Marvel and ABC’s online series could solve a lot of problems over the midseason hiatus

Every winter, the networks take anywhere from two weeks to a month for a hiatus.

The idea is to not compete with holiday programming, but it also allows the writing teams to take time off and return with new ideas. The midseason hiatus also allows companies to focus on scheduling episodes during “sweeps,” the months in which Nielsen spends more time collecting and reporting ratings. If networks schedule bigger episodes during those months, they can report higher numbers to advertisers.

Networks want to make as much money as possible, so it doesn’t make sense to have the hiatus in the sweeps months of November or February. The networks would lose out on potential advertising deals and face other financial risks. Having the biggest episodes air at the end of November and the first week of December, however, allows the networks to work within Nielsen’s reporting schedule while also getting ahead of the Christmas rush. What’s the point of pitting The Flash against Rudolph, for example?

In recent years, however, networks have started rethinking this strategy as viewership numbers tank. One, ABC, is revisiting its midseason strategy. Last year, ABC kept eight of dramas off the air for 11 weeks â€" with four of those weeks coming during the midseason hiatus. Fox, NBC and CBS brought the majority of their series back around the first week of January, but many of ABC’s shows didn’t return for another week or later. ABC saw huge losses in return viewership, with one of its biggest series, How to Get Away with Murder, dropping 20 percent overall.

The question for ABC â€" and other networks â€" is how to give creative teams their winter break, retain good ratings and not compete with holiday programming?

ABC and Marvel seemed to have found a solution to the viewership problem: a digital series that will air for a limited time.

On Wednesday, Marvel and ABC announced that it will be launching an online-only series, Slingshot, with Agents of Shield star Natalia Cordova-Buckley in the lead as Elena “Yo Yo” Rodriguez. Each episode will be three to six minutes long, and although it’s not a full television show, it seems like it may accomplish its goal: keep audiences engaged while Agents of Shield is off the air.

The idea is so brilliant in its simplicity its a wonder networks didn’t try it sooner. Firsst, It’s cheaper for a big network to make a six-minute web series. Consider some of the biggest, most extravagant web series â€" like RocketJump’s >Video Game High School, which cost the studio around $636,000 an episode â€" as well as some of the smallest â€" like Andy Gets Dumped â€" which doesn’t even come close to that budget.

For a three-minute film using equipment and sets already available to the studio and actors, the costs would remain relatively low, but the show could generate a decent amount of advertising revenue. In a 2015 study from Turner Broadcasting and Horizon Media, researchers discovered that “premium online video from broadcast and cable networks outperforms video content from other publishers,” according to AdWeek. That means advertisers are more likely to give money to networks like ABC, NBC and CBS over other platforms because their content is better. ABC and Marvel teaming up for a web series doesn’t just make sense in terms of appeasing fans hungry for new content, but it also may generate income in the long run.

The other reason â€" one that’s more important to audiences than networks â€" is that it gives back to fans who tune in every week. Gary Newman, co-chairman and CEO of Fox Networks Group, told AdWeek that unless shows are airing on a premium network like HBO or Showtime, it doesn’t make sense to have 10 to 13 episodes in one season and go without a hiatus. Newman added that networks had to start doing more to keep audiences entertained and engaged.

“The alternative is the old-fashioned preemptions and repeats, and let's remember how frustrating that was to the audience," Newman said. "There's no perfect answer, so we're going to still continue to do that.”

Reruns have always been a complaint, but in a pre-streaming world, there wasn’t much that could be done. Now, when services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Video are accessible anywhere for a relatively cheap price, a three or six-week hiatus drives audiences to streaming platforms to watch new shows. Magna Global analyst Brian Hughes told Ad Age in March that fans weren’t necessarily upset with the lack ofnew content on network TV, but they’ve grown accustomed to having more to choose from because of streaming platforms.

“I'm inclined to think any impact the midseason breaks have on audience has more to do with how fans want to watch than being frustrated with a delay,” Hughes said.

Retaining viewership remains the most important goal in planning the midseason hiatus. Keeping audiences engaged leads to higher ratings, more conversation in the press and a generally more enthusiastic fan base. It’s, again, what makes Marvel and ABC’s plan to bridge the midseason hiatus with a new web-only series not only a good decision but also a necessary one.

