As TV Academy members 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 massive tent to showcase its bevy of contenders.
Its a well-appointed and pristine space, with an almost Apple Store-meets-Emmys vibe. Displays celebrating Apple TV+ shows were front and center, along with an open bar, passed bites and a theater room for screenings and panels for celebrated shows like Ted Lasso, Shrinking, Bad Sisters, and more.
But now heres the problem with FYC: The writers strike has upended everything. The clouds were already forming at that Ted Lasso event, as the strike was called at the same moment co-creator/star Jason Sudeikis and team were celebrating the shows Season 3 on stage. Many of the Lasso stars double as writers Sudeikis, Brett Goldstein and Brendan Hunt included so the power and importance of writers was on everyones minds. Sudeikis even remarked on how surreal it was to be there on stage talking about writing Ted Lasso just as the issues facing the towns scribes took center stage. Shout out to the writers, he said. What a day to be doing this.
And yet, no one initially knew how much a strike would impact FYC plans. The various streamers and congloms had already shelled out millions of dollars to build elaborate activations, with not much mind to how opening these spaces in May after the WGAs deal with studios and producers had expired might become a problem. And yet, these spaces had just returned to a sense of normalcy after several years of COVID-impacted pivots.
Besides Apple TV+ at Goya Studios, Amazon Studios/Prime Video launched a space it dubs The Prime Experience at Citizen News in Hollywood. Disneys 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 once held its event) for its own activation this year. NBCUniversal will be returning to The Aster in Hollywood for their Emmy showcase.
The possibility of a strike had been looming for months, but Emmy campaigning seemed to exist on another plane: Its about celebrating programs that had already been written and produced. The WGA had not shared any guidelines prior to the strike about what would be acceptable for writers in the FYC space, leading many to assume it wouldnt be impacted.
Turns out the WGA had kept it quiet for a reason: On May 2, as the strike commenced, 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 concludes, the guidelines stated.
I think everyone was surprised by that, said one awards exec. It does feel like it does maximum damage to the studios because of the twin timing of FYC and upfronts. If writers want to get attention, nows a good time to get attention.
The impact was immediate. John Mulaney bowed out of his Netflix FYC panel for his standup special Baby J, while Jon Stewart canceled his Apple TV+ event for The Problem with Jon Stewart. Also at Apple, planned events for Carpool Karaoke: The Series, Echo 3, Mythic Quest and Five Days at Memorial were axed.
Other events continued, but without showrunners or a panel all together. Prime Videos event for Swarm continued with star Dominique Fishback, but creator Janine Nabors bowed out. HBO Maxs FYC event for The Other Two kept the screening, but scrapped its QA. The same went 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 continuing to show up, one insider notes, Its their way of honoring their showrunners. Theyre not crossing a picket line to do it. Theyre getting out there and talking about their showrunners and the work that theyve done. Its past work. I dont know that youd get an actor to go to an upfront. But an actor to an FYC event and campaign for their show is a different thing.
The fast-changing and evolving Emmy FYC season is starting to echo the chaotic situation of 2020, when campaigning began as usual before the pandemic lockdowns forced a complete shutdown and pivot by networks and studios to find other ways of campaigning. This time out, the issue isnt health concerns events can still continue, even if show representatives arent there. But this time out, non-writing talent involved are having to decide on a case-by-case basis whether they feel comfortable appearing at such events.
The Television Academy has now also released its own guidelines for outlets as they decide whether to proceed with events or scrap them. Offering partner options during the WGA strike, the org recommended that networks and studios with booked FYC events could either proceed as originally scheduled and contracted, continue with screening and reception only or cancel.
But if invitations have already been sent out and thats been the case for most of these current FYC events the TV Academy wont reimburse invite administration fees ($5,000) or penalty fees ($2,500). Its still a bit of a Catch-22 for studios and networks: The TV Academy requires events to be committed and contract signed three weeks out; so, if cancellations are last minute, those fees have already been paid. Late booking and asset penalty are still in place for events that proceed, it noted.
Meanwhile, while theres a question of whos on stage, the FYC organizers are also starting to be asked the question of whether an audience will still attend as well, especially if the panel is canceled. Is the Academy going to make it up to us if the turnout is low? asks one exec. Thats a lot of the questions Im getting, is the FYC event even worth it if people arent going to be there? But people are still coming out.
Indeed, never underestimate the power of free food and drink. There always has been a question of how valuable these FYC screenings and panels are as campaign platforms. Are TV Academy members really attending these events to learn more about these shows or are they there to see celebrities and then have a nice dinner on someone elses dime?
I do think what we see consistently is that the biggest, most popular shows are overwhelmed with interest, says another awards exec. And then for other shows, were thoughtful about finding the right environment. Not every show is going to fill the TV Academy theater, and thats OK.
The big FYC events are also important for seeding social media and getting plenty of press pickup beyond whos just in the room. Prior to the strike, several major events made huge waves: Netflix, for example, attracted more than 600 people to the Hollywood Forever cemetery for a screening of the Wednesday premiere episode, along with a chat (moderated by FYC favorite Yvette Nicole Brown, who also did the Ted Lasso one) with the series producers and stars Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta Jones, Luis Guzman and Gwendolyn Christie.
Ghosts FYC event: Michael Schneider from Variety, 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) CBS CBS Studios touted its comedy standout Ghosts with a standing room only crowd at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. And for series just dropping now, premiere parties are also doubling as FYC events such as Netflixs big launch for Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.
As for the FYC spaces, execs say there are efficiencies in by being in the same space for multiple events and being able to have permanent installations. But they also admit that its harder to wow attendees now, given how common such activations are.
Amazon Studios The Prime Experience (Will Tee Yang) @willteeyang Still, theyre still trying: Amazons impressive setup, for example, includes hair and makeup touchups 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, food and bar setups.
All of those things can help you stand out, says another exec. You know, theres so many invites that come throughout the season The challenge is always how to make the shows standout. We love having the space as a place to congregate and to build out show-specific things that help celebrate a show.