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Saturday, February 24, 2001-неизвестное интервью< THERE'S NOW'T AS QUEER AS FOLK
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Saturday, February 24, 2001
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Queer As Folk
February 24, 2001
BROOKE GLADSTONE: Will and Grace and If These Walls Could Talk II both won Emmys. CBS has 2 gay themed shows in the pipeline and so many sitcoms have gay characters it's no longer newsworthy. Gay TV is staking its claim, declared entertainment weekly. On the other hand the viewing public didn't buy John Goodman as a gay middle American in Normal, Ohio and Ellen DeGeneres's career hasn't exactly rebounded since her sitcom died. Now comes Showtime's Queer as Folk. It's not a comedy or even a dramedy. What it is, is frankly, seriously sexual; so much so that one critic said it reminded him of nothing so much as a National Geographic Special or one of those Mutual of Omaha shows. On the Media's Rex Doane reports.
MAN: Thirty years ago David Frost called television a medium in which viewers could be entertained in their living room by people they wouldn't have in their home. But even a visionary like Frost could not have anticipated a program like Queer as Folk.
MAN: Are you a top or a bottom. [MUSIC]
MAN: Boundary-pushing, provocative, bold -- those weren't the words of Queer as Folk's critics. They were taken from Showtime's own promotional campaign.
ANNOUNCER: The series Queer as Folk. The question: is America ready? WO
MAN: I don't know if America's ever ready. For anything. Until somebody does it.
ANNOUNCER: Creating programming with controversial subject matter. And Showtime has been committed to pushing the boundaries with gay-oriented programs since the '80s with the show Brothers to Armistead Maupin's....
MAN: Showtime wanted Queer as Folk to be its Sopranos. The reality is far from that. But it is Showtime's highest-rated original program ever, and it has been picked up for a second season. What it hasn't achieved is a universal critical praise of the British mini-series that it was based on. It has also lost some of its depth and complexity. What's been left from the Transatlantic transfer is the super-charged homo-eroticism that is the primary and most distinguishing aspect of the show.
MAN: I think what's most important about a show like Queer as Folk is that here we're not looking for the Queer Who Came to Dinner, because that's already - that's already sort of an acceptable part of liberal society.
MAN: Richard Goldstein is an executive editor of the Village Voice and has written about gays in the media for the past 20 years.
MAN: We're looking at that element of gay life that is outside the liberal pale -- that is - still exists in a rich and unspoken form in, in, in the gay world, and it's, it's the integration of that material into ordinary discourse that probably represents the truest measure of, of liberation.
MAN: The element of gay life that Goldstein speaks of is sex, and there's plenty of it in Queer as Folk. So much so that some in the gay community are concerned. Steven Capsuto is the author of alternate channels - a history of gay images in television and radio.
MAN: Whether a show like Queer as Folk is, is good news for the gay community is something that can be debated. Certainly on, on the one hand it reinforces every negative stereotype -- you have these characters who are these - you know - club queens who are extremely promiscuous and use drugs and in the first episode you have a 29 year old character bedding a high school student, so on a certain level I, I think it's potentially dangerous.
MAN: That slice of unapologetic reality from the gay subculture's outer regions is exactly what appealed to Peter Paige [sp?] who plays the ever so out Emmett [sp?] on Queer as Folk.
MAN: The truth is, I don't care what straight people think about me. I'm interested in seeing a show that reflects some resemblance to my own life, and I see that in Queer as Folk. I know those guys. Those guys exist. There are plenty of effeminate gay men out there! It's just true! And whether or not you're proud of that or attracted to that or drawn to that or that's what you want to see out in the world, they exist! And to pretend they don't because there have been negative portrayals of them in the past -- Emmett's a kick-ass guy!
MAN: In a scene from the second episode, Emmett supports that claim. It is a signature moment for Paige's character and for the series itself.
MAN: Well-- I could be a, a, a real man if I wanted to! You know? Just-- lower my voice, stop gesturing with my hands - make sure my face is expressionless; never, never use words like, like fabulous! or, divine! Talk about-- [LAUGHTER] I don't know - [DEEP VOICE] nailing bitches and RBI's! But I'd rather my flame burn bright than be some puny little pilot light.
MAN: That proclamation alone represents a significant advance in the way in which homosexuality is portrayed on television; advance is not necessarily reflected in real life says the Village Voice's Richard Goldstein, though some people may confuse the two.
