With Zombies, Vampires & Getaway Drivers, AMC Content Chief Says Network Isn’t “Trying To Offer Something For Everyone”

“Some in our industry are trying to offer something for everyone. That is not the AMC approach,” said Dan McDermott, president of entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks.

Kicking off the network’s TCA press tour presentation, McDermott talked up super serving audiences and the importance of linear television in his opening address.

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AMC Networks is presenting series including The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, Clive Owen’s Monsieur Spade, Giancarlo Esposito’s Parish and Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire and talked up streaming series such as Acorn TV’s upcoming Ellis and Allblk’s Deb’s House.

“Across all of our brands, our goal is to do one thing and to do it very well. With AMC and AMC+, that one thing is to produce high-quality premium scripted shows for adults. Our targeted streaming services demonstrate that we know how to super-serve fans of particular genres – whether it be horror on Shudder, the best international mysteries and dramas on Acorn TV, anime on Hi-Dive or a celebration of Black voices and stories on Allblk,” he added.

McDermott also highlighted the importance of Sunday nights – home to series such as Mad Men and Breaking Bad – particularly for the linear channels with their distribution partners.

“We are one of the only content companies still delivering scripted first-run shows to linear television, every Sunday night. And we’re doing this very intentionally, because the same distribution partners who see value in that continued commitment to our AMC channel also carry AMC+ on their systems, in addition to many of our targeted services,” he said. “We are playing in both places, finding new audiences and intelligently windowing our content so our shows and films are available whenever and wherever a viewer might choose to watch.”

McDermott said that the definition of a premiere has changed in recent years. “A premiere is no longer when a network decides to make a show available,” he said. “Today, a premiere is whenever a viewer first decides to watch. In the time we’ll be together, shows like The Walking Dead, Friends, Mad Men and Seinfeld are all premiering – somewhere, for someone.”

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