Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Intel Camera Out
Intel has dropped its plan to include a camera in its TV service to identify household members. Don Clark and Ian Sherr note that both Intel and TiVo are wavering on such features.
Afghan Media Mogul
Graham Bowley profiles Saad Mohseni, who is trying to create a media empire in Afghanistan.
Xbox TV
Danny Sullivan wonders if it might be time for Microsoft to create a non-gaming version of Xbox to compete with Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast and the growing cadre of streaming devices.
18-49 Declines
Tim Molloy looks at how CBS and NBC are explaining network declines in 18-49 ratings.
OTA Homes
A Consumer Electronics Association survey found that 7% homes are over-the-air only homes, down slightly from the last survey, though the NAB disputes the figures.
Sinclair Buying Albritton
Sinclair Broadcast Group is growing with the purchase of seven Albritton stations. This is apparently a key piece for Sinclair in building a national news channel. Harry A. Jessell is uncertain how to take the latter plan.
TCA Links
Catchup links on Showtime's David Nivens, more on Showtime, Dexter and its possible spinoff, The CW, Tim Goodman on why TCA sessions matter.
NBC Live
Cynthia B. Meyers says NBC's push toward live event TV in the DVR age is a blast from the past.
Cubs TV Deal
Ed Sherman looks at upcoming possibilities for the Chicago Cubs' TV deal compared to other baseball rights deals.
Sharknado Ratings
Sharknado continues to build viewers in its repeat viewings, with the third repeat surpassing the first two airings.
Breaking Bad Viewings
Lincoln Center's Film Society is screening a marathon of Breaking Bad, and the Museum of the Moving Image's Breaking Bad exhibit has opened. A.O. Scott has analysis of Walter White.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Aereo & Hopper Reflections
Todd Spangler thinks Aereo's run will come to an end. With Aereo and Hopper in the mix, David Carr looks back to VCR precedents.
Netflix & TV Viewing
A TiVo research report indicates that Netflix viewership doesn't eat into linear TV viewership.
Simpsons Syndication
The Simpsons will be selling into cable syndication soon, and it could set off a bidding war.
The Killing's Comeback
Kate Authur talks to Veena Sud and Peter Sarsgaard about The Killing's critical resurrection.
CBS at TCA
TCA catchup links: CBS summary, Les Moonves live-blog, Moonves isn't fixated on 18-49, defending Big Brother, Robin Williams' sitcom The Crazy Ones, Homeland, The Millers.
Online Soap Production
Willa Paskin offers an in-depth look at the production and financial models of online soaps All My Children and One Life to Live. Their financial models are taking a hit with a new IATSE deal.
Video Driving Prime
Will Richmond notes the news that video is now the prime force driving people to Amazon Prime.
CBS-TWC Continue
CBS and Time Warner Cable keep extending their negotiations, though there was a brief blackout last night. Mike Stein comments on the growing importance of retrans.
ABC News Victory
ABC's nightly newscast beat NBC's in 25-54 ratings, ending a five-year streak for NBC.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
TCA Links
Today was NBC day at TCA. Info on The Voice, James Spader and The Blacklist, Mike O'Malley, Michael J. Fox, Parenthood and Parenthood team on NBC's support, NBC chief Bob Greenblatt and another on Bob Greenblatt, NBC & patience, Ironside, Meghan McCain, Sochi Olympics and issue of Russian laws.
Summer Break
I'm off for one last summer trip, so posting will be sporadic around here for the next week. I'll try to post some TCA wrap-ups at the end of each day (and today is NBC day, by the way), but head to Hitfix or THR for regular coverage.
GoT & Racial Casting
Alyssa Rosenberg thinks a new Game of Thrones casting move is another sign of the show getting more complex in its racial representations.
TCA Links
Info from TCA: A Breaking Bad live-blog, AMC has picked up two new shows, Starz has renewed a show well before it's even begun and is developing more original programming, MTV discussed future programming, Tim Goodman says Discovery has a fractured identity, and a new, younger-skewing cable channel called Pivot arrives soon. Brian Stelter has more on Pivot.
Good TVeets
I was asked the difference between network and cable. Networks cancel shows I’ve never watched. Cable renews shows I’ve never heard of.
— Alan Spencer (@MrAlanSpencer) July 26, 2013
Achievement Unlocked: Netflix Algorithm Generates Category "TV Shows Featuring a Strong Female Lead"
— Michael Barthel (@michaelbarthel) July 27, 2013
Do you think actors who aren't Aaron Paul talk to their therapists about anything other than how much they wish they were Aaron Paul?
— Melissa Mann (@PhantomRat) July 27, 2013
Friday, July 26, 2013
Best Credit Sequences
Jonathan Gray offers part one of his own list of best opening credit sequences. Part two.