MAN: Because people easily confuse the images in entertainment with the nature of life, and people think that if something appears on television, it's going to be on their doorstep the very next day.
MAN: Which wouldn't be very boundary-pushing at all if the gays at America's doorstep were all like the wacky and wise-cracking Will from Will and Grace. [LAUGHTER]
MAN: And 3 -- we don't talk about things that we don't want to know about. WO
MAN: So you admit there's a problem!
MAN: No, I don't! See how that works? [LAUGHTER]
MAN: The overwhelming popularity of Will and Grace is just part of what seems like a nationwide embrace of openly gay characters on such network shows as Friends, Dawson's Creek, ER and Spin City. But the acceptance of these prime time friendly faces amounts to little more than what Richard Goldstein asserts is fantasy tolerance.
MAN: I think when people look at these shows and they see these characters, they might have the idea that that really is how gay people live -that they're - that they're - they are completely integrated and that there really is no difference except for a certain inflection - a certain sort of humor and, and a certain capacity for double entendre.
MAN: By signalling that gay characters can do more than deliver punch lines and that homosexuality does in fact include sexuality, Queer as Folk has broken new ground in that grand social testing zone known as American television. It's tempting to read into the hits and flops that the success of Will and Grace means that gays have arrived or that the failure of Normal, Ohio means that America is just not ready. But the mono-success of a show like Queer as Folk suggests a different possibility. It's that on American TV today, a homosexual theme is neither clever strategy or a guarantee obstacle. It's just another premise, the success or failure of which will depend on acting, writing and time slot, just like everything else. For On the Media in New York, I'm Rex Doane.
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There's Now't As Queer As Folk
Источник
читать дальшеin the news/4
Volume 18/Issue 25
Queer as Folk Ad Blitz
Biggest Ever for Showtime
The $10 million that Showtime has budgeted to promote its Gay-themed series Queer as Folk, which premiered Sun., Dec. 3, is the most the network has ever spent to promote one of its shows, The New York Times reports.
queerasfolk" "We want to cover all our bases," said Showtime executive Len Fogge of the promotional blitz, which ranges from print advertisements to parties to direct-mail brochures and giveaway items like paper fans. "'Queer as Folk' really speaks to our brand promise of 'no limits,'" he added. "We wanted to make sure everybody in the Gay community knows about it and we get the buzz there."
A study issued last year by Better World Advertising showed that 66.8% of Gay, Lesbian, and Transgendered respondents subscribe to cable TV, but Showtime was not listed among their 12 most-watched stations. Howard Buford, president of Prime Access, an agency that worked on the promotional campaign for Queer as Folk, said the series, which was adapted from the popular British series of the same name, also has the opportunity to snag a more mainstream audience if "you convince them the show is an authentic slice of Gay and Lesbian life."
Источник
читать дальшеShowtime Networks Creates Multi-Million Dollar Advertising, Publicity and Marketing Campaign To Support Season Four of 'Queer As Folk'
Motorola On Board As Exclusive Six-City Event Sponsor;
Cast to Attend All Screenings
New Ad Campaign Debuts Week of March 22
NEW YORK, March 29 /PRNewswire/ -- In a move emphasizing its commitment to
the QUEER AS FOLK series franchise, SHOWTIME has mounted a multi-million
dollar, multi-faceted advertising, publicity and marketing campaign to support
the return of the network's groundbreaking drama, which premieres its fourth
season on Sunday, April 18 at 10 PM (ET/PT). For the first time in the history
of SHOWTIME, the network has partnered with Motorola as the exclusive sponsor
along with SHOWTIME key cable partners to host preview screening events in six
major U.S. markets including Miami, New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles
and San Francisco. In addition, the premium network's media campaign rollout
will include cable TV, mainstream and gay publications, outdoor advertising,
cross promotion with the Third Season DVD tour, a multi-city nightclub/DJ tour
and promotion on the SHOWTIME QAF fansite at SHO.com. In measured media
alone, the campaign is generating over 200 million impressions, which does not
include all the targeted gay and lesbian tactics.
"QUEER AS FOLK is one of SHOWTIME's signature series, and we're polishing
our marketing efforts to reflect how resonant the characters and their issues
have become since its premiere in 2000," said Robert Greenblatt, President,
Entertainment for Showtime Networks. "And, it is the perfect opportunity to
celebrate with our cable affiliates and a prestigious sponsor like Motorola."
