The TV industry is in the midst of a massive upheaval—one that will come to a head over the next year as a number of major new streaming services prepare to enter the fray—which makes it tougher than ever for shows and networks to connect with viewers. Yet this year’s TV Hot List winners have managed to do just that. This list spotlights all of the ways the industry has shifted, and how Netflix (and Adweek’s TV Executive of the Year, Cindy Holland, as well as Game Changer of the Year Ava DuVernay, who made the riveting When They See Us for the service) is increasingly at the front of it. At the same time, broadcast still continues to thrive, thanks to people like Adweek’s TV Creator of the Year, Chuck Lorre, who has three shows on CBS, and whose The Big Bang Theory wrapped its 12-season run in May as TV’s most-watched comedy. From Stranger Things to Game of Thrones to Stephen Colbert, this year’s TV Hot List honors the year’s biggest and buzziest shows, networks and people.
This story first appeared in the Oct. 21, 2019, issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.
