The end of an era in quality TV

The merger of HBO with Discovery+ surely means the death knell for groundbreaking shows says CONSTANTINOS PSILLIDES

It’s not TV, it’s HBO.

HBO has always been the studio that set the standard for TV shows. Slick, big budget and boasting a production value that was well above any other studio, the HBO brand was synonymous with quality TV. This tagline has always been at the heart of HBO branding and a vital element of the product’s identity, and it most definitely rang true.

The studio jump-started the Golden Age of TV with landmark shows like The Sopranos and The Wire, proving that TV could not only equal cinema in quality but surpass it. Creators were no longer bound by the time limitations of a major film. Instead of taking roughly two hours to tell their story, they could extend it for hours, offering in-depth character development and richer, more exciting storylines.

When the streaming wars started heating up in 2017, and new platforms maniacally produced content to enrich their libraries, HBO led the charge by doubling down and keeping up with the competition without sacrificing quality. For TV fans, HBO was the gift that kept on giving, the reliable friend who will always be there for you.

It was good while it lasted.

The entertainment industry was hit with a shockwave when Warner – Discovery CEO David Zaslav announced three weeks ago that the company decided to merge its two streaming services, HBO Max and Discovery+, into a single streaming platform. This is such an odd mix, they should have made a sitcom out of it. HBO was the home of thoughtful period dramas like Chernobyl, subversive comedy shows like Last Week Tonight, and soaring fantasy epics like Game of Thrones. Discovery is the home of unscripted shows like Toddlers & Tiaras. How would these two ever mix?

Five years ago, such an absurd match of brands would be a pitch for a Saturday Night Live sketch; The Real Housewives of Westeros or Ice Road Trucker: The Night’s Watch edition, with the whole show hosted by Louis CK (remember, this is five years ago).

Brand compatibility, though, is the last thing on Zaslav’s mind. The ‘King of Trash TV,’ as he’s known, promised that he would make 3 billion in savings and get the newly formed corporate entity out of a crushing debt of $50 billion. The first thing to go was HBO’s unscripted TV division, followed by their international unit as well as casting directors and project managers. A total of 70 people lost their jobs, and Zaslav was just getting started. The movie Batgirl, which had been shot and waiting release, was permanently shelved and used as a tax write-off. Shows that were in development for years were canceled, including JJ Abrams’ ambitious sci-fi series Demimonde while HBO Max silently pulled several shows and movies from its library. All decisions are made on purely monetary concerns, with artistry taking a back seat.

Make no mistake. Zaslav is here to make money and if Discovery is anything to go by, as cheaply as possible.

I don’t want to be an alarmist ageing boomer yelling at the kids “back in my day, HBO was real TV!” but is hard to look at the signs of coming decline and not be heartbroken. Like a Roman seeing the obscene lifestyle of the rich, hearing about barbarians pressing at the borders and realising that no one is in charge, i male affectum hoc.

Some have argued that HBO might actually benefit from this merger since the studio’s biggest problem has always been international reach and Discovery can help with that. Also, that by cutting the HBO unscripted team and tidying up monetary issues, the studio could actually focus exclusively on doing what it does best and deliver on its brand promise.

Perhaps. But experience teaches us that when push comes to shove, shareholders would always go with the most profitable solution. Discovery’s business model is far more successful than HBO’s; quick money from cheaply made, quickly replaceable shows.

HBO was always a trailblazer and a trendsetter in the television and streaming industry. Now though, it is not the time to make waves. It’s time to make money.