HBO’s Richard Plepler Talks Working with the “Best Talent Out There”

NEW YORK: On the back of HBO’s double Emmy wins for best drama and comedy and a record night for the network in terms of awards, CEO Richard Plepler talks exclusively to World Screen about working with such a high caliber of talent on its original programming.

At last night’s Emmy Awards, Game of Thrones won best drama series for the second consecutive year, and the HBO original is now the most-awarded scripted series in Emmy history, with 38 wins. Veep also won its second Emmy, for best comedy. HBO led the night, in fact, scoring the most Emmys of any network, with 22.

While there are many more outlets now that are offering original programming compared to five or ten years ago, Plepler tells World Screen that this crowded, competitive market hasn’t had an impact on the programming choices that HBO makes—”but it certainly keeps us on our toes,” he said.

“It’s interesting that in the last five to ten years or so, where there has been a wide body of quality television, we have the biggest show in our history, Game of Thrones; we had the biggest freshman show in our history with the first season of True Detective; we have more half-hour comedies winning more awards than at any time,” Plepler says. “We have more late-night programs, with John Oliver and Bill Maher and Bill Simmons (and Jon Stewart coming), than any time in our history. And we are winning more awards and growing more subscribers and more revenue and making more profit than at any time in our history. So, I would simply say that if we play our game and focus on what makes our brand unique and differentiated, which is working with the best talent out there, we are going to continue to have more than our fair share of acclaim and attention. This is not a zero-sum game, and I am the first to say there is other good work being done out there and I commend it. I think it’s good for our industry.”

He adds, “My job is to make sure that HBO is playing to the best of our ability and working with the people we want to work with, the talent we believe is particularly suited to HBO: whether it’s Steve Zaillian and Richard Price doing The Night Of; whether it’s Danny McBride and Jody Hill doing Vice Principals; or Dwayne Johnson and Stephen Levinson doing Ballers. We’re looking forward to J.J. Abrams and Jonah Nolan doing Westworld, and on and on the list goes. It’s the talent—and I say this over and over again—it’s all about the talent that comes to work here. That talent is sacred, and I’m very honored that our brand continues to draw and compel the best talent to come work with us. If we can continue to do what we’re doing and play our game, we’re going to continue to make a lot of great shows that people want to watch.”