FX is continuing on their path of big theatrical acquisitions for basic cable play as today it was announced that Ted would be arriving on the network a few year’s from now. The news follows a slew of other pickups from 2012 which includes The Avengers, Men in Black III, and Snow White and the Huntsman. As said last time though, do not expect this to be the end of the pickups as this particular channel has been heavy on such rights purchases for a while now.
Ted has been described by many as an episode of Family Guy done in live-action, so if that is true one could expect some huge ratings in replays on par with what TBS and Cartoon Network finds with the comedy’s repeats. Family Guy regularly beats the late night circuit in the 18-49 demo which makes it one of the most lucrative properties currently on television and a good get for FX.
This latest deal with the network may be a great one, but it only serves to highlight a question being asked of them as to whether or not they might devolve in regards to scripted programming. While such series have done tremendous for FX over the years, they have often come with a certain degree of risk taking which often costs a lot of money. With the jury still out on whether Sheen’s new comedy will maintain hit status in the coming weeks, there is this idea being thrown about that maybe there is ultimately a profit-taking agenda at the cable network that may inhibit the future development of edgy, original content.