Agents of Shield is also the perfect show because of its target audience. More than How to Get Away with Murder or Scandal, Agents of Shield appeals to a much younger demographic that is more likely to go online to catch up with a series or start a new one. According to Statista, more than 65 percent of Netflix users are between the age of 16 to 24, the same audience that ABC targets with Agents of Shield.

Whether the series will work the way the network wants is yet to be seen. But it’s the first step in addressing a problem bothering networks for years, and has only worsened in the streaming age.

Slingshot kicks off Dec. 13 on ABC.go.com.

"

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Cort Lane Shares the Story Behind the Delightful Marvel/Funko Pop! Animated Shorts

Marvel and Funko have collaborated to create the first-ever Funko animated shorts, which are just so charming, cute and fun that you’ll want to watch them over and over again. Each of the three shorts â€" Spellbound, Bait N Switch and Chimichangas (that last premiering December 14^th) â€" are 90 seconds in length and feature some of Marvel’s most popular superheroes and villains, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Loki, Rocket, Groot, the Collector, Deadpool and Venom.

Of course, after viewing these shorts, we wanted to learn more about them and how they came about, so we got on the phone with Cort Lane, Marvel’s Senior Vice President of Animation & Family Entertainment. During the exclusive interview, we talked about how the idea for this collaboration evolved, how they decided on which characters to feature, which figures he’d like to see in future shorts, balancing the action and comedy, why they chose not to have any dialogue, and the future possibilities for these characters. He also talked about being a life-long Marvel fan, his journey to working at the company, and what’s it like to get to have a hand in developing and producing shows within the Marvel universe.

>

Image via Marvel

Collider: These shorts are just ridiculously cute and so much fun!

CORT LANE: Well, I’m glad you think so. Obviously, we feel the same. I do feel there’s really something special here.

Who came up with the idea for this partnership between Marvel and Funko, bringing to life the Marvel Funko Pop! figures?                     

LANE: This is going to sound very corporate, but I have these big summits, once or twice a year, for Marvel Animation, with all of the lines of business that we engage with and collaborate with, and we talk about what we’re doing with our franchises and our strategic plan, over the next five years. And the products people mentioned that they’re really excited about Funko, as a partner, and the aesthetic is really popular and has a huge fan base. As part of the creative conversation, we said, “Is there something that we could do there?” It brings in a broad range of Marvel fans and Funko fans, and it’s a really unique aesthetic. We’ve had a lot of luck with Marvel/Lego animated content. It drives a really huge audience because it’s special, it’s humorous, it’s different, and it’s got a unique aesthetic. We felt there was something similar, but really different here, too. Funko is even more stylized and cuter and funnier. That was earlier this year in the spring, and Funk was not only game, but they were very excited to do it, so we made it happen. Rarely do things go that well.

Anybody who has or gets one of these figures knows that you can’t just have one, as they become a bit of an addiction. Do you have a big collection of them, yourself?

LANE: I’ve just started because I’m collecting the figures in the shorts. But I have a much more expensive collective hobby, so I have to limit myself. I collect original comic art, and I have a lot of really expensive stuff from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. That limits me on starting new collections, or I’d be living in my mom’s basement.

At least they don’t take up a lot of room.

LANE: They don’t, but then you have to decide whether to leave them in the box or take them out of the box. I like to display them all together and create these scenes.

Is there criteria for deciding when to do a feature-length animated movie, a full animated series, shorts for Disney XD, or web shorts, and how did you decide how this project would be presented?

>

Image via Marvel

LANE: This was truly an experiment. The first one went live on November 30^th, and so far, the reception is huge. It’s very timely because I have another one of those big animation summits, starting on December 7^th, and I will tell all of the lines of business that we collaborate with how successful these are. And then, the conversation is really, what’s next? I think Funko is very open to it. I think there needs to be more, in some capacity. What that looks like, there’s a lot of work to do. The audience reception is phenomenal. If I’m ever having a bad day over the next several months, I’m just going to go back to the Facebook and read the comments because they’re so glowing. Fans love you, but they’re also your harshest critics, deservedly so. It’s rare when you work in a business where you create content for fans that the reception is so joyful, and that’s been kind of neat.

With so many characters to choose from, how did you decide which characters would be in these shorts?

