Risk is not a word heard often in the TV business but by the goingson of late, it is defi nitely being bandied about more. Not only does it show renewed strength within the industry but also the lengths television channels and content makers are going to connect with the increasingly fragmented (and demanding) viewer. At last month’s LA Screenings a number of shows are taking TV in new and unchartered directions – not only through the characters and plot, but also in the manner they’re being told and visualized. A case in point is ABC Studio’s The River, executive produced by Paranormal Activity’s Oren Peli and ‘Hollywood engine’ Steven Spielberg. Almost cinematic in its delivery, the series uses the multiple grainy video camera/Cinema Verite style to document the interplay between the characters and intriguing situations that unfold on a boat afl oat on the Amazon. Such storytelling techniques are sure to get their fair share of supporters and detractors, but then again so did NYPD Blue for its shaky roaming camera style and that series ended up being one of the most beloved cop shows of its time. Also worth noting is that some of the new season’s dramas seem to be decentralizing and looking/feeling less American. This shows the U.S studios’ keen interest in international markets and the need to keep eyeballs, in any geographic location, fixed to the box. This less American-centric view is also being explored with other channels and genres. Television is again in a period of growth and ideas and concepts left gestating over the economic lull now have the time and resources to bloom. The only factor that cannot be calculated into the equation is if the viewer will buy into it. But, it’s worth the risk.