Good news for AGENT CARTER fans! Showrunners sign deal with ABC Studios.

Good news for AGENT CARTER fans!  Showrunners sign deal with ABC Studios.

While AGENT CARTER isn't renewed yet, her showrunners have signed a Pod deal with ABC Studios. This could be a good sign for the show. Surely a studio wouldn't sign a development deal with showrunners and then kill their projects. Hit the jump for more!

By ChrisStMartin - Jan 29, 2015 04:01 PM EST
Filed Under: Agent Carter
Source: Variety

While AGENT CARTER isn't renewed yet, her showrunners, Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters, have signed a pod deal with ABC Studios. Fazekas and Butters currently have two shows at ABC.  This could be a good sign for CARTER.  Surely the Studio wouldn't sign a development deal with showrunners and then kill all their projects.  

Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters, better known to CBM readers as the showrunners behind AGENT CARTER, have signed a pod deal with ABC Studios. Variety reports that under the two-year deal, they will bring in a development executive and look to create 30-minute and hour-long shows for the studio. The articles on 'Vriety.com' and 'Deadline.com' did not indicate that deal included any aspect of either of the shows Fazekas and Butters have on ABC network right now, AGENT CARTER and 'Resurrection'

Fazekas expressed her enthusiasm for broadening into comedies as well as hour-long action-dramas like AGENT CARTER. Fazekas also praised the duo's constructive relationship with ABC Studios and ABC network.

Fazekas and Butters prior credits include CW's cult hit Reaper, Hawaii 5-0, Joss Whedon's Dollhouse and five years as writers and producers on Dick Wolf's hit Law and Order: SVU at NBC.

What does this deal mean for AGENT CARTER?  Nothing definite.  While this deal doesn't make AGENT CARTER a certain renewal in it's present post-World War II format, this writer speculates that fans are more likely to see her continue to grace our screens in some format with the deal in place than before. It stands the test of reason that a studio wouldn't sign a deal with showrunners and then let all their current projects die.  It is widely speculated that 'Resurrection' will not be renewed.  

Even if ABC network does not renew AGENT CARTER in the current format, she could change formats or continue on another channel within the ABC/Disney empire or on another platform entirely. AGENT CARTER could move eras to one less removed from present-day, which would lower production costs.  The show could drop to a half-hour format as a short drama. The show could continue as a series of TV movies like Tom Sellek's Jesse Stone movies on rival network CBS.  

If ABC network does not renew CARTER, she could find a new life on another network, like 'Bionic Woman' did in the 1970s.  She could move to a cable channel such as ABC Family or DisneyXD, much as Law and Order: Criminal Intent moved from NBC broadcast to USA cable a few years ago.   NBC and USA are both within the NBC/Universal/Comcast umbrella.  Alternatively a streaming service such as Netflix could pick her up, as they recently did for Longmire, after A&E dropped that series.

---
The specualtions are my own.  My sources for the facts:

http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/michele-fazekas-tara-butters-abc-studios-production-deal-1201418723/

http://deadline.com/2015/01/michele-fazekas-tara-butters-pod-deal-abc-studios-1201362683/

Image credits

http://wpc.556e.edgecastcdn.net/80556E/img.news.tops/NEs4RrDyoHuyws_2.jpg

http://cdn.collider.com/wp-content/uploads/marvels-agent-carter-poster.jpg

 

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ComicalDisaster
ComicalDisaster - 1/29/2015, 5:11 PM
awesome!
Darkknight2149
Darkknight2149 - 1/29/2015, 5:11 PM
Cool. I'm liking this show and how we are still getting Marvel content even when Agents of SHIELD is on break.
BobTheSuperhero
BobTheSuperhero - 1/29/2015, 5:15 PM
I don't really think this helps AC renewal prospects. :(
Marshmallow
Marshmallow - 1/29/2015, 5:15 PM
Marshmallow thinks you didn't read the source article at Variety.com! The original article says that the two execs are looking to develop new shows for ABC, it has nothing to do with the awesome Agent Carter! Marshmallow thinks you need to read good more better.
JoeMomma29
JoeMomma29 - 1/29/2015, 5:18 PM
The show is awesome! So I hope it gets a longer run for season 2.
Kyos
Kyos - 1/29/2015, 5:19 PM
@Marshmallow

Are you like @Cinnamon, only for folks who prefer dogs? (*_*)'
HulkOnion
HulkOnion - 1/29/2015, 5:22 PM
Marshmallow IS cinnamon!
Kyos
Kyos - 1/29/2015, 5:29 PM
So desu ka...! :O
patrat18
patrat18 - 1/29/2015, 5:33 PM
Cancel Shield and give this show another season.
LEOSTRATOR
LEOSTRATOR - 1/29/2015, 5:35 PM
I'm trying to give this Agent Carter a chance but I just don't see where this craze is coming from.
tokens
tokens - 1/29/2015, 5:44 PM
idk who this marshmallow is...






but i just so happen to love s'mores...










hence = i love marshmallow now, nobody talk no shizz about him
BlackPhillip
BlackPhillip - 1/29/2015, 5:48 PM
I'm really digging Agent Carter. I like it more than AOS.
Marshmallow
Marshmallow - 1/29/2015, 5:55 PM
Marshmallow was with kitty once.