LANE: It was really easy. It seems like it would be a hard choice, but we know the characters that are important to fans right now. As we were starting this, Deadpool had just hit really big. I love Venom and I know Venom is probably the favorite villain of most comic fans. We see that, in terms of the audience and the merchandise. Obviously, Iron Man and Spider-Man are really popular right now, and them teaming up seemed really organic because that’s a component of Civil War and everyone knows that Iron Man will appear in a new Spider-Man movie. So, those two connecting with each other and playing off of each other is important. And then, Rocket and Groot are so important for us. There’s the Guardians of the Galaxy sequel coming, and everybody loves those characters. Quite simply, it was very easy.

Are there any characters that you’re particularly looking forward to seeing or teaming up together, if you make more shorts?

LANE: That’s a really good question. I like the vibe between Hulk and Thor. That’s a big component of the next Thor film, so I think that’s one I’d like to see. I’m an old school Avengers fan, so I’m a big Hawkeye fan. I’d like to see Hawkeye playing off of either Captain America or Black Widow. I think Black Widow is the most kick-butt heroine out there, so I would like to see her, in some capacity. Those are some of my favorites, but obviously, I’m not the only decider. Funko has characters that they would like to elevate, and Marvel has characters that they would like to elevate, but there’s really no bad choices. It’s hard to pick, really. These first three shorts were the easiest to see opportunities. I think the next batch, if we do more, will be tougher choices.

"

| Cort | Lane | Shares | Story | Behind | Delightful | Marvel/Funko | Pop! | Animated | Shorts | Marvel | Funko | have | collaborated | create | first | ever | animated | shorts | which | just | charming | cute | that | you’ll | want | watch | them | over | again | Each | three | Spellbound< | Bait | Switch< | Chimichangas< | (that | last | premiering | December | 14th< | sup>) | seconds | length | feature | some | Marvel’s | most | popular | superheroes | villains | including | Spider | Iron | Loki | Rocket | Groot | Collector | Deadpool | Venom | p> Of | course | after | viewing | these | wanted | learn | more | about | they | came | phone | with | Lane< | strong> | Senior | Vice | President | Animation | & | Family | Entertainment | During | exclusive | interview | talked | idea | this | collaboration | evolved | decided | characters | figures | he’d | like | future | balancing | action | comedy | chose | dialogue | possibilities | also | being | life | long | journey | working | company | what’s | hand | developing | producing | shows | within | universe | p> < | a> Image | Marvel< | div> Collider: | These | ridiculously | much | fun!< | strong>< | p> CORT | LANE: | Well | I’m | glad | think | Obviously | feel | same | there’s | really | something | special | here | p> Who | partnership | between | bringing |   < | p> LANE: | This | going | sound | very | corporate | summits | once | twice | year | lines | business | engage | collaborate | talk | what | we’re | doing | franchises | strategic | plan | next | five | years | products | people | mentioned | they’re | excited | partner | aesthetic | huge | base | part | creative | conversation | said | “Is | there | could | brings | broad | range | fans | it’s | unique | We’ve | luck | Lego | content | drives | audience | because | humorous | different | felt | similar | even | stylized | cuter | funnier | That | earlier | spring | Funk | only | game | were | made | happen | Rarely | things | well | p> Anybody | gets | knows | can’t | become | addiction | collection | yourself | I’ve | started | collecting | expensive | collective | hobby | limit | myself | collect | original | comic | stuff | from | ‘60s | ‘70s | ‘80s | limits | starting | collections | I’d | living | mom’s | basement | p> At | least | don’t | take | room | They | then | decide | whether | leave | display | together | scenes | p> Is | criteria | deciding | when | movie | full | series | Disney | project | would | presented | div> LANE: | truly | experiment | went | live | November | 30th< | sup> | reception | It’s | timely | another | those | animation | 7th< | will | tell | successful | open | needs | capacity | What | looks | work | phenomenal | having | several | months | back | Facebook | read | comments | glowing | Fans | love | your | harshest | critics | deservedly | rare | where | joyful | that’s | been | kind | neat | p> With | many | choose | easy | seems | hard | choice | know | important | right | Deadpool< | probably | favorite | villain | terms | merchandise | teaming | seemed | organic | component | Civil | War< | everyone | appear | connecting | each | other | playing | There’s | Guardians | Galaxy< | sequel | coming | everybody | loves | Quite | simply | p> Are | you’re | particularly | looking | forward | seeing | make | That’s | good | question | vibe | Hulk | Thor | Thor< | film | school | Avengers | Hawkeye | either | Captain | America | Black | Widow | kick | butt | heroine | Those | favorites | obviously | decider | elevate | choices | pick | easiest | opportunities | batch | tougher | p> |

