Fox has ordered eight additional episodes of wacky talent show 30 SECONDS TO FAME, which the network is already eyeing as an evergreen franchise in the vein of AMERICA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS.
HOME VIDEOS has provided a lifeline for ABC through the years, serving as an audience- and advertiser-friendly way to fill scheduling holes as they arise; Fox would like to utilize "30 Seconds" in much the same way.
"The hope is, we've found a utility player," said Mike Darnell, Fox's executive vice president of alternative series. "Those are as valuable as the big one-time players. Look at what FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS has done for ABC in its 11th year when they needed something."
Fox is no stranger to game-changing reality franchises; the cop series WORLD'S WILDEST POLICE VIDEOS frequently helped score strong numbers at the network but didn't draw the kind of advertiser support that the network desired.
"These are rare commodities," Darnell said.
30 SECONDS, at between $250,000 and $300,000 per episode, is also the least expensive series on Fox. (Story courtesy of VARIETY)
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