We’ve broken down all of the network pilots for you, tracked casting, and we’ve followed their updates all season long, but what about the channels that don’t “live and die” by the fall schedule? Premium cable networks like HBO, Showtime, and Starz have taken the battle for subscribers to another level this year as each channel has fully implemented an a la carte system in order to win over the cord-cutters. On top of that, after years of being the number one premium cable network, HBO continues to struggle to find its next Game Of Thrones-level hit while Showtime and Starz continue to catch up.
On the comedy side, HBO is still the master with its series Veep and Silicon Valley, though it struggled with freshmen series The Brink and Ballers. For dramas, Thrones still has a few years left, but new series Vinyl wasn’t the success they were hoping for. Meanwhile, Starz had a stellar year with comedy Blunt Talk and Ash v. Evil Dead, and dramas Black Sails and Outlander.
HBO’s pilot orders continue their style of working with big names, like Crashing from Judd Apatow and Pete Holmes, and Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects, but big names don’t always guarantee success. We will have to wait and see if these new series will be able to steer the network back on course. Showtime on the other hand has been continuing to rule the world of dark comedies that garner them awards attention each year and their latest venture, I’m Dying Up Here, keeps the trend going as it examines the world of comedy clubs in the 1970s. Meanwhile, Starz is focused on adaptations of books with American Gods and female centric period works with the new miniseries The White Princess.
Below you will find links to major cable networks with active pilots and their current status.
If you’d like to see the current shows and series orders for the major five networks, click here for a full write up!
HBO |
Showtime |
Starz |
