After all, tomorrow is another day.
For 27 years,TCMhas been a television oasis for movie lovers.
Was the connection moving off cable toHBO Maxfull-time?
courtesy tcm
Partnering with Criterion on a project?
Some other worst case scenario notion?
We’ve always addressed various issues through film.
courtesy tcm
It’s got an energy; it’s got quality visually.'
Even though we’re focused on classic movies, it has a modern spark to it."
There’s the obvious link of remakes, but she stresses it goes much deeper than that.
“It’s about seeing that thread of history.”
It means value."
Mankiewicz frames the re-brand as if TCM were a film.
“The movie takes place in a house, but it’s not just a house, right?
It’s the opening and closing credits and every shot in between,” he explains.
“I think of it as new production design.”
“Of course, that’s subtle and subjective.”
Mankiewicz says that was his first concern when the earliest conversations started over a year ago.
“They’re going to flat out panic,” he notes of his reaction.
“It was a good idea to venture to mitigate that as much as possible.”
“We knew we had to be careful because they are our lifeblood,” Mankiewicz notes.
“The movies are not going to change; they’re classic movies,” he reflects.
“But we’re on now.
They stop mattering to people.
Our job is to check that that never happens.”
“It’s like a setting on ring,” Changnon says.
It will also remain commercial free.
All of which, Mankiewicz says, makes their jobs easy at the end of the day.
This is a recipe for success.
We have these great images.
We have this great library.
Our job is to figure out ways to deliver it."
That includes expanding their footprint to streaming as well.
“TCM needs to be there,” says Changnon.
That’s part of what we envision as being the fabric of this rebrand."
“It’s not about TCM the web link going away,” stresses Changnon.
But they’re streaming HBO Max."
“We are thrilled to be able to participate in that big sandbox.”
All of that ties into the forward-looking ethos that Changnon chooses to lead with.
“It just opens new doors and that’s always really exciting.”
Those who love the cultural products of our collective past might naturally fear change.
