Here’s a good example of Hollywood power.
Just as we were getting ready to chat with reality TV super- producer Mark Burnett about the ratings woes for recent efforts such as “Pirate Master” and “On the Lot,” the phone rang with an unexpected call. It was Ben Silverman, the newly tapped co-chairman of NBC Entertainment, who wanted to make sure we knew that he thinks Burnett is a “phenomenal” producer.
In fact, Silverman added, he’s even made it a priority to revive Burnett’s “The Apprentice,” the once-phenomenal Donald Trump show that as recently as last month looked destined to bite the dust at NBC.
That Burnett is still a major force cannot be denied. “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?,” his goofy Fox game show with Jeff Foxworthy, was one of the very few successful new series introduced last season and has already spawned multiple overseas incarnations.
Burnett’s minions are toiling away on production for the 15th edition of his signature “Survivor” franchise, which will bow this fall with claims to be the first American TV series shot entirely in China.
Still, the past few weeks have brought grim tidings, notwithstanding the fact that summer, when networks generally refrain from airing original episodes of their most popular scripted shows, is often Burnett’s time to shine.
“On the Lot,” a heavily publicized contest for aspiring filmmakers that Burnett produced in collaboration with Steven Spielberg, yielded such anemic ratings that Fox scaled back the twice-weekly airings. Viewers have likewise shunned CBS’s “Pirate Master,” a kitschy adventure based on a fictional pirate tale in which nonactors (i.e., allegedly ordinary folk) play the roles.
And although Burnett denies it, a source close to the situation says “Rock Star,” a talent search that in Season 2 last summer brought erstwhile Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee and his colorful pals to prime time, almost certainly won’t return to CBS. It thus joins Burnett’s previous big-ticket network flops “Casino” and “The Contender.”
“Nobody is 100 percent on success,” Burnett said. “If you look at my success rate, it’s probably higher than most.”
Then he went back to reeling off the many high points hit this year by “5th Grader” and “Survivor.”
Producers rise and producers fall. That’s the nature of the TV business. But partly because he’s played such a central role in popularizing the circus that is unscripted entertainment, Burnett and the vicissitudes of his career are of more than passing interest.
Mike Darnell, who has overseen Fox’s reality offerings for years, insists that the genre is just as popular as ever – after all, Fox’s “American Idol” was once again the No. 1 show of last season.
Furthermore, all producers have winning and losing streaks, Darnell says. He adds, though, that the ground is shifting and hits are harder to come by.
“Even I can’t keep track of how many reality shows there are these days,” said Darnell, whose experience includes “On the Lot” as well as such classic unscripted gems as “Celebrity Boxing” and “When Animals Attack.”
“The world has become extraordinarily competitive in the last three years.”
True enough. But it’s also evident that lately Burnett has trained his considerable talents on some dubious projects. At his best, with series such as “Eco-Challenge” and “Survivor,” Burnett combined two viewer needs into one appealing package: the thirst for exotic, escapist adventure, and the desire to get ahead in the duller workaday world. It was like someone made a TV show by marrying Outside magazine with Fortune magazine.
