Peter Benedek, UTA

Peter Benedek, co-founder of US talent agency UTA, has lifted the lid on the role of the Hollywood super-agency and said the high-end drama bubble shows no signs of bursting.

In a rare interview, Benedek enthused about the supply and demand impact of “deep-pocketed buyers” Netflix and Amazon, but said epic shows with vast budgets would not swamp more conventional TV drama. He praised the “intellectually driven spectacle” of shows such as Game Of Thrones but said there is no march towards fewer, bigger products.

“The Crown reminds me of the movies I used to see as a kid. It reminds me of Lawrence Of Arabia or The Bridge On The River Kwai, or any David Lean film. It’s spectacular and smart and the kind of TV that didn’t exist 15 years ago.”

But he highlighted shows such as FX’s Fargo and The People Vs OJ Simpson: American Crime Story as impressive counterweights.

“It’s not as if these things are inexpensive, but Fargo has what I’ll call a ‘regular’ TV budget. It’s a spectacular show – not good, spectacular. People also love Mr Robot, a regular budget, or The Affair. They run in parallel. Transparent is winning Emmys and it’s not that expensive. It’s actors in rooms. They’re saying smart things, but they’re not getting on camels and going to game reserves.”

UTA is one of the world’s top five talent agencies by size, employing around 300 agents. It represents the likes of Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch and Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge, plus Transparent creator Jill Solloway and The Big Bang Theory creator Chuck Lorre.

Its role, like that of rivals William Morris Endeavor (WME) and CAA, has evolved in recent years. While historically, agencies sat in between their clients and the traditional buyers, such as the studios, they are now often at the centre of creative conversations.

Agencies argue that studios used to spend huge amounts developing scripts and ideas, but have now abdicated that responsibility to a large degree. Instead, the agencies have taken on the role of developing projects at ground level.

Project development

One example is Hulu’s forthcoming adaptation of Lawrence Wright’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book, The Looming Tower, which chronicles events over a decade that led to 9/11.

The streaming service has ordered a 10-episode scripted drama from Legendary Television, which will be executive produced by Wright and Foxcatcher and Capote writer Dan Futterman and Going Clear director Alex Gibney. All three are UTA clients.

Benedek said: “The idea is to get a show on the air, not to sell a script. So you’re trying to put together a compelling group that provides the best opportunity for that.

“We put these three guys together. Dan wrote a spectacular script, Lawrence does what he does, which is know more about the run-up to 9/11 than anyone else, and we came up with an amazing project. We had a bidding war and sold it to Hulu – it’s a triumph for us.”

Asked if this was an example of UTA flexing its muscles, he added: “I hate that term. It’s an example of UTA being smart and creative in its approach to material and its talent base to create great content.”

The series starts with the USS Cole bombing and will be shot in New York and South Africa. Benedek acknowledged shows of that magnitude are a risk for the buyer, but said their global appeal is crucial.

“The buyers have the money now to take shots at things that are really expensive. You need to believe there’s a global audience for them because you can’t make money on a show like that unless you can sell it around the world.”

But he also stressed the continuing importance of network drama and comedy and said they are “integral to what we all do”. “They [networks] put on more shows than anybody else, and order 22 episodes. If you create a big network hit, it’s still a golden goose.”

He pointed to long-term comedy hits such as Modern Family and The Big Bang Theory, plus the likes of newer shows such as Black-ish and HBO’s Silicon Valley. “Comedy is doing great. Half-hour shows are being watched, both on cable and network,” he said.