"That '70s Show" exec producers/showrunners Jeff and Jackie Filgo will be hangin' out at Carsey-Werner-Mandabach a bit longer: Duo have inked a two-year, seven-figure overall deal with the studio.
Pact, which calls for the Filgos to remain in charge of C-W-M's " '70s" while also c, comes as " '70s" is enjoying one of its strongest seasons yet.
Since moving to Wednesday nights in January, skein has given Fox a whopping 80% spike in its 8 p.m. Wednesday ratings vs. fall numbers and established itself as the net's second-most-watched laffer with young adults (behind only "The Simpsons.")
Fox has already renewed " '70s" for next season, while most of the cast has reupped for two years.
C-W-M partner Marcy Carsey said the Filgos, who are married, are a key part of the show's Nielsen resurgence, as well as its continued creative strength.
'Carrying the torch'
"The Filgos have done a terrific job of carrying the torch," Carsey told
Daily Variety. "They just bring a great sense of character to the show, and they're terrific managers. The best head writers and executive producers are people who combine a great humanity with writing and managing skills. And (the Filgos) are the producerial heads you need to keep a show sparking."
Jeff Filgo said he and his wife "feel so privileged to be the caretakers of something great created by Bonnie (Turner), Terry (Turner) and Mark (Brazill.)"
"We're thrilled to be at Carsey-Werner-Mandabach for two more years," he said in an interview. "They have a family environment over here, and creatively, Jackie and I are on the same page with them. And if we're going to develop something, it would be here."
No. 7 laffer
Nielsen numbers for " '70s" paint a positive portrait of the show's perf during its fifth season.
Among all laffers, skein is now the seventh-highest-rated comedy with young adults since settling into its new timeslot. Compared with its November 2002 numbers, skein improved an impressive 36% during the February sweep.
"It's truly one of the best comedies on TV and one of the most underappreciated, though not by us," Fox Entertainment prexy Gail Berman said. "We look at it as one of our crown jewels."
While " '70s" has always been a strong performer, its ratings did take a hit when Fox was struggling. But the net heavily hyped the show's move to Wednesday night as a lead-in to "American Idol," using a new Fleetwood Mac tune as the center of a massive on-air promo campaign that attempted to woo back viewers, who might have strayed, by emphasizing the show's core themes of love, family and the struggles of being a teen in any era.
"Fox made us one of their (promotional) priorities, something for which we're terribly grateful," Carsey said. "It may have even helped that the show went into syndication. It may be picking up new viewers from that."
Syndie success story
Indeed, " '70s" has been a syndie success story, in recent weeks ranking as the No. 1 new laffer in adults 18-49. C-W-M also launched a massive ad campaign featuring rockers Kiss to promote the syndie launch, something that likely helped overall awareness levels.
Jeff Filgo also believes the cast of the skein "has gotten better and better every season, and the writing staff has grown with them.
"As the cast has gotten older, we've been able to do more sophisticated character development," he said. "We've really been able to deepen the characters. Eric (Topher Grace) and Donna (Laura Prepon) got engaged, they're about to graduate. … we've had a lot of fun with the show."
Strong foundation
Carsey said " '70s" continued strength also stems from a strong foundation.
"Mark and Terry and Bonnie have the most amazing ability to find a sweetness and the heart in anything they do," she said. "This show was never about the gimmick of being in the 1970s. It was always about Eric and his friends, or the emotional separation of a son from his father, or the core family."
As for the Filgos, Jeff Filgo said he's not sure when he and his wife, who are both repped by Endeavor and Original, will begin developing new shows, though for now, "We're having fun on ' '70s,' " he said.
"I don't feel like the show is anywhere near creatively spent," he said. "And I can't imagine a better place to work."
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