Motorola, a global leader in wireless and broadband communications, has
enjoyed a long association with both the producers and cast of QUEER AS FOLK
throughout the show's tenure. The company has signed on as exclusive sponsor
of the multi-city premiere tour to demonstrate its support of diverse
programming such as QUEER AS FOLK and its many viewers.
"Motorola is pleased to support SHOWTIME in the launch of the 4th season
of QUEER AS FOLK, said Robert Williams, General Manager PCS Retail and co-
leader GLBT Business Council of Motorola. "This sponsorship provides a unique
manner for our company to not only reach a key demographic but to also educate
our consumers on the importance of diverse programming."
The six events, hosted by Showtime Networks' Chairman Matthew Blank and
Entertainment President Bob Greenblatt, are being platformed to draw media and
consumer attention to the fourth season's 14 new episodes. The new season
will emphasize the maturation of the series' main characters and storylines
focusing on parenting and adoption issues, gay marriage, drug addiction, HIV
and discrimination. Richard Licata, Executive Vice President, Entertainment
Public Relations for Showtime Networks, and his team are spearheading the six-
city market outreach and publicity for this season's launch.
The event schedule is as follows:
March 26th - Miami - Delano
March 31st - New York - Gramercy Park Hotel in the Cobalt Club
April 2nd - Chicago - Sidetrack
April 7th - San Francisco - Castro Theatre and Redwood Room and Asia de
Cuba at Clift
April 8th - Atlanta - Red Chair
April 14th - Los Angeles - Regent Theatre and Asia de Cuba at Mondrian
In addition, cable affiliates in selected markets have contributed over
one million in advertising to support the launch of the 4th season of QUEER AS
FOLK.
The April 7th Castro Theatre event in San Francisco will have a unique
promotional component: SHOWTIME will bring together the gay, lesbian, bisexual
and transgender communities, screening the season opening episode of QUEER AS
FOLK in addition to the season finale of the new hit drama THE L WORD. Working
in collaboration with the San Francisco-based organization Bay Area Community
of Women (BACW), the city's news-making recently-married gay couples will be
special guests.
Stephanie Gibbons, Senior Vice President, Advertising and Promotion for
Showtime Networks spearheaded a new advertising campaign for the series,
highlighted by images from photographer Norman Jean Roy. The key artwork
features the cast communicating the interrelationships of the characters and
the intertwining layers of their stories. In addition, new taglines have been
developed, including "The original comes of age," "Get Folked," "Damn
Straight" and "So Gay." "The original comes of age" slogan reflects the
series' new emphasis on deepening character development, and also reinforces
that QUEER AS FOLK was the groundbreaker in the current wave of gay-themed
programming. The tagline "Get Folked" assertively tells the viewer to tune-in
to a new season, but it also lets them know that QUEER AS FOLK is still sexy,
edgy and provocative, even though its characters are maturing.
SHOWTIME plans to run advertising on cable networks including MTV and VH1.
National print advertising will appear in general market and entertainment
publications including Entertainment Weekly, US Weekly, Vanity Fair,
Cosmopolitan, Details, Jane, Interview, Paper, New York Magazine, Cargo and
MTV Magazine and alternative newspapers such as Village Voice. Tune-in ads
will also appear in the national TV Guide, along with TV supplements in New
York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Print ads will also appear in gay
targeted outlets such as The Advocate, Curve, Genre, Girlfriends, Out,
Instinct, Passport, Metro Source and Pride 04 as well as in gay/lesbian
newspapers in the top 10 markets. The network will also support QUEER AS FOLK
through outdoor advertising via billboards and bus shelters in New York and
Los Angeles.
SHOWTIME also recently completed a promotional tour for the launch of the
QUEER AS FOLK third season on DVD. Cast members made appearances at music and
video stores in New Orleans, Dallas, Boston, Cambridge, Philadelphia and
Lawrenceville, NJ. To promote the Season Three DVD signings, each market was
saturated with radio and newspaper ads, and supported by local radio contests.
Showtime Networks and Embrace Productions will join together to bring
QUEER AS FOLK to life by recreating Babylon, the vibrant club scene featured
in the series, through a 15-city DJ tour entitled "Midori Presents Queer As
Folk - Future Babylon Tour." The tour will take place in the spring and summer
of 2004 at the hottest nightclubs across the United States, and will feature
popular and forward-thinking DJs who have appeared in QUEER AS FOLK episodes.
