: »
    Netflix is currently making $21 million a month. That's after taxes and expenses. Of course it's just a fraction of what they make, because the cost of the content is so high.

    Their revenue is at $274 million/mo.. but content licensing, bandwidth, payroll, and all the other operating expenses brings it down to their net profit of $21 million/mo.

    They absolutely could afford to produce Terra Nova.. but I doubt they'd increase their subscription base enough to make it worth the expenditure.

    Oh okay. Didn't know that. That's interesting, mrkite. The BIB: Agreed.
  • T.K.T.K. Posts: 19,502
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    wakey wrote: »
    Terra Nova was no where as expensive as people make out. The 2 hour pilot was expensive and came in at around $14mill. A lot of that came down to Torrential rain disrupting the pilots production.

    After that each episode had a budget of $4mill which isn't that much higher. The Average for a Broadcast Network show after all is said to be $3mill, with Basic Cable being an avg of $2mill while most shows on premium cable such as HBO, Showtiem and Starz coming in at over $5mill and episode (First season of Game of Thrones came in at around $6mill an episode and got a 15% hike for season 2, Rome cost nearly 9 and on Starz Camelot was costing $7mill)

    And Alcatraz won't be picked up by Netflix, it's ratings are worse than Terra Nova's so it's not got a great home fanbase and it's international rights are weak. There is little to drive any real effort to find it a new home on the production side as it was only ever a loss leader to ensure Fox kept Fringe on the air to reach syndication levels.

    If anything Fringe is more likely to be saved by Netflix than Alcatraz as the production side would be more willing to do a deal due to the international sales still being strong despite falling ratings (plus for Netflix Fringe will create more column inches than Alcatraz)

    Respectfully, I doubt people (inside and outside the industry) all over the Internet would be saying that Terra Nova was expensive, if it wasn’t true. Obviously, it wasn’t a bank-breaker for FOX, but it was very expensive, make no mistake. The article I provided are one of many similar articles detailing the cost of the show and the fact that it is the most expensive TV show ever. But I do respect your view and take note of the Torrential rain point you make.

    Additionally, during the Terra Nova’s pre-premiere buzz, I remember reading articles about the FOX execs and the Terra Nova producers attempting to allay fears about its cost. It was obvious from what they were saying that they were feeling the pressure of making it a success. The reporters kept probing them about the cost and their only reply was, “If the show becomes as I’m sure it will, the cost will mean nothing.” Not really a good way to say that the show isn’t as costly as most people think.

    Yes, I agree about Alcatraz in that its international sales are not that great and its fanbase is not rabid or big, but nor is Terra Nova’s fanbase. They’re both freshman dramas that failed in their first seasons (and were both critically panned by critics), so I’d say they have around the same size of fanbase (Terra Nova’s is probably bigger though due its more popular concept of dinosaurs and the Steven Spielberg factor). Alcatraz, as you said, has worse ratings than Terra Nova. So it’s hard to say which one has more of a chance of being picked up by Netflix, but for me, it’s Alcatraz mostly due its lower cost than Terra Nova and better reviews. I'm sure Netflix would see it as a challenge and a bargain to improve Alcatraz's fanbase and international sales with its low cost.

    Regarding your point about Alcatraz only being offered to FOX to ensure Fringe stayed on air and reached syndication levels, I’m not sure I buy that. I heard reports about this when Alcatraz was in pre-production, but I didn’t regard them as anything more than Internet chatter. Personally, I doubt Bad Robot would do that, just so one of their other shows could stay on air. It does not ring true to me. Shows are never offered to keep another show on air. Fringe stayed on air due to WB reducing the licence fee for the show and the fact that Fringe performed decently in its new scheduling slot on Fridays (Obviously, that has changed this season with the ratings falling to new lows). Not to mention, Fringe's reduced budget. I guess that was enough for FOX to allow another season of Fringe.

    Yes, I totally agree about your last point about Fringe being more likely to be picked up by Netflix.
  • T.K.T.K. Posts: 19,502
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    wakey wrote: »
    I don't think it's anything to do with the likes of Netflix that more shows haven't been picked up. Deals to switch networks are complex enough which is why most talks break down but with Streaming services it's harder as its a new technology which doesn't have decades of rules that have been constructed to dictate things like residuals. It's a new frontier and we have seen how Big Media is scared and distrustful of anything that's new.

    It will become more common but it needs more deals to go through and set a precident and build up trust first.

    The money and desire however is there from the likes of Netflix, after all you don't outbid the broadcast networks and HBO to acquire 'House of Cards' which has a production budget of $100mill for 26 episodes without the money and desire being there to have quality exclusive content available to subscribers

    True. No disputes here. Hopefully, we will see more cancelled shows being picked up soon though by the likes of Netflix. Not to mention, more original content being created by them too.
  • fmradiotuner1fmradiotuner1 Posts: 20,476
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    Would this be to much for Syfy channel to buy?
    It would be cool if it were on here.
  • jjesso123jjesso123 Posts: 5,944
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    Would this be to much for Syfy channel to buy?
    It would be cool if it were on here.

    It's really just not the best interest for networks to pick up cancelled shows. especially ones, that suffer from terrible ratings, and that are very expensive to make. You've also now got to take into consideration actors commitments, I would of thought a lot actors will be moving on to do things and getting locked into contracts so now they've set there minds on the idea shows not getting picked up.

    So really don't get your hopes up the show is very unlikely to get picked up by anyone. Very annoying in my opinion. for yet another show with great potential, to be ruined by rubbish story telling.

    Now any news on what show we can expect in September anyone any new pilots ?
  • DensinoDensino Posts: 3,204
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    I could see The River getting picked up by Netflix......

    It wouldn't be the most expensive show to produce, except for location...

    It would do quiet well on Netflix.

    They should pick up season 1 and show it over the summer to measure how well it would do
  • DensinoDensino Posts: 3,204
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    jjesso123 wrote: »
    .

    Now any news on what show we can expect in September anyone any new pilots ?


    Here's a list:

    http://tvline.com/2012/02/01/pilot-season-abc-cbs-cw-fox-nbc/
  • T.K.T.K. Posts: 19,502
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    Densino wrote: »
    I could see The River getting picked up by Netflix......

    It wouldn't be the most expensive show to produce, except for location...

    It would do quiet well on Netflix.

    They should pick up season 1 and show it over the summer to measure how well it would do

    Agreed. I think The River has a good chance of being picked up by Netflix, probably more so than Terra Nova and Alcatraz. I think a found footage TV show kind of suits Netflix for some reason, I can't put my finger on why though :o.
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