AMC, American Movie Classics began in 1984, and has since presented film favorites from almost every genre and decade. Yet this “movie channel” is the only cable network in history to have won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series four years in a row, as well as three consecutive Golden Globes for Best Television Drama Series. Besides the prestigious awards for new content, its shows (Mad Men, Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead and Hell on Wheels) are some of the highest rated shows on television. So how did a movie channel become such an innovator of original content? Let’s find out.

AMC started broadcasting on October 1, 1984, as a premium cable channel that aired classic black and white movies of the 1930’s, 1940’s and 1950’s, in a commercial-free, unedited format. By 1987, the channel became the first channel available on basic cable television systems and by 1989, AMC had 39 million subscribers in the United States. AMC was so connected to movies that they partnered with Martin Scorsese’s, “The Film Foundation” to raise awareness (and money) for film preservation.

To attract new audiences to old movies, AMC would do innovative broadcasts such as: Monsterfest, a week-long marathon of scary movies that aired in late October, and Fear Friday, a horror movie double feature which aired every Friday night. They also broadcasted showings of silent film classics, and showed campy old classic movie trailers, drive-in movie concession stand ads that used to get folks popping out of their car to get some popcorn, and music videos pulled from classic musical movies from the period, that really gave viewer’s a sense of the cultural significance of film in America.

In 1996, AMC experimented with original content when it aired its first original series, Remember WENN, a show about a radio station during the 1930’s. The show was well received by both critics and fans, but was abruptly cancelled after its fourth season when a change of management took over whose agenda was to stick with an all movies format. Ironically, in September 2002, AMC decided to change its format, and began to broadcast movies from all eras, mostly because their advertising sponsors wanted more relevant content for their target consumers. They also made the decision to start airing original content, and presented their short-lived reality television series called FilmFakers, featuring out-of-work actors.

Then, in 2007, they struck gold. AMC debuted the original series Mad Men, a period piece about Madison Avenue advertising executives in the 1960’s. The show was immediately hailed by viewers and critics alike as the best thing on television, and went on to win 15 Emmys. The establishment of Mad Men, followed by Breaking Bad in 2008, gave AMC a reputation on par with premium cable networks HBO and Showtime, both of which rejected Mad Men before it came to AMC.

In 2010, AMC debuted another blockbuster show: The Walking Dead and followed that with the contemporary Western Hell on Wheels and the murder mystery The Killing in 2011. They actually canceled The Killing after two seasons but decided to revive it due to a huge casting win by landing accomplished movie actor Peter Sarsgaard (Knight and Day, An Education, Jarhead, Green Lantern), for the show’s third season. And not to miss out in other television venues, AMC premiered four reality television shows in 2012: Inside the DHS, The Pitch, Comic Book Men and Small Town Security.

We hope that AMC—which is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc. and its sister networks which include IFC, Sundance Channel and WE TV—plans to continue its groundbreaking new content into the future. We’ll have our popcorn ready.

PHOTOS:
http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/26300000/Hell-on-Wheels-hell-on-wheels-26369704-1600-1200.jpg
http://subtitlebox.org/pictures/74/50/105074.jpg

SOURCES:
http://www.amcnetworks.com/about_story
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMC_(TV_channel)
http://www.amcnetworks.com/brand_amc
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMC_Networks

Mad Men, a series that follows the lives of people working in the high-powered world of advertising in the 1960’s, just began its sixth season this April. The series premiered in July 2007 on AMC; and has since received continuous critical acclaim. It’s been nominated for 85 Emmys; winning three for Outstanding Writing and four for Outstanding Drama Series. It has also won two Golden Globes for Best Television Drama and set a record with five Writer’s Guild of America awards for Best Dramatic Episodes of a Television Series.

With a show this well written, entertainment executive must have been tripping over each other to get a chance to work with the writer to develop the new series, right? Well it actually took many years from the time series creator Matthew Weiner first sat down and put his idea on paper until he finally saw his creation come to life on the screen. It all started in 1999, when Weiner was working as a staff writer on the series “Becker.” Although it was a good job, it wasn’t what he really wanted to do, so he decided to spend his free time working on his own idea for a new series.

