Chris Albrecht Hunts for Hits as He Reinvents Starz
Moreover, the Starz spinoff came just weeks after Disney announced a mammoth theatrical pay TV deal with Netflix that meant Starz would lose its supply of Mouse titles, starting with its 2016 release slate. But Albrecht stresses Starz made the decision to let the Disney deal go in order to redeploy that money into originals — the kind of edgier pay TV fare that isn’t a good fit with most Disney-branded pics.
What Albrecht needs most of all right now is a noisy hit show to help define the Starz brand, which has remained nebulous despite several years of efforts to field distinctive original series. The net has experienced some success in impressing critics with the Kelsey Grammer drama “Boss,” and it’s had some ratings traction with genre fare such as “Spartacus” and the current “Da Vinci’s Demons.”
But Albrecht’s legacy of big swings and successes at HBO casts its longest shadow when the pursuit of elusive pop-culture mindshare is considered. Can he pull it off again, at a different shop? Industry insiders have been asking this question since he arrived at Starz four years ago, following his abrupt fall from grace at HBO in 2007.
Friends and associates say Albrecht has become healthier and happier in recent years, and he’s been invigorated by the increased control he has over Starz’s destiny since the spinoff.
“It’s self-evident at this point that Chris has developed into a savvy (CEO). The company has a strategy that is doing well, if the stock price is any indication,” says “Sopranos” producer Brad Grey, a longtime friend of Albrecht’s who is now Paramount Pictures chairman.
“There is no greater original programmer in my opinion than Chris,” Grey adds. “Without a doubt, he will come up with significant shows. I would bet on it.”
But the programming landscape has changed since “The Sopranos” days. And so has Albrecht’s charter.
“We are not looking to defeat everyone else (in TV),” Albrecht says. “We’re looking to grow our financial results and return cash and value to shareholders. That’s how we define success here. I never had the opportunity before, because I was always part of a large company where we were insulated from that. Now it’s exciting, and sometimes scary, but rewarding to be able to really say, ‘Forget my ego, forget what table I get (at restaurants) — how am I going to define success?’ ”
Genre fare such as “Black Sails” and “Da Vinci’s Demons” may not set the creative community in Hollywood on fire, but Albrecht needs to think tentpoles rather than arthouse as he bulks up the schedule. It’s also important to Starz that programs have global appeal. The company does not operate any international channels; it relies on sales of its original series for most of its international revenue.
“ ‘Black Sails’ looks tremendous,” Albrecht says. “It’s not a precious show. A genre show doesn’t always get the attention from critics that other shows might. It’s very in your face and bold. It’s supposed to be entertaining, and we need that kind of big splashy entertainment.”
Albrecht freely admits that Starz can’t match the spending HBO can pour into a show like “Game of Thrones.” Adhering to budgets is part of a new era of fiscal discipline that is a given at Starz. In addition to four series already slated for premieres this year, Starz is closing in on greenlights for a drama set in the dance world, “Flesh and Bone,” from “Breaking Bad” scribe Moira Walley-Beckett, and comedy “Survivor’s Remorse.”
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