CBS Corporation (CBS), The Walt Disney Company (DIS) & The Bright Side To The Gloom

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The success of this series could be substantial for The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS). In its first quarter earnings for fiscal 2013 report, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) noted that, “Operating income at Cable Networks decreased $15 million to $952 million for the quarter due to a decrease at ESPN, partially offset by growth at the domestic The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) channels, ABC Family and A&E Television Networks (AETN).” Additionally, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) noted that, “Higher equity income from AETN reflected higher affiliate and advertising revenues, partially offset by higher marketing costs, along with the benefit of the increase in the Company’s ownership from 42% to 50%.”

There’s nothing funny about this comic

Recently, rumors have emerged that Guillermo del Toro is working with Time Warner Inc (NYSE:TWX)’s HBO to develop a show, Monster, in which a young doctor saves a boy from dying, but, in doing so, unleashes a force of unspeakable evil – a sociopathic serial killer, whom the doctor must battle to stop. The show is to be based on a Manga series of the same name. For those unfamiliar, Manga is a Japanese-style comic book, most of which typically have an extremely devoted following of fans. Suggesting a vast amount of source material, Monster, as a comic, consists of 18 volumes, and it has already been adapted into a 74-episode anime series. Although some might scoff at this endeavor, they should not underestimate HBO’s prowess in turning a project like this into a blockbuster.

HBO has already seen success in a similar venture with its adaptation of Game of Thrones. According to its website, viewership has increased 22% from Season 1 to Season 2, and critical acclaim is evident in the six Emmy awards the show won in 2012. Although the show has the dubious honor of being the most pirated show of 2012, HBO programming president, Michael Lombardo, claims that the show is the network’s biggest money-maker, based on international and DVD sales. It may continue this way for a while, too, when one considers the enormous amount of source material available. There are currently five novels that comprise the series, A Song of Ice and Fire, upon which the show is based, and the author, George R. R. Martin, who plans to write another two novels to finish the series.

The bright side to the gloom

Forensic investigation is one of the biggest genres of television programming that has emerged over the past twenty years or so. But, the truth of the matter is that are several shows, whose popularity suggests the emergence of a new genre — one whose heroes are on the other side of the law. The gaining popularity of these programs benefits fans, and as content delivery becomes increasingly sophisticated, the content providers, as well as investors, have much to gain.

The article The Darker Side Of Storytelling Is Lighting Up Your TV originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Scott Levine.

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