For most of his life, he was fascinated with that time in American history that saw so much change in our culture—the late 1950s and early ‘60s. So, he thought it would be interesting to set his story in New York City, at a Madison Avenue advertising agency in the early 1960s:

“It’s a great way to talk about the image we have of ourselves, versus who we really are. And admen were the rock stars of that era, creative, cocky, anti-authority. They made a lot of money, and they lived hard.”

He knew he wanted to explore the theme of “the conflicting desire in the American male and the people who pay the price for that.” Though successful in his career and happy in his family life, he had feelings of dissatisfaction in his own life that he wanted to explore in his new show:

“The basic question of the series to me was…you reach a certain point in your life where, if you’re lucky, you get almost everything you wanted on some level, not everything, but enough; and you still look around and say ‘Is this it?’”

When he finished the pilot screenplay, he started using it as a writing sample. In 2002, he sent it to “The Sopranos” creator and showrunner David Chase. Chase read the pilot and was so impressed, he hired Weiner to write for his show. Chase also submitted the pilot to HBO, but the network decided to pass. Showtime also passed, so Weiner focused on writing for “The Sopranos.”

Then, when “The Sopranos” was in its last year, Weiner started focusing on “Mad Men” again. This time, his timing was perfect. AMC was looking for an idea for an original series that was cinematic and would complement their core offering of classic American movies. The historic setting and theatrical quality of “Mad Men” was a perfect match for the network, so AMC announced that “Mad Men” would become their first original dramatic series.

The pilot episode began shooting in New York City with Weiner as showrunner. He supervised all details of production including casting, set design and props, costumes, and even hairstyles. He wanted to make sure that everything was historically accurate; and also make sure that nothing about the production, especially the acting style, felt like the typical television show. After all those years of hard work and patience, his vision was finally being realized:

“When you have an idea from zero, and you walk into a three dimensional environment where the people are dressed like you imagined them, and they are saying the things that you imagined they would be saying to each other, it was one of the most awesome experiences of my life.”

Resources:

http://www.amctv.com/mad-men/videos/the-making-of-mad-men-part-1

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20203313_2,00.html

http://variety.com/2012/film/news/afi-names-top-10-in-film-tv-1118063380/

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/18/arts/television/18madm.html?_r=0

http://www.emmys.com/shows/mad-men

Photo: http://www.amctv.com/shows/mad-men/episodes/season-1/the-wheel

On Halloween night 2010, the pilot of “The Walking Dead” premiered on AMC. It was the perfect opening date for the post-apocalyptic, zombie-packed horror show. The pilot drew in well over five million viewers. Since then, even though the series is now under the direction of its third showrunner, the series continues to grow in popularity. The recently aired third season finale had a staggering 12.4 million viewers. So, how does a TV show about survival in a world filled with zombies get on the air?

Before the “The Walking Dead” became a hit TV show, it was an award winning comic book series—written by Robert Kirkman, and illustrated by Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard—that debuted in 2003. Screenwriter and director Frank Darabont (“The Shawshank Redemption” and “The Green Mile”) saw the “The Walking Dead” in a comic book store and—because he loved zombies ever since seeing George Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” as a teen—he decided to take a look. Though traditionally, zombies have never been considered a suitable subject for a television show, Darabont said that he saw something in the comic books that made him think “The Walking Dead” could make a great series:

“Ultimately, what I found most interesting about this project…was the very intensely character driven approach that he [Kirkman] has taken. I thought this would be a really great adult way to tell this kind of story in a highly serialized, long-term manor—which really hasn’t been done.”

