David W. Zucker said today’s television production model lacks the clarity that used to come with the old pilot season, arguing that projects can now be cancelled at almost any stage and leave writers and actors in limbo. Speaking to Deadline, he said the previous system at least forced decisions by May, whereas year-round commissioning has created greater uncertainty. His comments matter because they reflect wider industry concerns about instability in how TV shows are developed, approved and released.

Zucker, Scott Free Productions’ chief creative officer, made the remarks while discussing current projects including FX’s Alien: Earth Season 2 and The Terror: Devil in Silver. He said calling the situation a “crisis” would not be wrong, and noted that Devil in Silver debuted in May on Shudder and AMC+ at the same time before a later linear release, in what AMC described as a new strategy. Zucker also said producers now have limited insight into how streamers judge audiences and data, compared with earlier eras when there was more discussion around publicity and marketing.