Thank U So Much for Visit this Article

Cort Lane Shares the Story Behind the Delightful Marvel/Funko Pop! Animated Shorts

Marvel and Funko have collaborated to create the first-ever Funko animated shorts, which are just so charming, cute and fun that you’ll want to watch them over and over again. Each of the three shorts â€" Spellbound, Bait N Switch and Chimichangas (that last premiering December 14^th) â€" are 90 seconds in length and feature some of Marvel’s most popular superheroes and villains, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Loki, Rocket, Groot, the Collector, Deadpool and Venom.

Of course, after viewing these shorts, we wanted to learn more about them and how they came about, so we got on the phone with Cort Lane, Marvel’s Senior Vice President of Animation & Family Entertainment. During the exclusive interview, we talked about how the idea for this collaboration evolved, how they decided on which characters to feature, which figures he’d like to see in future shorts, balancing the action and comedy, why they chose not to have any dialogue, and the future possibilities for these characters. He also talked about being a life-long Marvel fan, his journey to working at the company, and what’s it like to get to have a hand in developing and producing shows within the Marvel universe.

>

Image via Marvel

Collider: These shorts are just ridiculously cute and so much fun!

CORT LANE: Well, I’m glad you think so. Obviously, we feel the same. I do feel there’s really something special here.

Who came up with the idea for this partnership between Marvel and Funko, bringing to life the Marvel Funko Pop! figures?                     

LANE: This is going to sound very corporate, but I have these big summits, once or twice a year, for Marvel Animation, with all of the lines of business that we engage with and collaborate with, and we talk about what we’re doing with our franchises and our strategic plan, over the next five years. And the products people mentioned that they’re really excited about Funko, as a partner, and the aesthetic is really popular and has a huge fan base. As part of the creative conversation, we said, “Is there something that we could do there?” It brings in a broad range of Marvel fans and Funko fans, and it’s a really unique aesthetic. We’ve had a lot of luck with Marvel/Lego animated content. It drives a really huge audience because it’s special, it’s humorous, it’s different, and it’s got a unique aesthetic. We felt there was something similar, but really different here, too. Funko is even more stylized and cuter and funnier. That was earlier this year in the spring, and Funk was not only game, but they were very excited to do it, so we made it happen. Rarely do things go that well.

Anybody who has or gets one of these figures knows that you can’t just have one, as they become a bit of an addiction. Do you have a big collection of them, yourself?

LANE: I’ve just started because I’m collecting the figures in the shorts. But I have a much more expensive collective hobby, so I have to limit myself. I collect original comic art, and I have a lot of really expensive stuff from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. That limits me on starting new collections, or I’d be living in my mom’s basement.

At least they don’t take up a lot of room.

LANE: They don’t, but then you have to decide whether to leave them in the box or take them out of the box. I like to display them all together and create these scenes.

Is there criteria for deciding when to do a feature-length animated movie, a full animated series, shorts for Disney XD, or web shorts, and how did you decide how this project would be presented?

>

Image via Marvel

LANE: This was truly an experiment. The first one went live on November 30^th, and so far, the reception is huge. It’s very timely because I have another one of those big animation summits, starting on December 7^th, and I will tell all of the lines of business that we collaborate with how successful these are. And then, the conversation is really, what’s next? I think Funko is very open to it. I think there needs to be more, in some capacity. What that looks like, there’s a lot of work to do. The audience reception is phenomenal. If I’m ever having a bad day over the next several months, I’m just going to go back to the Facebook and read the comments because they’re so glowing. Fans love you, but they’re also your harshest critics, deservedly so. It’s rare when you work in a business where you create content for fans that the reception is so joyful, and that’s been kind of neat.

With so many characters to choose from, how did you decide which characters would be in these shorts?

LANE: It was really easy. It seems like it would be a hard choice, but we know the characters that are important to fans right now. As we were starting this, Deadpool had just hit really big. I love Venom and I know Venom is probably the favorite villain of most comic fans. We see that, in terms of the audience and the merchandise. Obviously, Iron Man and Spider-Man are really popular right now, and them teaming up seemed really organic because that’s a component of Civil War and everyone knows that Iron Man will appear in a new Spider-Man movie. So, those two connecting with each other and playing off of each other is important. And then, Rocket and Groot are so important for us. There’s the Guardians of the Galaxy sequel coming, and everybody loves those characters. Quite simply, it was very easy.