It didn't end well.

Marshmallows love was a forbidden love.

Marshmallow is a sad pug.
Marshmallow
Marshmallow - 1/29/2015, 5:58 PM
@Kyos Marshmallow is not like anybody. Marshmallow is just trying to be the best Marshmallow that Marshmallow can be...wait, yeah that's right. Marshmallow confused Marshmallow.
ChrisStMartin
ChrisStMartin - 1/29/2015, 5:58 PM
@Marshmallow, I'm new to this website, but I thought it was understood and expected that writers engage in a certain amount of dot collecting, speculation, effusive praise and thoughtful criticism. I went back and clarified.
Marshmallow
Marshmallow - 1/29/2015, 6:11 PM
@ChrisStMartin Marshmallow did not mean to offend. Marshmallow is simply stating that Marshmallow doesn't think that you have a firm grasp of what exactly a pod deal is. Showrunners (basically like a show's CEO, with total creative control) can have multiple deals with multiple networks. Also, this deal in particular will have no bearing on the duo's other ABC show, Resurrection, surely getting cancelled in the uupcoming weeks. Marshmallow is just trying to help.

But if you got a problem with Marshmallow, remember one thing...Marshmallow didn't choose the pug life, the pug life chose Marshmallow.
TheRationalNerd
TheRationalNerd - 1/29/2015, 6:12 PM
Great news. Have the next one set in the 70's or 80's. Would be pretty cool.
DrKinsolving
DrKinsolving - 1/29/2015, 6:17 PM
Nice! Loving this show so far, would be a cool way to keep introducing other elements of the MCU too, or eventually show Howard Stark's death
ChrisStMartin
ChrisStMartin - 1/29/2015, 6:25 PM
@marshmallow, I don't know contractually or legally what a pod deal is. I just reported what Deadline and Variety said about the deal -- two years, bring in a development exec and develop new 30 to 60 minute programming. I connected some dots and speculated regarding the relevant show, AGENT CARTER. I've seen speculation at other sites that 'Resurrection' won't be renewed. I didn't think it was relevant to mention that show by name here. The deal isn't with ABC network, it's with ABC Studios. I will attempt to keep clear what my speculations are and what the facts are.
Marshmallow
Marshmallow - 1/29/2015, 6:27 PM
@ChrisStMartin their new show/shows are sitcoms/dramas, totally unrelated to cbm's. Has zero to do with Agent Carter.
String
String - 1/29/2015, 6:31 PM
The producers also make Resurrection and that is expected to be cancelled so I think ABC will keep one (hopefully, Agent Carter) and cancel one. The deal today pretty much secures the producers to making future projects -doesn't necessarily secure the shows they have on now. But nonetheless, I'm more hopeful for Agent Carter's chances for renewal -as long as it doesn't drop too much further in the demo.

Perhaps the Live+7 ratings is what ultimately saves the show because when that is factored in Agent Carter scores amongst the top ten new hour-long series.
MuttonMan
MuttonMan - 1/29/2015, 10:27 PM
Butters and Awesome-O make a great team

Luminus
Luminus - 1/30/2015, 2:01 AM
@LEOSTRATOR: You and me both, although the last episode was pretty good, because something significant actually happened.
LEOSTRATOR
LEOSTRATOR - 1/30/2015, 6:54 AM
@Luminus

Yeah, this show don't feel like it's related to Marvel but I'll give them props for giving us something fresh and new.
Marshmallow
Marshmallow - 1/30/2015, 9:49 AM
@ChrisStMartin You called Marshmallow a "her?!" Marshmallow is all man.

ChrisStMartin
ChrisStMartin - 1/30/2015, 10:55 AM
@marshmallow is correct in asserting that the actual deal between ABC Studios and Fazekas & Butters is only for new development. I'm simply connecting the dots that, while it could be purely on their prior resume (Reaper, SVU, etc.), it could also be based on their current work including 'Resurrection' and AGENT CARTER. Even though the deal I reported from Variety and Deadline had nothing to do with these current projects, I think it stands the test of reason that something from their current work will survive, in some form, on some distribution platform.
Marshmallow
Marshmallow - 1/30/2015, 12:07 PM
@chrisStMartin Marshmallow thanks you for your correction.
ChrisStMartin
ChrisStMartin - 1/30/2015, 2:09 PM
@marshmallow, I did some rewrites on the bottom half of the article. While I haven't found a no-fakin definition of pod deal, I did clarify some of the points you and I have discussed in the comments.
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