In each venue, Embrace and Showtime reinterpret what Babylon may look like in
the year 2050.
QUEER AS FOLK is also being supported by its own comprehensive Web site,
which boasts an extremely strong and loyal message board community. Viewers
who enter the site will be treated to comprehensive episode guides with weekly
teaser video clips. Additionally, the site boasts extensive behind-the-scenes
content, downloadable screen savers, event listings with cast appearances and
links to various community resources for the gay and lesbian community. Fans
can also register for regular e-mail updates on the show and shop the QUEER AS
FOLK store to purchase DVDs, soundtracks and more.
Pushing the boundaries of television, QUEER AS FOLK launched on SHOWTME in
December 2000, and presents a world that is rarely seen with such candor and
honesty. The series, which ignited the recent explosion of gay TV programming,
has always addressed important issues affecting the gay community, and takes
on some particularly relevant subjects in its fourth season. Struggling with
same-sex parenting, discrimination, AIDS, HIV, gay marriage, drug addiction
and even their own mortality, the characters are maturing and beginning to
face the complexities of life. QUEER AS FOLK stars Michelle Clunie, Robert
Gant, Thea Gill, Gale Harold, Randy Harrison, Scott Lowell, Peter Paige, Hal
Sparks and Sharon Gless. The series is executive produced by Ron Cowen, Daniel
Lipman and Tony Jonas. Cowen & Lipman developed the series for American
television based on the British series created by Russell T Davies. Sheila
Hockin serves as producer. The SHOWTIME series is from Cowlip Productions,
Tony Jonas Productions and Temple Street Productions.
Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) is a global leader in wireless, broadband and
automotive communications technologies that help make life smarter, safer,
simpler, synchronized and fun. Sales in 2003 were U.S. $27.1 billion. Motorola
creates innovative technological solutions that benefit people at home, at
work and on the move. The company also is a progressive corporate citizen
dedicated to operating ethically, protecting the environment and supporting
the communities in which it does business. For more information please visit:
www.motorola.com.
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Viacom
Inc., owns the premium television networks SHOWTIME(R), THE MOVIE CHANNEL(TM)
and FLIX(R), as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME(R) TOO(TM),
SHOWTIME(R) SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME(R), SHOWTIME BEYOND(R), SHOWTIME
NEXT(R), SHOWTIME WOMEN(R), SHOWTIME FAMILYZONE(R) and TMC xtra. SNI also
offers SHOWTIME HD(R), THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD(R), SHOWTIME ON DEMAND(R) and THE
MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND(TM). SNI operates and manages the premium television
network SUNDANCE CHANNEL(R), which is owned by SNI, Robert Redford and
Universal Studios. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital
5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for
exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME(R) PPV.
Additionally, the advertiser-supported television network SHOWTIME EXTREME(R)
is available in Spain through a joint venture with Media Park and the
advertiser-supported television network SHOWTIME is available in Turkey
through a joint venture with UK-based Zone Vision.
SHO.com/pressonline
SOURCE SHOWTIME
RELATED LINKS
www.motorola.com
Источник
читать дальшеShowtime Delivers Biggest Gay Campaign Ever
by Michael Wilke
Hoping to shake the foundations, Showtime Networks is hammering a multi-million dollar marketing blitz at gay and straight audiences behind its no-holds-barred American version of the controversial British gay drama "Queer As Folk," which shocked audiences last year in England.
It looks to be the largest-ever ad campaign targeting the gay community, estimated at $4 million for gay media alone. Few will be able to escape the integrated effort, which will reach one million gay homes through direct mail, as well as in local gay newspapers and national magazines, Web sites, mainstream cable, radio, magazines, outdoor media and a presence at countless gay events.
Last year, the British version of "Queer As Folk" (the name relates to a saying that means there's nothing so odd as people) developed an underground cult following among gays in the U.S., who circulated bootleg versions before it was widely available on video. They found the show's writing, acting, cinematography and boundary-pushing language and sex scenes irresistible.
Yet in England, non-gays and gays alike were uncomfortable with the program, which depicted slightly underage sex and drug use. Nonetheless, the series was a surprise success.
