Description
THE PROJECT
For this assignment, you will select a newly launched series launch from the Fall 2020 or the Spring 2021 network season (select from the options listed below). Your analysis should focus on the all aspects of the series launch, based upon the topics covered in the course (Program, Audience, Distribution, and Business Plan).
Write your analysis in memo format. Identify each section and subsection with a header. Your finished work will likely be 6 pages. Submit as a .docx or a .pdf. Include any references you used. Make sure to include the series itself in your list of references as a primary resource. Your research must include watching several episodes of the series with the accompanying commercials in addition to researching these topics through Internet sources.
Your analysis should include the sections defined below, and PLEASE make your section headings clear to the reader. Consider the following question prompts as you write your analysis. These question prompts are provided to help stimulate your thinking as you decide what you want to write; they are not intended to be a hard and fast outline for you to follow.
Define the program series: What is the series? Who is the parent company (the producing studio)? What is the Network? What are the characters, the setting, and the story arcs of the series plot? How are the copyright and trademark protected? Who are the people who made this series?
Analyze the distribution of the series: What is the time slot and what are the scheduling strategies evident in where the series airs? How has the Network tackled media divergence for this series? How does this series fit within the larger corporate strategies of the parent company of the network?
Consider the program audience: Who is the target audience?What is the audience profile? What are the ratings so far for this program and how do these ratings compare to other series on this network or to series on other networks?
The business plan: Who are the advertisers in this series? Why did these advertisers select this series? What do you think is the business plan behind the program? How do you think the television stations and the broadcast network are making money from this program? Are the ratings sufficient for profitability?
Your own reflection about the product: What did you learn about aspects of programming and program development through conducting this analysis? What surprised you? What impressed you? If you were in charge, what would you have done differently? What was the single most important factor behind the decision to launch this product? Did this product launch succeed or fail? Why?
References (these are essential for this project — include primary references for the program itself and secondary references for the additional information you found)
SELECT YOUR TOPIC FROM THE LIST BELOW
Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 Series Launches by date and by network
Monday, Sept. 21
8 p.m. L.As Finest (Fox, network debut of Spectrum Originals series)
9 p.m. Filthy Rich (Fox, series premiere)
10 p.m. Manhunt: Deadly Games (CBS, network debut of Spectrum Originals series)
Tuesday, Sept. 22
8 p.m. Cosmos: Possible Worlds (Fox, network debut of shared Nat Geo series)
Wednesday, Sept. 23
9 p.m. I Can See Your Voice (Fox, series premiere)
Monday, Sept. 28
10 p.m. Emergency Call (ABC, series premiere)
Tuesday, Sept. 29
8 p.m. Weakest Link (NBC, series premiere)
Monday, Oct. 5
9 p.m. One Day at a Time (CBS, broadcast premiere of Pop series Season 4)
Tuesday, Oct. 6
8 p.m. Swamp Thing (The CW, network debut of DC Universe series)
9 p.m. Next (Fox, series premiere)
Wednesday, Oct. 7
8 p.m. Devils (The CW, network debut of acquired series)
9 p.m. Coroner (The CW, network debut of acquired shows Season 2)
Thursday, Oct. 8
8 p.m. Connecting
(NBC, series premiere)
Tuesday, Oct. 13
9 p.m. Tell Me a Story (The CW, network debut of acquired shows Season 2)
10 p.m. The FBI Declassified (CBS, series premiere)
Wednesday, Oct. 14
10 p.m. The Con (ABC, series premiere)
Sunday, Oct. 18
8 p.m. Supermarket Sweep (ABC, series premiere)
Thursday, Nov. 5
8:30 p.m. B Positive (CBS, series premiere)
Tuesday, Nov. 17
10 p.m. Big Sky (ABC, series premiere)
Sunday, Dec. 27
8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT The Masked Dancer (Fox, series premiere)
Sunday, Jan. 3
8 p.m. Call Me Kat (Fox, series premiere)
8:30 p.m. The Great North (Fox, sneak preview of series premiere)
Monday, Jan. 4
10 p.m. The Hustler (ABC, series premiere)
Thursday, Jan. 7
8 p.m. Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (ABC, series premiere)
8 p.m. Mr. Mayor (NBC, series premiere)
9 p.m. The Chase (ABC, series premiere)
Tuesday, Jan. 12
9 p.m. Trickster (The CW, network debut of international series)
Wednesday, Jan. 13
9:30 p.m. Call Your Mother (ABC, series premiere)
Thursday, Jan. 21
8 p.m. Walker (The CW, series premiere)
Sunday, Feb. 7
10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT The Equalizer (CBS, series premiere)
Thursday, Feb. 11
10 p.m. Clarice (CBS, series premiere)
Sunday, Feb. 14
7 p.m. Cherries Wild (Fox, series premiere)
8:30 p.m. The Great North (Fox, time slot premiere)
Tuesday, Feb. 23
9 p.m. Superman & Lois (The CW, series premiere)
Notes on Program, Audience, distribution and business plan are attached below
