As upfront week wraps up, it's hard not to wonder whether the broadcast networks aren't modern-day Neros: They just spent millions of dollars on lavish presentations and shrimp-filled soirees, touting dozens of shows likely to be dead within the year, all while their prime-time ratings continue to collapse. American Idol may have lost a quarter of its audience, but that's not going to stop Fox from giving advertisers a chance to hang out with Lea Michele at Wollman Rink, dammit! And yet, as anachronistic as the whole ritual might seem in an era when broadcasters no longer dominate every time slot, it really is more than just Kabuki theater. There are good reasons networks invest so much in upfront week. Actually, we can think of three reasons the tradition hasn't died off — and one reason why it might not last forever.
"If they could find a better way to make money they'd do it."
