Upfronts 2022: Fall Schedule Reveal May Be Next To Go + Early Pilot Buzz

deadline.com:

Decades ago, the pageantry of the broadcast upfront presentations culminated in the shows’ big attraction — each network unveiling their fall schedule to advertisers.

The dissemination of information in the era of the Internet took away the shock and awe of the reveals as the schedules are now announced in advance, while the proliferation of broadband, which allows people to watch TV on their own time, took away the grids’ relevance as an increasing portion of viewing of broadcast shows comes from digital platforms.Add to that the fact that broadcast networks have become a small portion of media congloms’ portfolio pitch to advertisers and that the development cycle has shifted post-pandemic, with only a portion of this year’s pilots in upfront consideration, and the unveiling of a fall schedule at the May 2022 presentations does not have the importance and urgency it once did.We may have the first broadcast upfront where a network does not present a fall schedule this year.

I hear Fox is leaning towards not unveiling a grid at its May 16 event on the first day of the traditional upfront week. The network’s new and returning series will be highlighted but the actual fall schedule may be released a few days later.

For now, ABC, CBS, NBC and the CW all plan to unveil fall schedules at the upfronts, even as ABC and NBC will only have a fraction of their pilots delivered and screened for consideration by then.Keeping a Deadline tradition, below is a rundown on some early standouts among the crop of 2022 broadcast pilots that are expected to be a factor for fall.