ABSTRACT
In 2000, veteran TV writers/producers Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran went into the Fox network offices with a groundbreaking new format for a one-hour political conspiracy/drama series. In those days, the primary network development strategy was creative auspices first, premise second. In fact, many shows were produced under lucrative "blind" development deals for top TV writers. Sam Esmail had originally conceived Mr. Robot as a feature film. But when his work-in-progress ballooned to an untenable 190+ pages at the midpoint, his managers suggested he consider turning it into a TV series. Today, given that most shows are serialized and that audiences tend to watch series on-demand, at their own pace, TV networks take a different approach to development. Game-changing, trailblazing, global streaming giant Netflix eschews the traditional network pilot process because, as Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos puts it. The world's largest retailer, Amazon reinvented the traditional network pilot season, but may be moving away from that model.