The Showtime version kicks off with a two-hour episode Dec. 3 at 10 p.m. and will run hour-long episodes for 22 weeks – nearly three times as many episodes as the original.
Fan Promotional Idea 'Caught Fire'
Owned by Viacom – also parent of gay-friendly MTV Networks – Showtime began promoting the program at the Apr. 30 Millennium March on Washington with a simple but wildly successful giveaway.
Thousands of marchers picked up hand fans with sassy sayings that could be about the series or the fanholder: "A pretty face, a hot bottom and an attitude to match – it's all here," "A sweetheart, a slut, a diva and a boy-toy -- collect them all," and "The only series with a disco whore."
Showtime executives were present for that promotion and said it made a significant difference. "It's the age-old adage of being there," said Stephanie Gibbons, VP of advertising at Showtime. "Those fans caught fire. We spoke in a language that was funny and irreverent like the show. And we had a lot of other sponsors come up to us and say, 'We hate you -- those fans are everywhere!' "
The fans also appeared in Showtime-sponsored June Gay Pride marches in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Washington, as well as at parade co-sponsorships with Planet Out in 13 other cities.
Showtime has also held numerous gay events, from "VIP Coming Out" parties at popular clubs in 20 major cities to being a part of gay film festivals and circuit parties. Showtime has even created a "Queer As Folk" premiere party kit to give away to gay student organizations at 50 colleges and universities.
One Million Gay Homes Targeted by Direct Mail
The direct mail effort, with the help of Triangle Marketing Services in New York, will reach one million gay homes and invite people to subscribe to Showtime. The network is publishing a toll-free number especially for the gay community, 800-Coming-Out, for subscriptions in the mailers and in ads. That number will be one way to track response to the marketing effort.
John Knoebel, president of five-year-old Triangle Marketing, says that Showtime's effort is one of the biggest, trailing just the Rainbow Card from Travelers, which targeted three million gay homes when it debuted, and The Advocate and OUT magazines' annual two million home mailings.
Fledgling gay cable programmer C1TV also got a piece of Showtime's advertising pie. Launched in January, C1TV reportedly spent millions getting the exclusive U.S. rights to air the British version of "Queer As Folk" in an effort to build an audience. It has also placed significant promotional efforts behind the program in gay media.
And of course the Internet is an important means to promote the show as well. A Web site at queer.sho.com previews the American characters and has biographical information for the show's stars, including executive producers Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, who won an Emmy for the first program to address AIDS, NBC's "An Early Frost," in 1985.
Showtime's "Queer As Folk" also has a promotional Internet presence on gay.com, planetout.com, Gay Wired and mainstream sites.
"They've really covered all their bases, now all that's left is for the show to deliver," says Howard Buford, president of gay marketing agency Prime Access, who worked on the campaign. Buford hasn't yet seen any of the episodes, but enthusiastically says, "I read the sсript and it was out there, unapologetic and uncompromising. They are committed to doing it right."
The massive gay marketing effort is actually only about 13 percent of the overall campaign, says Gibbons. The same image of two bare-chested men, with one touching the other, will appear everywhere. Mainstream advertising will include outdoor media, cable networks VH1, Comedy Central, E!, A&E, Sci-Fi Channel, Bravo and Court TV, as well as national magazines TV Guide, People, Entertainment Weekly, Details, Vanity Fair, Paper, Interview and trade magazine Variety, and even local radio in 15 cities. It is estimated that the overall campaign will generate 2 billion media impressions.
Showtime Fights Rival HBO for Attention
Showtime has a history of dealing with gay-themed programming, from the pioneering 1984-'89 series "Brothers" that included a gay sibling, to more recent programs such as "The Twilight of the Golds," "Common Ground" and "Armistead Maupin's More Tales of the City." The network first advertised in gay media in early 1995, behind Hollywood's first major AIDS film, "Philadelphia."
Its fierce competitor, HBO, first hit gay media a year later for Tracey Ullman's "Tracey Takes On" series. HBO, now promoting "Sex and the City" in gay magazines, has enjoyed much more attention in recent years for that hit program and "The Sopranos." HBO had its own dual audience campaign behind its all-lesbian program, "If These Walls Could Talk 2," and a film adaptation of Moises Kaufman's play "The Laramie Project," about Matthew Shepard's murder, is in the works.