Kirkman was thrilled to have someone as talented as Darabont interested in adapting the comic book series. He also agreed that it would be much better to tell the story on television rather than through movies:

“The thing that makes ‘The Walking Dead’ unique and interesting is that it’s a zombie movie that never ends…it’s a long-term exploration on the characters and their situation and how they’re dealing with these problems over a long period of time, the different things that happen to the characters and how it affects and changes the characters.“

They started pitching the idea for the show. After HBO gave their new show idea a pass, they pitched it to AMC, whose executives jumped at the chance to add to their already impressive line-up of original series (including “Breaking Bad” and “Mad Men”). In January 2010, AMC announced that it had ordered a pilot for a series adapted from “The Walking Dead” comic books.

With Kirkman by his side as an executive producer, Darabont wrote the pilot episode. The pilot opens with Rick Grimes, a sheriff’s deputy in a small Georgian town, going into a coma after getting shot. Several weeks later, he wakes-up in the hospital and realizes the place is deserted. As he tries to make his way home, he finds that his town is all but abandoned, strewn with dead bodies, and full of zombies wandering around feeding on human flesh. When he arrives home, Rick finds evidence that his family may still be alive, so he sets off to find his wife and son. He eventually finds them living with a small group of people who must now find a way to survive in this new, post-apocalyptic world.

The source material and scripts were so strong that AMC picked up the show for a six-episode first season. On May 15th 2010, four months after the pilot was announced, the series began filming in Atlanta, with Darabont as showrunner and director. Kirkman said that—because of Darabont’s deep understanding of the story, amazing casting that captured the essence of the characters, and set design and special effects make-up that faithfully recreated scenes from the comic book—what they ended up with was “a near perfect adaptation.” Then, Bear McCreary added his haunting score, and the pilot was ready for its Halloween premiere in the United States.

Since then, the series has grown more and more popular, and fans around the world are thrilled that “The Walking Dead” will be back for a fourth season in October.

Photo source: http://www.adweek.com/files/imagecache/node-detail/news_article/walking-dead-cast-hed-2012.jpg

Sources:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRNwqVH1X_4

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/03/29/the-walking-dead-lives-on-amc-network-greenlights-series-based-on-comic-books/46517/

http://www.avclub.com/articles/days-gone-bye,46865/

http://io9.com/5353248/kirkman-tv-can-make-the-zombie-movie-that-never-ends

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walking_Dead_(TV_series)

AMC has announced that their hugely popular zombie drama The Walking Dead will be returning for a fourth season. That was no surprise to the show’s millions of fans. What was a surprise, however, was the announcement that showrunner Glen Mazzara will be leaving the show after completion of post-production on season three. Creative differences between Mazzara and AMC were cited as the reason for the showrunner’s imminent departure. In a statement, AMC said the decision to part ways was amicable:

“AMC is grateful for his hard work. We are both proud of our shared success. Both parties acknowledge that there is a difference of opinion about where the show should go moving forward, and conclude that it is best to part ways.”

Mazzara’s departure is unexpected because “The Walking Dead” is AMC’s biggest hit, and the show has grown in popularity since Mazzara took over as showrunner (from series creator Frank Darabont) in the middle of season two. The show’s third season premiere had a record breaking 10.9 million viewers—and that number doesn’t even include the millions of viewers who recorded the show or watch the second broadcast later that evening. It was a 50 percent increase over the number of viewer for the show’s season two premiere. With the amazing success of season three, Walking Dead has become one of the biggest hits on television, and it’s the first basic cable show to lead the fall ratings among television’s most valued demographic—adults 18-49 year old.

In a statement about his departure, Mazzara thanked the show’s fans and said that it was time to move on:

“My time as showrunner on ‘The Walking Dead‘ has been an amazing experience, but after I finish season 3, it’s time to move on. I have told the stories I wanted to tell and connected with our fans on a level that I never imagined. It doesn’t get much better than that. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this journey.”

If you’re not one of the millions of fans who are hooked on The Walking Dead, you may be wondering what your missing. The show tells the story of survivors living in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. The show’s main character Rick Grimes, a former Sheriff’s deputy, wakes from a coma only to find that the world has been taken over by zombies. He then discovers that his wife and son are missing. He finds his wife, son and his best friend at a camp near the city of Atlanta; and they form a small group of survivors who struggle to find safe places to live away from the throngs of zombie walkers. The group must also deal with other human survivors who, in their fight for survival, can be as dangerous as the walkers.

