AMC Puts New Focus on Drama

10.10.2014

​Chris Hardwick and Kevin Smith are the last ones standing at AMC after a big move shifts the network's programming toward mostly scripted fare.

AMC has canceled several reality shows in favor of putting a larger priority on drama, leaving only Hardwick's Talking Dead and Smith's Comic Book Men in its unscripted slots.

Current unscripted series Game of Arms, Small Town Security and Freak Show have all been canceled, as well as some projects being developed, including a late-night series from Smith and an on-air adaptation of Hardwick's Web series, All-Star Celebrity Bowling.

AMC based the decision on previous drama success stories Breaking Bad and Mad Men, shifting its programming focus on trying to find the next big scripted series that can take their place on the schedule.

"Scripted originals are at the core of the AMC brand," said an AMC spokesman. "Iconic shows like Mad Men, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead have driven AMC's evolution into a must-have television network. We are proud of our efforts in unscripted programming and the unique worlds we have been able to introduce, but in an environment of exploding content options for viewers, we have decided to make scripted programming our priority."

The Walking Dead remains the top show on cable and has recently been renewed for a sixth season on the network, and it has recently signed deals for two seasons of Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul, Xbox project Humans and martial arts series Badlands. Upcoming pilots include Knifeman, Galyntine, White City and a companion series for its hit, The Walking Dead.

Read more at The Hollywood Reporter.

Brief Take: With The Walking Dead aging into a fifth season Sunday, Breaking Bad off the schedule and Mad Men leaving the lineup next year, AMC feels a lot of pressure to build new drama brands that can live up to the existing ones.

[Image courtesy of AMC]