Variety<\/em> podcast \u201cStrictly Business,\u201d the days of getting double-digit episode orders for even the most successful series are long past.<\/p>\n\n\t\u201cThe reality, which is a harsh one for the business, is there are very few really high-volume shows anymore,\u201d White says. \u201cSo it really is about the six- or eight-episode order. That that is the norm.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tWhite details the structure of Wheelhouse Entertainment, part of Brent Montgomery\u2019s Wheelhouse group, where she oversees seven busy production labels that are experts in specific genres and sub-genres of production. It allows Wheelhouse to make the most of each title that flows through the company. A TV series is no longer just a series but a concept that can be built out as a documentary, a podcast, a digital extension, merchandise and e-commerce and more. Among Wheelhouse\u2019s latest offerings are the Netflix series \u201cMillion Dollar Secret\u201d and Hulu\u2019s \u201cGot to Get Out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWe think of ourselves as the Avengers. We\u2019ve got specialists in all of those sub genres, and they share resources. Our digital teams support all of those labels,\u201d White says. \u201cThose digital teams are really charged with building out the content from a vertical standpoint, but then we also have things like our legal and our production management team that is centralized. The idea is that the labels all are
are quite specific and they\u2019re scrappy and really development focused. And when they get series up and running, they plug into our centralized machine. And our centralized machine is also quite scrappy, because we find every project is bespoke and needs a specialty team.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tWhite spent 17 years as a top programming executive for Food Network and HGTV. She joined the Wheelhouse group in 2022 when she stepped down as president of Food Network in advance of the merger that created Warner Bros. Discovery. <\/p>\n
\n\tWhite also explains why Wheelhouse has invested significant resources to host networking events \u2014 dubbed \u201cLadies Who Launch\u201d \u2014 for creatives in New York, L.A. and other cities. In a world where most pitches now take place on Zoom, Wheelhouse wants to create that environment of spontaneous chit-chat that sometimes leads to huge breakthroughs. <\/p>\n