Are there any characters that you’re particularly looking forward to seeing or teaming up together, if you make more shorts?

LANE: That’s a really good question. I like the vibe between Hulk and Thor. That’s a big component of the next Thor film, so I think that’s one I’d like to see. I’m an old school Avengers fan, so I’m a big Hawkeye fan. I’d like to see Hawkeye playing off of either Captain America or Black Widow. I think Black Widow is the most kick-butt heroine out there, so I would like to see her, in some capacity. Those are some of my favorites, but obviously, I’m not the only decider. Funko has characters that they would like to elevate, and Marvel has characters that they would like to elevate, but there’s really no bad choices. It’s hard to pick, really. These first three shorts were the easiest to see opportunities. I think the next batch, if we do more, will be tougher choices.

"

| Cort | Lane | Shares | Story | Behind | Delightful | Marvel/Funko | Pop! | Animated | Shorts | Marvel | Funko | have | collaborated | create | first | ever | animated | shorts | which | just | charming | cute | that | you’ll | want | watch | them | over | again | Each | three | Spellbound< | Bait | Switch< | Chimichangas< | (that | last | premiering | December | 14th< | sup>) | seconds | length | feature | some | Marvel’s | most | popular | superheroes | villains | including | Spider | Iron | Loki | Rocket | Groot | Collector | Deadpool | Venom | p> Of | course | after | viewing | these | wanted | learn | more | about | they | came | phone | with | Lane< | strong> | Senior | Vice | President | Animation | & | Family | Entertainment | During | exclusive | interview | talked | idea | this | collaboration | evolved | decided | characters | figures | he’d | like | future | balancing | action | comedy | chose | dialogue | possibilities | also | being | life | long | journey | working | company | what’s | hand | developing | producing | shows | within | universe | p> < | a> Image | Marvel< | div> Collider: | These | ridiculously | much | fun!< | strong>< | p> CORT | LANE: | Well | I’m | glad | think | Obviously | feel | same | there’s | really | something | special | here | p> Who | partnership | between | bringing |   < | p> LANE: | This | going | sound | very | corporate | summits | once | twice | year | lines | business | engage | collaborate | talk | what | we’re | doing | franchises | strategic | plan | next | five | years | products | people | mentioned | they’re | excited | partner | aesthetic | huge | base | part | creative | conversation | said | “Is | there | could | brings | broad | range | fans | it’s | unique | We’ve | luck | Lego | content | drives | audience | because | humorous | different | felt | similar | even | stylized | cuter | funnier | That | earlier | spring | Funk | only | game | were | made | happen | Rarely | things | well | p> Anybody | gets | knows | can’t | become | addiction | collection | yourself | I’ve | started | collecting | expensive | collective | hobby | limit | myself | collect | original | comic | stuff | from | ‘60s | ‘70s | ‘80s | limits | starting | collections | I’d | living | mom’s | basement | p> At | least | don’t | take | room | They | then | decide | whether | leave | display | together | scenes | p> Is | criteria | deciding | when | movie | full | series | Disney | project | would | presented | div> LANE: | truly | experiment | went | live | November | 30th< | sup> | reception | It’s | timely | another | those | animation | 7th< | will | tell | successful | open | needs | capacity | What | looks | work | phenomenal | having | several | months | back | Facebook | read | comments | glowing | Fans | love | your | harshest | critics | deservedly | rare | where | joyful | that’s | been | kind | neat | p> With | many | choose | easy | seems | hard | choice | know | important | right | Deadpool< | probably | favorite | villain | terms | merchandise | teaming | seemed | organic | component | Civil | War< | everyone | appear | connecting | each | other | playing | There’s | Guardians | Galaxy< | sequel | coming | everybody | loves | Quite | simply | p> Are | you’re | particularly | looking | forward | seeing | make | That’s | good | question | vibe | Hulk | Thor | Thor< | film | school | Avengers | Hawkeye | either | Captain | America | Black | Widow | kick | butt | heroine | Those | favorites | obviously | decider | elevate | choices | pick | easiest | opportunities | batch | tougher | p> |

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