In an era when corporations still waver when dealing with gay themes in programming and advertising, Showtime feels it needs to stand out and knows it will be rattling many cages, which is exactly the idea. "There's never been anything like this in American television," says Gibbons. "It's going to change the face of American TV forever."\n
Источник
читать дальшеShowtime Drops Millions to Push Queer as Folk
By Chief Marketer StaffApr 01, 2004
Touting the fourth season of Queer as Folk, Showtime has mounted a multi-million dollar integrated marketing, advertising and publicity campaign.
The network formed a sponsorship deal with Motorola and its cable partners to host screening events in Miami, New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Cable affiliates in selected markets have contributed over $1 million in advertising to support the launch on April 18. Additionally, product placement of three Motorola phones, the V600, T730 and V60P, will be featured in this season's episodes.
On April 7, a screening will be held at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco targeting the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities. The screening will feature the Queer as Folk season opening episode in addition to the season finale of Showtime's The L Word.
"We've always had a strong connection with the gay community by marketing with a very one-to-one attitude," said Stephanie Gibbons, SVP-advertising and promotion for Showtime Networks. "We purchased a great deal of media this season and will support the show throughout the year at gay events and with gay partners such as GLADD [Gay and Lesbians Against Drunk Driving] to get its name out there as much as possible."
A corresponding media campaign including cable TV, mainstream and gay publications, outdoor ads, cross promotion with the Third Season DVD tour and a multi-city nightclub/DJ tour support.
Promotion on Queer as Folk fan site at www.sho.com, will include episode guides, weekly teaser video clips, behind-the-scenes content, downloadable screen savers, event listings and community resources for the gay and lesbian community. Fans can also register for regular e-mail updates on the show and shop the online store.
A new advertising campaign developed in house features new artwork and taglines, including "the original comes of age," "Get Folked," "Damn Straight" and "So Gay."
In related news, Showtime's parent company, Viacom, recently reaffirmed plans to launch a gay cable network. Sumner Redstone, the chairman and CEO of the media giant, told analysts and investors last month that a gay network would be worth billions today, if they'd only acted on it two years ago, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Redstone has put Tom Freston, chairman and CEO of Viacom's MTV Networks, in charge of developing a business plan for the country's first gay-themed network, tentatively called Outlet.
Advertisers are currently spending about $500 billion a year targeting gay and lesbian consumers, according to New York-based Prime Access, Inc., a gay and lesbian advertising and marketing agency: an attractive audience since U.S. income for gay households is about 8% higher than straight ones, according to Forrester Research.
Additionally, both gay and straight viewers are flocking to cable, according to Nielsen Media Research, in the 2002-2003 season alone, 29% of U.S. homes tuned in to cable networks.
Gay-themed shows and characters are also popular with viewers as shows like Queer as Folk, The L Word, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and Will and Grace continue to entertain growing audiences.
Источник
читать дальшеPlaying it straight with gay dramas
Showtime to air 'L Word;' 'Queer as Folk'
IMAGE: "The L Word"
Showtime
"The L Word" debuts Jan. 18 on Showtime.
Hollywood Reporter
updated 1/12/2004 12:29:36 AM ET
LOS ANGELES — After letting them redecorate their living rooms, will American viewers follow homosexual TV characters into their bedrooms?
The appeal of gay-themed programming in the wake of the Bravo hit “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” is a question of keen interest to Showtime. This month, the premium cable network is unveiling “The L Word,” TV’s first ensemble drama featuring lesbian characters, while preparing to relaunch returning series “Queer as Folk” with a new creative focus and promotional campaign.
Both series will be introduced into a cultural climate markedly different from the one “Folk” first entered in 2000. While its graphic depiction of male sex kicked up considerable controversy then, it paved the way for the current gay-friendly programming wave epitomized by “Queer Eye.” And with issues like gay marriage making headlines, “Word” and “Folk” couldn’t be more relevant, according to Showtime Networks entertainment president Robert Greenblatt.
“People are much more open to these issues,” he said. “The timing is right to get more attention on these shows.”
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But to court wider audiences, Showtime won’t make their marketing efforts as steamy as the one that ultimately overheated for “Folk,” which has since seen its ratings decline. The new efforts represent a strategy shift for Showtime under Greenblatt, who envisions the next wave of Showtime programming aiming for a broader audience. His predecessor, longtime president Jerry Offsay, catered to distinct audience segments with series like the Hispanic-themed ”Resurrection Blvd.” and black family comedy “Soul Food.”
