‘There Has to Be Meat on the Bone’ to Create Long-Running Series, Executive Producers Argue at Monte-Carlo: ‘Follow the Stories You Want to Dig Into’

Article excerpt

At the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, "Vikings" creator Michael Hirst and other executive producers discussed what separates enduring series from short-lived ones. Hirst argued that a show needs "meat on the bone", a fully realized world rich enough to sustain multiple seasons and satisfy creators' creative ambitions. The consensus among producers: follow the stories that genuinely compel you, draw from real human experiences, and build universes expansive enough to explore for years. The implication is clear: shallow concepts and manufactured premises crumble under the weight of multiple seasons.