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There is Only One True Competitor to HBO as Far as Quality TV is Concerned, Says This Network Chief, and It’s Not Showtime nor AMC nor Netflix

Jan 19, 2015  •  Post A Comment

John Landgraf, CEO of the FX Networks, has counted the various shows mentioned in critics’ Top 10 lists for 2014, and found that shows on two networks dominated the list.

In first place, with its shows mentioned 250 times, was HBO. But not that far behind, with 213 shows mentioned, was FX.

After that, the number of shows per network drops precipitously: AMC had shows mentioned 74 times, Netflix 67 times, and Showtime 62 times.

Landgraf told reporters who attended FX’s TCA day in Pasadena yesterday, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2015, ““I would submit if FX was previously considered a part of a group of channels battling it out for second place in the perceptual pecking order, the factual pecking order is now that HBO and FX are No. 1 and No. 2, and everyone else in a pack battling it out for No. 3. And that’s not a swipe at everyone else because I truly respect our very good and formidable competitors and the many, many excellent TV shows that are not on HBO or FX. It’s just the reality that FX has broken well out of that pack and demonstrably strengthened its position and it, and only it, is now closing in on HBO.”

Besides the recently ended “Sons of Anarchy,” FX has such critic’s favorites as “Fargo” “Louie” and “Justified,” among others.

2 Comments

  1. We’re in a sad state if the only measure of how good a show is depends on whether it is artsy-fartsy enough for the critics.

  2. Mr. Landgraf may want to visit Netflix and Amazon.

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