“The niche strategy is one that can work, but I want to go beyond that,” said Greenblatt, a former Fox executive who joined Showtime in July after a successful run as an executive producer of HBO’s “Six Feet Under,” among other shows.
Establishing both “Word” and “Folk” is crucial as the network’s reliance on original programming increases because of the dry spell of hit films coming from its main theatrical supplier, Paramount Pictures. Adding to the pressure is the impending departure of several other Showtime series, including ”The Chris Isaak Show” and “Food,” which end this year after their third and fifth seasons, respectively.
“I don’t want to look to next year to launch a whole new slate,” Greenblatt said. “You need carryover and stability.”
“Folk,” which revolves around the lives of a quartet of gay friends living in Pittsburgh, was originally touted by Showtime with a $10 million promotional budget that flaunted the flesh and invited viewers to glimpse what all the fuss was about. (The drama is based on a British series of the same name.)
But as the opening hype for “Folk” waned, so did the ratings, which have dropped from season to season (Showtime does not disclose Nielsen figures). “Folk” drew some critical acclaim, but was ignored by Emmy and Golden Globe voters. Showtime cut its marketing expenditures for subsequent seasons as well as its episode order, which dropped from 22 in its first year to 14 in its third and upcoming fourth seasons beginning in April.
Ron Cowen, co-executive producer and creator of “Folk” with Daniel Lipman, believes all the hubbub over the sex on “Folk” eclipsed the series’ more substantive attributes.
“I think a lot of other aspects of the show -- the characters, the issues -- were overlooked because people were so shocked by the sexuality of the characters,” he said.
No 'Brady Bunch'
After experiencing the TV equivalent of a one-night stand, ”Folk” is now going a more respectable route in hopes of a long-term relationship with viewers. The upcoming season will feature more story lines highlighting the maturation of the characters, shifting focus from the perils of promiscuity to the complexities of relationships. Showtime will support “Folk” with a new marketing campaign that will spend millions more than it did last season.
To hear Showtime tell it, the changes are not an intentional outreach to a broader audience but an organic outgrowth of the “Folk” narrative. But Greenblatt acknowledged that less clubbing and more cuddling will appeal to more viewers.
“I’m hoping the stories will be seen as a bit more universal,” he said. “A lot of people look at the show and think it’s a crazy, gay sex club show, but it’s not.”
“Folk” won’t stray too far from its raunchy roots either; that would risk alienating not only its core fan base of gay men, but straight women who enjoy the series’ steamy side.
“’Folk’ will still be sexy and audacious,” Greenblatt said. ”We’re not turning into ’The Brady Bunch.”’
Like “Folk,” “Word” is a drama offering an authentic slice of gay life in America, but it focuses on a group of lesbian friends in West Hollywood with only slightly less sizzle. Showtime will promote “Word,” which debuts Jan. 18, in both mainstream and gay-oriented media, but the message will not emphasize the bawdiness that overwhelmed “Folk.”
Instead, “Word” will play off its coy title by highlighting other “L Words” in its ad copy -- including liberty, love, legs and lunch -- that convey the universality of the show’s themes.
“We’re trying to market it in a way that feels inclusive and relatable, but with a twist that makes it fresh and unique,” said Stephanie Gibbons, senior vp advertising at Showtime.
Given the male species’ notorious fascination with all things lesbian, “Word” might seem poised for greater crossover appeal than “Folk.” But while the campaign promoting “Word” certainly won’t hide its comely female cast, it will not go too over the top. “We’re not going after the salacious element,” Gibbons said.
It remains to be seen whether too much sex will sink Showtime’s efforts to sell “Folk” into syndication -- an important revenue source for the network in the face of declining subscriptions. Cleaning up the content may be a little easier with the new creative direction of the fourth season, but Greenblatt rejects the notion that “Folk” is upgrading its image for syndication.
“Making it network-friendly hasn’t crossed our minds,” he said, pointing to HBO’s recent off-network sale of “Sex and the City” episodes to TBS. “We have some content issues to deal with, but I don’t think they’re insurmountable.”
Whether on Showtime or in syndication, Gibbons believes series like “Eye” have whet viewer appetites for deeper explorations of gay life. “It opens the door for increased sampling,” she said. “People’s minds are more open than they were four years ago.”
Copyright 2012 The Hollywood Reporter
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