‘American Chopper’ exec says hard times call for TV that uplifts
By Richard Huff
One direct result of the dire economy is networks are looking for more inspirational fare, according to Craig Piligian, the force behind such shows as “American Chopper” and “Ghost Hunters.”
“They’re looking for more uplifting, happier, self-help, aspirational,” says Piligian, who has six shows returning or launching the coming days and weeks, and some 24 projects in various forms of development.
“There’s enough bad news out there,” he added.
Piligian cites as examples of the aspirational mold “American Chopper,” which returns to TLC with new episodes Thursday at 9, and “Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment,” a reality series launching April 14 at 10 p.m. on Discovery that has nine people dropped in Alaska and told to find civilization.
“With ‘Out of the Wild,’” Piligian says, “these people went to Alaska, we gave them nothing, they didn’t win anything. They did it for some deeper emotional objective that we weren’t part of. It was a very personal experience for them.”
Not everything he and his team produces is inspirational, mind you. His company is also behind Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter.”
Piligian has been around the reality genre for years. He was a senior producer on “The Real Stories of the Highway Patrol” (1993-99), and went on to hit it big as a co-executive producer on “Survivor.”
He then created Pilgrim Films, which launched a series of reality projects, from the wildly successful “Dirty Jobs,” “American Chopper” and the critically praised “Greenberg,” as well as “Cupid,” the dating show for CBS that lasted one season.
Reality has changed dramatically over the years, as has the way networks buy the genre. Not so long ago, producers could wing an idea and networks would gamble.
But not anymore.
“The problem is they’re not experimenting as much,” Piligian says. “And because they don’t have the funds, they really need to know what they’re buying is going to work on the air.”
That puts the pressure on producers, who must invest in development and casting long before a show is bought by a network.
The key to any of them, he says, is finding the right cast.
“We find good characters, the common man doing crazy jobs,” Piligian says.
“When you’re looking at ["American Chopper's"] Paul [Teutul] Sr., he is what he is,” Piligian says. “When you see Harrison Ford, you’re either thinking Indiana Jones’ or a CIA guy. These guys are who they are, you get attached to them, but you also identify with them a lot more than a movie star.”
Which, Piligian says, can be inspirational.
© New York Daily News, L.P.; reproduced with permission.