While there hasn’t been an announcement regarding a new showrunner for season four, executive producer Robert Kirkman—author of the comic book series on which The Walking Dead is based—believes the future for the show looks bright:

“I am in full support of both AMC and Glen Mazzara in the decision they have come to and believe the parties came to this decision in the best interest of the future of the show…This show has always been the result of a wide range of extremely talented men and women working tirelessly to produce their best work collectively.  I believe the future is bright for ‘The Walking Dead.’ Thank you to the fans for your continued support.”

SOURCES:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walking_Dead_(TV_series)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1520211/

http://www.mercurynews.com/entertainment/ci_22239677/walking-dead-showrunner-glen-mazzara-departs-after-difference

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-glen-mazzara-will-leave-amcs-the-walking-dead-after-season-3-20121221,0,3565940.story

There’s no question that tablets, laptops and smartphones have changed the way people watch television. But the appeal of using these devices goes far beyond simply being able to watch your favorite shows anywhere. Viewers are now using what the industry is calling the “second screen” to interact with other viewers, answer trivia questions and even be clued into recurring themes within the series in real time.

Recently, Nielsen performed a study called “Double Vision – Global Trends in Tablet and Smartphone Use while Watching TV,” which found:

“Whether to check email or to look up program or product information, using a tablet or smartphone while watching TV is more common than not according to a Q4 2011 Nielsen survey of connected device owners in the U.S., U.K., Germany and Italy. In the U.S., 88 percent of tablet owners and 86 percent of smartphone owners said they used their device while watching TV at least once during a 30-day period. For 45 percent of tablet-tapping Americans, using their device while watching TV was a daily event, with 26 percent noting simultaneous TV and tablet use several times a day. U.S. smartphone owners showed similar dual usage of TV with their phones, with 41 percent saying their use their phone at least once a day while tuned in.”

This trend has not gone unnoticed by app producers and other industry players as a way to capitalize on additional screens. Second-screen Apps like Yap.tv, Unami and Miso are quickly entering the market. According to their website, Yap.tv offers these interactive opportunities for customers while they watch their favorite show: “See TV shows you have in common with your friends”; “See celebrity and fan tweet for thousands of shows”; and “Like it, comment on it, share the wow with friends.”

There’s even a dedicated network designed to place content-rich ads on second-screen devices. SecondScreen Networks has designed and built a server-side automated content recognition (ACR) platform.  With this patent-pending technology, TV advertisers now can have high-engagement digital ads served to social TV audiences synchronized in real-time with their running TV spots. “Importantly, unlike other client-side approaches, SecondScreen’s technology requires no user action or device listening; ads are simply delivered in context, automatically, to complement TV spots,” according to the SecondScreen website.

Even the networks are getting into the act. AMC has second-screen platforms for shows like “The Walking Dead” and “Breaking Bad.” AMC tempts viewers to enjoy snap polls, cool trivia and exclusive video while watching the broadcast of latest episodes.

Mac McKean, AMC’s SVP of Digital Media and Content, recently told LostRemote:

“You can use it on your computer, phone or tablet. We have optimized versions for each one. It will pop up different things. ‘Breaking Bad’ is an intricate show and there are all kinds of references from things previously in the show. If you have this viewing experience we’ll point out references. Walt might say something and you can like or dislike, and you can predict how a script situation will come out.  As you’re watching the show, as the scene is happening or just finished, pieces of content pop up. A picture of the scene that it relates to, a pole, instant replays and then as it’s going into commercial you can rewatch the scene, it’s called ‘reload.’ You can share each piece of content.”

Second screen is not a new trend, it’s simply more convenient than it once was when viewers would have to walk over to a clunky desktop computer, dial-up AOL and enter a crowded chat room to discuss Richard Hatch’s latest shenanigans on “Survivor.” And as this style of viewing becomes more and more convenient, app developers, networks and savvy TV industry execs must battle it out for a piece of the profit pie.

