New York -- The story of Mad Men redefining AMC's
brand from a classic movie channel to a smart drama network is an often-told
story in the cable business, but according to AMC Networks president and CEO
Josh Sapan, the maxim is even truer in today's media landscape.
"Individual great series can increasingly define a
channel," Sapan said at B&C/Multichannel News' Fifth Annual
OnScreen Media Summit on Thursday. "I think it was true 10 years ago
before on-demand proliferated and was used on the cable systems the way it is
today. It's even truer when on-demand is extended to TV Everywhere,
authentication."
He argued that the ability to watch programming on any
device you want means viewers will be more engaged with the series they are
passionate about, instead of casual channel surfing.
Sapan hopes that Sundance Channel has a brand-defining entry
in its upcoming first scripted series Rectify, a drama about a man
recently released after 19 years on death row from Breaking Bad
executive producer Mark Johnson.
"The TV shows that matter the most now matter more and
more and more," Sapan said. "It gives greater importance to great
storytelling, especially dramatic storytelling."
Johnson joined Sapan in the interview moderated by Multichannel
News editor-in-chief Mark Robichaux and talked about Breaking Bad,
which was AMC's second brand-defining drama after Mad Men. Johnson, a
former film producer, credits the unconventional show's success on the
declining creativity of the film industry.
"Right now, America studios really don't have any kind
of thematic or stylistic identity," he said. "TV has taken that
over."
Indeed, Sapan said the pilot, which FX initially passed on
making, floored AMC because it was as close to great independent film as a TV
series might be.
"It's a show that doesn't have any predictably to it,
which in many ways should not be a recipe for building the success that we've
been able to build," Johnson said. "We've now taken the place of
classic American movies. We really can't stop watching the anti-hero."
