As a cable channel that’s existed since 1980 (1977 if we’re counting when it was the Madison Square Garden Sports Network), naturally USA Network has gone through various changes over the decades. Perhaps the biggest of them, though, came in 2016 when the network started cutting back on scripted programming in favor of focusing on sports coverage, reality programming and wrestling. However, following the massive success of Suits on Netflix and Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie arriving to Peacock subscribers, apparently USA may be returning to scripted shows, and if this is true, I’m jazz about it!
Both Suits and Monk were two of USA’s most popular shows when they respectively aired during what’s known as the channel’s “blue sky” era, and this year has seen them both reenter the public consciousness in major ways. Now, according to Deadline, USA, which is owned by NBCUniversal, is looking to return to the scripted programming specifically the “light, frothy character-based procedurals” from the aforementioned era, with other examples from that time including Psych, Royal Pains, White Collar and Burn Notice, among others. Perhaps this bodes well for the “legitimate talks” concerning a White Collar revival, and I also wouldn’t be surprised if this is where the Suits spinoff that’s set in Los Angeles ends up.
NBCU executives reportedly started putting out “feelers” for this plan after the Writers Strike ended, and while they have “identified a handful of ideas they are considering for development,” nothing is in development just yet. The first of these new scripted shows is tentatively set to be released in 2025, but because of because the cable landscape looks a lot different nowadays because of “cord-cutting and the overall decline in linear viewing,” the budget for these shows will be capped at $2 million-$3 million per episode. It was also acknowledged that most of the viewings of these shows will come from people streaming them on Peacock, which is also where the three Psych movies are housed.
As things currently stand, the only scripted original show on the USA Network is Chucky, though it also airs on Syfy. As mentioned earlier, sports, reality TV and wrestling now take up the primetime slots, and during the rest of the day, you’ll either find reruns of shows from other channels or movies. So not only am I excited to hear that USA is looking to fully jump back into the scripted business, I’m especially pleased that the powers-that-be will harken back to the “blue sky” era.
Monk, Suits and Psych were three of my favorite shows from the channel, but I never found myself interested in the darker scripted programming USA released in the 2010s, like The Sinner, Mr. Robot, Queen of the South and the short-lived Treadstone. Assuming these new procedurals get off the ground, they’ll serve as a wonderful throwback to a lighter TV era I’ve missed. That’s not to say I’ll tune into one or more of these shows live all the time or even frequently, but it would provide extra incentive to keep my Peacock account active.
Assuming USA Network does indeed get the ball rolling on renewing its scripted programming, we’re still a long way off from seeing that plan fully enacted. So for now, just keep occupied with the remaining shows left on the 2023 TV schedule, or start planning what you’ll watch on the 2024 TV schedule.
