“Super Original” Or “Relatively Generic”: Inside FX’s Title Factory

FX has had some fantastically descriptive show titles over the years including Nip/Tuck and The Bastard Executioner, but it has also dabbled in slightly less exotic titles such as The Shield and the forthcoming dystopian drama Y and comedy Dave.

FX Networks and FX Productions Chairman John Landgraf revealed the inner workings of its title creation shop admitting that some of these shows have “relatively generic” names for a reason.

“Having observed this and participated for a couple of decades, sometimes a title declares itself instantaneously,” he said at the Winter TCA press tour. “Nip/Tuck was never called anything but Nip/Tuck. The name always had the slash. Ryan is really good with titles. What else would you call Nip/Tuck? It is perfect.”

However, he admits that the network struggled more when coming up with a moniker for The Shield. The show was originally called The Precinct. “[The creators] looked for the perfect distinctive title that would convey the show in two or three words that was unique. They couldn’t find it. In our experience, when you can’t find one, better than choosing a mediocre title that tries to be distinctive, it’s actually better to choose a title that’s generic because if the show is great it can absorb it over time.”

FX Networks @ TCA: Deadline’s Complete Coverage