Nip/Tuck on FX in the future, parla il general manager Landgraf...

Landgraf reups at FX
General manager signs three-year deal
By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER

FX Networks president/general manager John Landgraf has sealed a new deal with the company, keeping him in place for the next three years.
Under the pact, Landgraf will continue to oversee all of FX's entertainment and business operations, as well as FX Prods., Fox Movie Channel and FX HD. Landgraf is also handling the mid-August relaunch of FX.com, which is adding original content and streaming to the site.

"It's a special place," Landgraf said. "It's a very small but extraordinarily passionate staff, from top to bottom."

Landgraf said he believed FX had now reached "maturity" with its original scripted offerings.

"When I started as head of programming, we had two original series on the air, 'The Shield' and 'Nip/Tuck,'" he said. "Now we have eight on. I view the challenge now in the original business one of maintenance, of maintaining our position."

It hasn't been easy: FX's recent entries, such as "Damages" and "The Riches," have earned high critical marks but haven't been the ratings smashes that FX's earlier shows are.

With signature FX series "The Shield" ending its run after one more season, Ladgraf said he believed FX had a worthy successor in upcoming biker drama "Sons of Anarchy."

Landgraf said he believed the channel had several more years of "Rescue Me" and "Nip/Tuck" in its future, which still gives it time to find more original fare to eventually replace those shows too.

Net is prepping a second season of "Damages," but hasn't yet decided whether to bring back "Dirt" and "The Riches" for third go-rounds.

"We do feel some pressure to replace 'The Shield,' but we have at least three years to replace 'Rescue Me' and 'Nip/Tuck,'" he said. "We've got a wealth of options. But it's always challenging to find shows that are both really good and an asset to your brand. No question it's a crowded field."
Landgraf said he has spent more time as of late focusing on the channel's aquisition strategy. FX will bow cable runs of "Two and a Half Men" in fall 2009, and also has bulked up its theatrical inventory of world commercial premiere titles.

Meanwhile, channel has also been expanding its FX Prods. shingle, which produces "Sunny" and co-produces most of its other fare.

"It's turning a nice profit for the channel, and giving us more control over our own destiny," Landgraf said.

Under Landgraf, averaged its best primetime numbers yet in 2007 among adults 18-49 and 18-34. Net was fourth among all cable services with adults 18-49 in the first quarter of 2008.

Landgraf joined FX as entertainment prexy in 2004, moving to his present position in May 2005. Before that, he was president of Jersey Television. His resume also includes time as VP of primetime series at NBC and as senior VP of Sarabande Prods.