Greetings over your interweb devices
“Two lost ships on a stormy sea
One with no sails and one with no rudder
Ain’t it just great, ain’t it just grand?
We’ve got each udder!”
“Anger Management” was a great experiment in the 10-90 model, which was to revolutionize television production, . While the actual execution had a few more twists and turns and hidden partners in the process, I will attempt to explain the basic concept.
The producing entity would take on the initial risk of production by making ten full episodes of a proposed series essentially on speculation. The buyer would pay a substantially reduced license fee, and the top talent would all agree to greatly reduced rates for these and any subsequent episodes in exchange for partial ownership in the project.
These ten “test” episodes would air and, if the ratings reached a pre-determined audience size, the next ninety were immediately ordered all at once. By doing so, the company was guaranteed a number of shows which would traditionally constitute a syndication package, and the sale of these episodes could allow an immediate recouping of that initial outlay, and even the start of a profit stream. In the old model, major budget amortizations, like standing set construction and individual episode overages, could usually only be spread over a 22 show order (or, in more recent season iterations, 10-13 episodes). Even then, there was no guarantee of producing 100 episodes, let alone earning a next season order (an agonizing ordeal every year waiting for that pickup decision). If you know ahead of time, however, that you will definitely have 100 episodes to sell, the cost of doing business is spread out far more efficiently and longer term contracts with facilities and rentals can be negotiated for reduced rates given the longer term guarantee.
Next, to help maximize profit potential, the production schedule would be accelerated from the traditional sitcom formula of one episode produced per week (or, more precisely, three per month – that fourth week off from active production was needed to catch up with off set tasks – like writing new scripts and finishing post-production tasks – and for actors, simply to recharge). The new goal was to output two or three episodes a week and take far fewer hiatus weeks. Overhead costs (like studio and set rental) could then be greatly reduced, as well as pay for below-the-line crew who were hired by the day or the week, rather than by the individual show (unlike above-the-line talent like writers, actors and directors who are paid for each episode produced).
The ratings for the first ten did, indeed, hit their mark, and production was soon resumed for the back 90. In deference to sanity, the idea of three episodes in a week was jettisoned – two seemed a more reasonable goal (only Tyler Perry in his Atlanta empire had streamlined all aspects of production so much that three a week was possible). Production weeks were also scaled back to four days thus minimizing the amount paid to daily hires, though occasionally a fifth day was added back to pick up a little slack. But there was one aspect which required a doubling of effort.
To coordinate this Herculean sitcom task, two First Assistant Directors were hired full time, even though the work load was split between them. This way one could plan ahead for the impending episode while the other kept the train running on the current production, thus keeping all the juggling balls in the air. Working hand-in-glove with producer Kent Zbornak, the two men pictured, Jonathan Weiss and Ron Moseley, were ready, willing, and able to take on that task. They did it so well, that somewhere around half way through the order, Jonathan was able to leave for another project and Ron (or RonnieMo, as I love to call him) carried on solo the rest of the way.
Alas, this show would prove to be the high point for the 10-90 formula. At least two other projects, one starring Kelsey Grammar and Martin Lawrence, and another with George Lopez would not earn their back ninety. Soon, with the changing face of television production in general, almost all traditional models of making shows had to be reexamined and are now rapidly changing. While the 10-90 model would certainly have shaken up business as usual, it was still based on making the old model better —- and there isn’t that much of that anymore
To one and all, Be Safe-Stay Healthy