Free form
The second part of Good problem'The fifth and final season is currently airing on Freeform, followed by Part 2 of the fifth and final season AdultThe sixth and final season in the spring. When it ends, original scripted series on the Disney cable network will also cease to exist.
Once a pop culture destination that defined YA series like pretty little liarsOver the past few years, Freeform has been cutting back on its original scripted offering, with no current shows and no major projects in the pipeline.
There have been a lot of questions lately about the viability of original scripted programming on ad-supported basic cable, with many networks pulling from it due to high costs that are difficult to sustain amid declining linear ratings and accelerating cord-cutting.
The prospect of Freeform retaining an original scripted slate faced further uncertainty when the network was dropped by leading cable operator Charter in September and when its head of programming and development, Jamila Hunter, a veteran executive, departed two months later and was not replaced. . (The network's scripted operation had already been significantly downsized in layoffs in April 2023.) The developments sparked rumors that Freeform was getting out of the original scripted series business.
Speaking at TCA Saturday, Craig Erwich, president of Disney Television Group, which oversees Freeform, sidestepped a question about the future of original scripted shows on the network — and basic cable in general.
“Freeform is very specific to the young female audience it serves, and we know they watch TV in a lot of different places,” Erwich said, noting that most viewing of Freeform shows is on Hulu.
He promoted the network's slate of mostly unscripted fare, including Chrissy and Dave have dinner outwhich premiered two weeks ago, and the upcoming Royal Rules of Ohio And Sasha Reid and Midnight Order.
“We've just had some very successful launches; Good problem [S5B], Chrissy and Dave have dinner out. We have a show called Royal Rules of Ohio “I think our young audience will really enjoy it,” he said. “What's interesting about Freeform is that it's not just original programming where we find success, we have a slate of creative and innovative films that we promote a lot.”
Erwich pointed to Freeform's signature movie events, such as The 31 Nights of Halloween and The 25 Days of Christmas, noting that more than half of the highest-rated movies on cable in December were Freeform shows.
“We will continue to serve this audience, just through a variety of methods,” he said.
