Execs Can Boycott The Press Tour — But Not The Pressing Questions

With top programmers passing on January’s TV Critics Association panels, THR poses (and answers) the five toughest quandaries of the unfolding season

- Michael O’Connell and Lesley Goldberg

President-elect Donald Trump isn’t the only public figure dodging press pools these days. In an unprecedented move, top media executives revealed Nov. 29 that they are turning their backs on the Television Critics Association — the ramshackle body of critics and journalists that meets twice annually in L.A. The biggest news generators during each two-week parade of talent and suits typically are the executive sessions. But three of the Big Four chiefs backed out of the firing-squad pressers for January’s meet-up — after initially passing, Fox now will participate — and Starz’s Chris Albrecht and Netflix’s Ted Sarandos pulled their outlets completely. It’s a blow to the organization and to journalists eager to hear top brass sound off about linear ratings fatigue, election aftermath and the evolution of the industry.

But just because NBC’s Bob Greenblatt, CBS’ Glenn Geller and ABC’s Channing Dungey won’t answer questions doesn’t mean THR won’t ask them. As the slimmed-down TCA tour approaches, the following are TV’s most pressing concerns.

Where are the broadcast hits?

Season-to-date ratings are down across the board at the Big Five nets, more than 15 percent at CBS and ABC. But zero new series have been canceled or pulled. (Instead, several shows have run out their original episode orders.) How can those two facts be reconciled?