3 Things We Learned at TCA: Day 10

By Variety Staff

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Friday was FX’s time to shine at the TCA summer press tour.

The cable network kicked things off with another of the now iconic executive sessions with FX CEO John Landgraf. In the afternoon, the “Sons of Anarchy” spinoff “Mayans MC” debuted at the press tour, while the cast of “American Horror Story” Season 8 were surprisingly forthcoming about details on the new season.

Here are three things we learned from Friday’s session.

1. John Landgraf is no longer surprised by the ever increasing number of shows on TV . “The golden age of television has become the gilded age of television,” he said. Known for his cerebral, data-infused exchanges with journalists twice yearly at press tour, Landgraf updated FX research’s projections for the number of scripted series on television. According to FX, 319 scripted series have premiered on linear and streaming television so far this year, up 5% from the same time last year. That growth has come from streaming services (up 46% from last year) and premium cable (up 42%). Volume year to year is down in basic cable (-11%) and broadcast (-5%).

2. Mayans MC” co-creator Elgin James said that he initially resisted telling stories influenced by his traumatic upbringing but later realized he had to tell those stories .”I do know that I have these stories that I have to tell,” James said. “I have this damage inside me that I have to get out. And I don’t want any nice people who are worried about what I’m going to do for society to tell me I can’t tell my story.”

3. The cast of “American Horror Story: Apocalypse” revealed a range of information about the new season. Sarah Paulson will direct the sixth episode of the season, which  will see the return of Jessica Lange . Evan Peters will also direct an episode this season, but production has not determined which one just yet. “The story begins with the end of the world and then our world begins,” executive producer Alexis Martin Woodall said.