AMC is cleaning house and reality shows are no longer welcome. The network best known for its scripted dramas like “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad” and “The Walking Dead” tried their hand at reality-based television. However, the network must be trying to reallocate resources to get another scripted success under their belt. Currently, the network’s having some show woes, such as the cancellations of “Low Winter Sun” and “Halt and Catch Fire,” are it is now in the process of putting all of their resources and attention on scripted projects.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, AMC has cancelled almost their full slate of unscripted programming. Shows that have received the dreaded axe include the recently-renewed “Game of Arms,” “Freak Show” and “Small Town Security.” Also cancelled is work on new projects with Kevin Smith and Chris Hardwick.
Speaking of Smith and Hardwick, the shows that they already host on AMC, “Comic Book Men” and “Talking Dead” respectively, is still part of AMC’s lineup. These two shows are arguably the most popular unscripted shows on AMC, and they both tie into that “Walking Dead” audience, so these shows still hold some value to the network.
The casts of the cancelled undscripted shows are probably sad, but the news gets worse for those who work for AMC. The network recently expanded their unscripted programming staff, but now they are expecting, as The Hollywood Reporter states, “staffing reductions.” Those two words are always ominous.
An AMC spokesman said in a statement that AMC’s current rise to the top is thanks to the success of the big three shows on the network, “Scripted originals are at the core of the AMC brand. Iconic shows like ‘Mad Men,’ ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘The Walking Dead’ have driven AMC’s evolution into a must-have television network,” he said. “We are proud of our efforts in unscripted programming and the unique worlds we have been able to introduce, but in an environment of exploding content options for viewers, we have decided to make scripted programming our priority.”
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