According to Deadline, the “blue sky” scripted shows by USA Networks, which premiered in the early 2000s including titles such as Suits and Monk, will be returning. The NBC ad-supported cable network is going back to the original programming, which included scripted episodes, as well as light and airy characters. This is being referred to as going back to the “blue sky” era, with shows such as Burn Notice, Royal Pains, and more.
After the WGA strike that occurred earlier this year, NBCU scripted executives started to release information about the plans that they had for USA Networks. Deadline revealed that the goal is to begin releasing shows in 2025.
Deadline also said that budgets are reportedly being capped between 2M and 3M for each episode. The new generation of viewers for the “blue sky” era is said to come from the streaming platform Peacock, which has older shows as well as newer reunions.
The original “blue sky” era was brought forth by the current NBCU Vice Chair Bonnie Hammer, who began this with the show Monk in 2002. This completely changed the brand on USA Networks, making its mark on original scripted shows. USA networks spent the next few years working on sci-fi and dark shows, such as Touching Evil. However, this then led to a series of escapist dramas with “quirky characters, humor — and literal blue skies as they were shot largely outdoors in beautiful locales,” says Deadline.
This era included shows such as Burn Notice, Fairly Legal, Psych, and more. Because of these shows, USA Networks rose to #1 in terms of entertainment cable entertainment for 14 years, according to Deadline.
The demise of “blue sky” shows came along with the mid-2010s. During this time, USA Networks began to gear itself towards darker storytelling. Now, Deadline reports, the only scripted show on the network is Chucky, which is shared with Syfy.