‘You have to take risks – that’s how you get hits’: Network 10 head reveals the show that rebounded despite its initial flop
In today’s rapidly evolving media landscape, finding the right balance between commercial success and content strategy is more crucial than ever.
Network 10 president and Paramount ANZ head of streaming and regional lead Beverley McGarvey discussed this in the context of producing TV shows.
On a panel at the Women in Media National Conference on Friday, McGarvey emphasised how creating some less successful shows is often necessary to eventually produce high-quality content.
“In terms of selecting shows, you have to take risks. That’s how you get hits,” she said.
“Nobody’s strike rate is 100%. You have to make shows that don’t work to make shows that do.”
Citing the TV quiz show Have You Been Paying Attention, McGarvey highlighted the importance of intuition, detailing how she continued to vouch for the show following the release of its first season despite poor ratings.
Persistence prevailed as the network believed in her, offering to produce series two for free, with the condition that they would repay if they reached series three.
Despite the initial fall, production for series 11 is now underway.
“Sometimes you have to take a bit of risk and believe in it,” she said.
However, McGarvey also acknowledged that modern-day financial constraints can impede risk-taking in business.
“Look at what happened in the US with content. People used to make 50 pilots and ended up with two hit shows. Nobody’s making 50 pilots anymore because the economics of the business have changed.
“You are under more pressure, which means you take less risk, which can mean fewer hits.”
Instead, she urged professionals to humanise their audience when developing content.
“Don’t think about them as a mass group of people you don’t know. Think of them as someone you see on the bus, your hairdresser or doctor,” she said.
“Think about your audiences as real people and what they want to watch at the end of the day when they get home.”
Other female industry pioneers attended the conference to explore additional key issues and trends.
Mamamia CEO Nat Harvey (pictured on the second left) and The Daily Aus co-founder Zara Seidler voiced their concerns about the future of journalism in Australia and the repercussions of unfiltered content.
“I can’t under-call how frightening the world could be when you’ve got kids getting content from platforms that is unchecked. That’s a bad place,” Harvey said.
“For the country, I’m concerned.”
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