When the Pandemic Struck, HBO and Casey Bloys Doubled Down on Big Creative Projects

Living through the golden age of television as a consumer means being spoiled by a wealth of choice: At any hour of any day, it’s possible to watch a show of any genre to suit any taste on just about any TV channel, streaming service or platform. Behind the scenes, that means more creators than ever are pitching nonstop to executives like HBO and HBO Max chief content officer Casey Bloys, trying to convince them to take a chance on their big ideas. And Bloys has never seen anything like it. “There’s so much material out there,” says Bloys, Adweek's TV Executive of the Year. “It’s exciting as a development executive to think of the opportunity that’s out there for all of these shows and all of this talent that wants to work in television. It just becomes daunting. Which projects are you going to bet on, and who are you going to get in business with?” Bloys' bets have paid off handsomely this year, from HBO's limited series Mare of Easttown and The White Lotus to HBO Max's comedy Hacks (which was greenlit before Bloys took over at the streamer but was filmed and broke out under his watch). “We’re always trying to think of having an interesting mix of programming that feels different and premium, and working with creators that have something to say," he says. It's an approach Bloys has relied on throughout his 17 years at HBO, where he's overseen the development and production of series like True Blood, Insecure and Watchmen, rising to president of programming in 2016. While the hours of HBO original programming have creeped up from 100 to 150 a year, there was a soft limit to the number of hours of programming possible on that network alone. “HBO is tied to a linear schedule," Bloys says. “There’s only so many Sundays and Mondays in a year.” In August 2020, Bloys got another promotion: assuming creative oversight at HBO Max. Adding the streaming service to his purview has proven to be a release valve for Bloys. “It allows us to do more programming,” he says. In particular, the addition of HBO Max has given Bloys room to bet on more creative ideas and branch out into genres HBO has traditionally shied away from, like young adult programming and superhero series. Now, the executive splits his time evenly between HBO and HBO Max. You never know what a show is going to do when you release it into the world.Casey Bloys Just as Bloys’ programming sandbox expanded, though, he faced a considerable curveball in Covid-19 and its effect on Hollywood production last year. Seven months of shutdowns—"we lost from March through September of '20 in shooting,” Bloys says—meant that some of HBO’s biggest and buzziest shows, like Barry and Succession, were on ice. (Succession finally returned this month, two years after its last season aired.) “We started thinking, well, what are we going to put on the air if we don’t have our shows?” Bloys recalls. So, the executive started looking elsewhere, beginning with international programming like Bear Town and 30 Coins and easier-to-complete documentaries like the acclaimed Allen V. Farrow. That wouldn’t be enough, Bloys knew, so he started rethinking television productions entirely. What could have a tiny production footprint but still deliver big impact? That led to a revival of the therapy drama In Treatment, with Uzo Aduba taking over the therapist role for Season 4, which, conveniently, only required two people in a room in front of the camera. A few months later, the real breakthrough came with the Mike White miniseries The White Lotus, which follows a motley crew of tourists vacationing at a resort in Hawaii. HBO was able to film the series on location in Hawaii in a Covid-19 bubble not unlike the ones created by the NBA to resume play last year. “We had to find a hotel that was willing to house the entire production, and we were able to do it in a bubble,” Bloys says. It was something of a lucky break, he admits. “I don’t know that we’d be able to do that again—it’s hard to find a hotel that’s willing to hand over the entire hotel to you.” The series premiered in July and became a surprise breakout hit, growing its audience each episode with its biting social commentary and edge-of-your-seat intrigue. The response to the miniseries surprised even Bloys. “You never know what a show is going to do when you release it into the world,” says Bloys, who ordered a second season. “We knew [The White Lotus] was really special and funny and interesting, and obviously, it had a lot to say about the world we live in, so to see it resonate so much was just a really great thing to see.” In the last year, HBO and HBO Max have reaped the rewards of a schedule packed with high-octane and high-profile releases, swelling to a combined 69.4 million global subscribers, and bringing in a combined 19 Emmy awards this year, including three for Hacks and seven for the Kate Winslet-led Mare of Easttown. The positive reception is a signal that Bloys is on the right track, but he admits there’s no magic formula for success, especially as consumers have more choice than ever. “When you’re in a job like this, there’s no black-and-white answer,” Bloys says. “I could like a show and you could dislike a show, and we can both be right.” That enduring subjectivity is what guides Bloys' decision-making as he leads the HBO and HBO Max teams toward what he hopes will be another year of big wins. “I think it’s very important to create a culture where the people who report to me, the creative executives, have to feel like they’re supported to take risks,” he says. “That’s the only way you’re going to get interesting shows.” With higher stakes than ever, Bloys admits with a laugh that he doesn't thrive on the pressure, but he lives with it. And he wouldn’t trade it for the world. “I was watching a cut the other night, and my daughter, who’s 14, walked into my room,” Bloys says. “She said, 'Is your job basically to watch TV all day?' And I was like, 'Basically!'” Check out the rest of the 2021 Hot List here.