Internet streaming and DVD box sets have irreparably changed the way people consume television shows. Instead of waiting a week for the next episode of a show – especially shows like “Dexter” and “Breaking Bad” that specialize in tantalizing cliffhanger story arcs – many viewers prefer to watch their favorite series in marathon or “binge” formats.

MyRecordJournal.com of central Connecticut asked Time Magazine’s television critic James Poniewozik about this phenomenon. “This trend of people marathon-watching television is a change,” he said. “It’s a new thing people in the industry need to see that it’s happening and not fight it, but adapt to it,” says Poniewozik.

It may not be dire for networks to cater to this trend, as viewers still love anticipating and watching season premieres in real time. But ignoring this movement will most certainly mean networks are missing out on gaining another segment of viewers.

Fox has noticed this trend and prepared its programming accordingly. Fox will release a 10-episode season of the returning “Arrested Development” in full on Netflix, instead of airing the fourth season week-to-week.

MyRecordJournal.com reports:

“This is the way television is moving,” said Richard Hanley, associate professor of journalism and graduate journalism director at Quinnipiac University. “Many shows like ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Mad Men’ are a throwback to 19th century novelistic works such as Charles Dickens’, where chapters were released into magazines. Some people would read each chapter per issue, but many people would wait until they had the opportunity to read a lot at once.”

Catering to binge viewing can benefit networks in a variety of ways. One of the most important: Viewers are much more interested in a season premiere if they are already invested in the series. For viewers who haven’t seen a specific show, streaming previous seasons or watching them in gross on DVD is a way to catch up on the series. And it’s a way for the networks to get more eyes on their prime-time programming, resulting in the potential for more advertising revenue.

Networks would be amiss to ignore viewing trends. The Internet has changed the way people consume news and has significantly altered the newspaper industry. Unless TV networks want to be the next victims of the convenience that the Web provides to consumers, they must start delivering their product in a way viewers actually want to pay for it.

If you are new to binge viewing, here’s a list of ten series that’s sure to get you started!

The people have spoken…and they love Mad Men.

Ratings are up and it is clear Don Draper has captured an audience. But, there is more to the story.

Through Mad Men, we are getting a look at how people have turned to Netflix and other ‘alternative’ distribution methods to ‘catch-up’ on a series and then jump back in when it returns in real-time to its original network. (See link to article below.)

Alternative is in quotes because Nexflix, Hulu, etc. are less and less alternative and more and more mainstream these days. Viewers view content in the ways that are most convenient and accessible for their needs. Where there’s a will to watch, there is a way!

As we all know, people are busy, but that doesn’t mean they are willing to miss out on the gem that their friends, neighbors and critics have found in Mad Men and the same phenomenon applies to any and all ‘hot’ shows. It’s never too late to catch up, get up to speed and tag-in… even if a series has been around for many seasons.

And, this trend or truth has many consequences for the creators and distributors of content—positive ones! More channels and more distribution methods drive the need for content; content that’s original and inspired! Clearly, with more ways to watch, the need for content will continue to increase.

Distribution channels evolve, too. Mad Men airs on AMC; which wasn’t exactly synonymous with Emmy-worthy original content in the past—but wow, has that changed with Mad Men, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead! And, we all know that HBO and Showtime didn’t used to produce amazing original content and now they churn it out like child’s play.

So, if it can be done, this progress in original content development, Netflix and others will want to develop their own original programs, too. They won’t be alone. Alternative entertainment methods will continue to crop up and they will need content as well…

Have any ideas you’d like to share?

Speaking of Mad Men, New Show Studios own President Anthony Valkanas got to meet and greet and enjoy a photo op with Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner at the NATPE (National Association of Television Program Executives) Market & Conference in January in Miami. Certainly a pleasure to rub elbows with the creator of such a successful series.

Source:   http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/04/19/mad-men-and-don-draper-should-buy-netflix-a-drink/