Broadcast networks were atop of the food chain back then, with vertical integration on the rise.
She shares whether there may be aCobra Kaifollowup series and what Sony titles she is personally a fan of.
DEADLINE:What are your priorities coming into this job?
The Last Of Us, Cobra Kai, The Boys and The Good Doctor.HBO MAX/NETFLIX/AMAZONPRIME/ABC
POPE: We produce some of the biggest and most successful shows in the world.
And to some degree, you could say, okay, just keep doing that.
But, as we know, the business is changing so much, and the pressure has gotten higher.
‘Outlander’Robert Wilson/Starz/Courtesy Everett Collection
I dont feel like were particularly vulnerable.
I think weve got to continue to make the shows relevant and important and well produced.
The view of Sony not having a streamer is really changing and evolving.
DEADLINE:Talk about the strategy of mining Sony IP for cable/streaming series.
POPE: Theres so much.
Thats the dream, to create something that continues to touch people over decades.
Im such a fan, I kind of dont want it to be spoiled for me.
How quickly will we see that universe expand?
POPE: Its a huge focus certainly for all of us here, and for me in particular.
Is this how that universe is expanding, straddling film and TV, or could there be moreCobra Kaishows?
But yes, the movie is a good example too.
Its all of these.
POPE: I do.
I could definitely see some of them continuing.
Is that continuing by expanding the universe and doing more maybe.
POPE: I came up in broadcast, and I love broadcast.
Or what will our vertically integrated streamer say?.
We have the flexibility to try a bunch of different iterations and see what works.
Were going to continue to do that.
How can that be done?
I would challenge anybody to say Oh, these look low budget, I wouldnt call them low budget.
We dont believe in a one size fits all.
DEADLINE:Sony TVpulled away from broadcast comedyunder the previous regime.
I am seeing them all roar back.
So I dont really believe any genre is ever going to be dead.
It just tends to be a more challenging proposition.
That said, we have a really good comedy streaming business that were continuing to build.
We have a good adult animation business that were continuing to build.
So, were not pulling away from comedy.. Weve made some changes in the comedy department and we still have leadership in that department to fill.
DEADLINE:Still, the current broadcast comedy model is not financially advantageous for studios.
POPE: Yes, its really hard.
And I really would love to be able to do that again.
Obviously, for our library and everyones library those comedies are always very valuable in the long term.
DEADLINE:How is it being an independent studio trying to do business with vertically-integrated broadcast networks?
We just want to be your second favorite studio.
I thinkGhostsgot a lot of exposure off Paramount+, even though it is on CBS.
And a domestic buyout model is a good way to do that.
DEADLINE:Any other elements of broadcast deals framework that are being examined?
POPE: I think the other big thing were all pushing and examining is the exclusivity terms.
With all these AVODs, there are certainly more buyers in the non-exclusive world right now.
Do we want to get to exploiting those rights sooner?
And so, is there something about building the asset through a bit more ubiquity?
Thats something I think everybodys looking at, what is the exclusivity value term?
POPE: Yeah, it did.
I stand by the quality of all the shows that we made.
Sometimes TV is really just about touching you emotionally and not spectacle.
POPE: I think that was a particular moment in time, that boom time.
These writers want to make shows, they are show creators and thats what they do.
So I think were going to see writers emerging in the marketplace, looking at deals a little differently.
DEADLINE:What do you consider your biggest challenges?
I dont think its good for creators either because they end up spending so much time on each season.
When we lose that, we start to lose a key foundational part of our medium.
