As members of the TV Academy toasted the stars of “Ted Lasso” on May 1, things were about to change dramatically in the Emmy campaign space. Apple TV+ was celebrating the opening of a “For Your Consideration” activation at Goya Studios, where it erected a huge tent to showcase its multitude of suitors.
It’s a well-appointed, immaculate space, with an almost Apple Store-meets-Emmys vibe. Screens celebrating Apple TV+ shows were front and center, along with an open bar, past bites and a theater room for screenings and signs for famous shows like ‘Ted Lasso’, ‘Shrinking’ , “Bad Sisters,” and more.
But now here’s the problem with FYC: The writers’ strike has turned everything upside down. Clouds were already forming at this “Ted Lasso” event, as the strike was called at the same time as co-creator/star Jason Sudeikis and the crew were celebrating Season 3 of the show on stage. Many “Lasso” stars are also writers – Sudeikis, Brett Goldstein and Brendan Hunt included – so the power and importance of writers was on everyone’s mind. Sudeikis even commented on how surreal it was to be there on stage talking about the writing of “Ted Lasso” just when the issues facing the city’s scribes were taking center stage. “Shout out to the writers,” he said. “What a day to do that.”
And yet no one initially knew how much of an impact a strike would have on the FYC’s plans. The various streamers and congloms had already shelled out millions of dollars to create elaborate activations, not caring too much about how the opening of those spaces in May – after the WGA’s deal with the studios and studios expired. producers – could become a problem. And yet, these spaces had just regained a sense of normalcy after several years of COVID-impacted pivots.
Besides Apple TV+ at Goya Studios, Amazon Studios/Prime Video has launched a space it dubs “The Prime Experience” at Citizen News in Hollywood. Disney’s “FYC Fest” takes place at the DGA Theater in June. Netflix has its “FYSee” space at Red Studios. Paramount is taking over the Hollywood Athletic Club (where Amazon previously held its event) for its own activation this year. NBCUniversal will return to The Aster in Hollywood for its Emmy showcase.
The possibility of a strike had been looming for months, but the Emmy campaign seemed to exist on another level: it was about celebrating programs that had already been written and produced. The WGA had not shared any guidelines prior to the strike on what would be acceptable for writers in the FYC space, leading many to assume that would not be impacted.
Turns out the WGA had been keeping it quiet for a reason: On May 2, at the start of the strike, it issued guidelines that made it very specific for writers: no festivals, no FYC. “You are prohibited from making these promotional appearances about your work until the strike is over,” the guidelines state.
“I think everyone was surprised by that,” said an awards official. “It feels like it’s doing maximum damage to studios because of the double timing of FYC and upfronts. If writers want attention, now is a good time to attract attention.
The impact was immediate. John Mulaney pulled out of his Netflix FYC panel for his “Baby J” stand-up special, while Jon Stewart canceled his Apple TV+ event for “The Trouble with Jon Stewart.” Also at Apple, events scheduled for “Carpool Karaoke: The Series”, “Echo 3”, “Mythic Quest” and “Five Days at Memorial” have been scrapped.
Other events continued, but without showrunners or a panel all together. Prime Video’s event for “Swarm” continued with star Dominique Fishback, but creator Janine Nabors pulled out. HBO Max’s FYC event for “The Other Two” retained the screening, but removed its Q&A. The same goes for Apple TV+’s “Truth Be Told.” Apple TV+ also continued with “Bad Sisters,” but star/creator Sharon Horgan no longer attended.
For the talent that continues to show, an insider notes, “It’s their way of honoring their showrunners. They don’t cross a picket line to do that. They come out and talk about their showrunners and the work they’ve done. It’s past work. I don’t know if you would get an actor to go ahead. But an actor at an FYC event and campaigning for their show is another thing.
The fast-paced and evolving FYC Emmy season begins to echo the chaotic situation of 2020, when the campaign began as usual – before pandemic shutdowns forced a full shutdown and pivot of networks and studios to find other ways to campaign. This time the problem is not related to health issues – the events can continue, even if the representatives of the show are not there. But this time around, the non-script talent involved must decide on a case-by-case basis whether they feel comfortable participating in such events.
The Television Academy has also released its own guidelines for outlets when deciding whether to proceed with or remove events. Offering “partnership options during the WGA strike,” the organization recommended that networks and studios with booked FYC events can either proceed as originally planned and contracted, continue with screening and reception only, or cancel.
But if invitations have already been sent out – and this is the case for most of these current FYC events – the TV Academy will not refund the invitation administration fee ($5,000) or penalty fee (2 $500). It’s still a bit of a catch-22 for studios and networks: the TV Academy demands that the events be committed and the contract be signed three weeks later; therefore, if the cancellations are last minute, these costs have already been paid. “Late bookings and asset penalties are still in place for events that are happening,” he noted.
Meanwhile, while there’s a question of who’s on stage, FYC organizers are also starting to wonder if an audience will still be there, especially if the panel is cancelled. “Will the Academy catch up with us if the turnout is low?” asks for a frame. “It’s been a lot of questions for me, is the FYC event worth it if people aren’t going to be there? But people are still coming out.
Indeed, never underestimate the power of free food and drink. There has always been a question about the value of these FYC projections and panels as campaign platforms. Do TV Academy members really attend these events to learn more about these shows – or are they there to see celebrities and then have a nice dinner at someone else’s expense?
“I think what we constantly see is that the biggest and most popular shows are overwhelmed with interest,” says another awards official. “And then for the other shows, we think about finding the right environment. Not every show will fill the TV Academy theater, and that’s okay.
Big FYC events are also great for seeding social media and getting plenty of press pickups beyond those just in the room. Before the strike, several major events made huge waves: Netflix, for example, drew more than 600 people to Hollywood Forever Cemetery for a screening of the “Wednesday” premiere episode, as well as a chat ( moderated by FYC favorite Yvette Nicole Brown, who also did “Ted Lasso”) with series producers and stars Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta Jones, Luis Guzman and Gwendolyn Christie.
FYC “Ghosts” Event: Variety’s Michael Schneider, Co-EP/Co-Showrunner Joe Port, Co-EP/Co-Showrunner Joe Wiseman, Brandon Scott Jones, Rose McIver, Rebecca Wisocky, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Asher Grodman, Roman Zaragoza, Danielle Pinnock, Sheila Carrasco, Devan Chandler Long and Richie Moriarty. (Francis Specker/CBS)
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CBS Studios touted its standout comedy “Ghosts” to a standing room crowd at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. And for newly released series, the opening acts are also dubbed with FYC events – like Netflix’s big launch for “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.”
When it comes to FYC spaces, executives say there are efficiencies in being in the same space for multiple events and being able to have permanent facilities. But they also admit that it’s harder to impress attendees now, given the frequency of these activations.
Amazon Studios’ “The Prime Experience” (Will Tee Yang)
@willteeyang
Still, they’re still trying: Amazon’s impressive setup, for example, includes hair and makeup touch-ups inspired by shows like “Daisy Jones & the Six” and a blue-screen room where guests can transport themselves into scenes from ‘Dead Ringers’ or ‘The Boys’, in addition to the usual theatre, restaurant and bar facilities.
“All of these things can help you stand out,” says another executive. “You know, there are so many invites coming in throughout the season… The challenge is always how do you make the shows stand out. We like to have the space as a gathering place and to build show-specific things that help celebrate a show.