Ferguson & McCormack Talk
The NYT presents a chat with Modern Family's Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Will & Grace's Eric McCormack about playing gay characters.
Tyson Questions
Linda Holmes reflects on HBO's TCA presentation about a Mike Tyson program and the questions that weren't raised. Sam Adams responds.
Streaming Services Assessed
Josef Adalian begins an in-depth look at streaming services by assessing Hulu Plus. He continues with Amazon Prime and with Netflix.
A Year of SportsCenter
Patrick Burns watched a year of ESPN's SportsCenter and has some interesting charts and graphs about what he saw and heard. (Tim Tebow wasn't the most-mentioned!)
Simpsons Donation
The Simpsons co-creator Sam Simon has terminal cancer and will give his fortune away to charity upon his death.
Sharknado Links
Sharknado will now playing in theaters as a midnight movie. And Julia Leyda pairs Sharknado with Beasts of the Southern Wild with a focus on extreme weather as a theme.
Spoiler Defense
David Bianculli defends talking about already-aired Breaking Bad plot events. (And, in case you disagree with him and aren't caught up: spoiler alert for a key season 5 plot point).
Visiting Breaking Bad
Matt Zoller Seitz revisits the first season of Breaking Bad, and the first episode of The Writers' Room will focus on Breaking Bad. The comments on Seitz's post address Skyler-hating, and a Tumblr post also takes up this issue.
Hannibal Walkthrough
Part one of Bryan Fuller's walkthrough of Hannibal is up at the AV Club. Part Two. Part Three. Part Four.
Good TVeets
It would be funny if on the last episode of Catfish, Max the cameraman revealed himself to actually be a 400lb woman from Indiana.
— Rob Fee (@robfee) July 26, 2013
Julie Chen’s pantsuit suggests to me that her heart just isn’t in this season. #bb15
— Max Dawson (@fymaxwell) July 26, 2013
I feel like I had a dream life that I wanted to live but somehow Chris Hardwick ended up living it.
— Ron Mexico (@TVandShit) July 26, 2013
Thursday, July 25, 2013
OITNB Links
Margaret Lyons says Orange is the New Black is part of a good summer for lesbians on TV, transgender actress Laverne Cox talks about her Orange role, and Dr. Stiletto is critical of the the show's racial representations (warning: contains full-season spoilers). James Poniewozik reviews the show and Netflix's release strategy.
Sex & The City & Sex
Emily Shire says watching Sex and the City as a teenager gave her problematic assumptions about sex.
TCA Links
Coverage from TCA of Larry David and an HBO live-blog and summary, plus info on Treme and Doctor Who and on OWN and Lindsay Lohan.
Olympics LGBT Problem
Ted Johnson reports on controversy over Russia's anti-LGBT laws and how that might affect the Olympics, with some calling for NBC to take some sort of stand.
TWC Chief Retiring
Time Warner Cable CEO Glenn Britt will retire at the end of this year. Om Malik wonders if a merger might follow.
Big Brother Racism
Willa Paskin says Big Brother's lack of diversity is at the heart of its bigotry problems this season.
100 Episode Strategy
Jaime Weinman looks at the syndication logic behind the new "10/90 model" deals and cranking out 100 episodes as quickly as possible.
Chromecast Links
Dan Nosowitz checks out Google Chromecast, Gabe Stein notes that it's amazingly hackable, Will Richmond considers the implications for smart TVs and also covers this on his podcast, and Peter Kafka loves Chromecast's ads.
Good TVeets
ah yes, the #tcas - that magical time of year where tons of people I follow begin tweeting the exact same thing, seconds apart, for 2 weeks.
— Jonathan Toomey (@jt00mey) July 24, 2013
"I'm still upset about Happy Endings." - me now and in 5 years and in 10 years and for the rest of my life
— cassie (@DarthCassie) July 25, 2013
I hate it when I get a video from Netflix and the jackass that had it before me hasn't rewound it.
— Crutnacker (@Crutnacker) July 25, 2013
Netflix Tech
Michael Liedtke checks out the technology behind the launch of Orange is the New Black.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
TCA Links
TCA coverage of Dan Harmon, Keith Olbermann & ESPN, and Nat Geo. Rick Ellis considers TCA and being a TV critic today, while Rob Salem is not at TCA, after the Toronto Star decided to drop "TV critic" as a position at the paper. Salem writes, "We’re a dying breed; an endangered species, edging ever closer to extinction" (and also makes a "bloggers in their parents' basement" crack).
Netflix Hopes
Netflix's Reed Hastings says he hopes for House of Cards to eventually become the next Harry Potter. (No really, that's what he said. Read it, you'll see.)
Lucy's [Censored]
AV Club's TV Roundtable looks back on the I Love Lucy episode in which Lucy learns she's pregnant, but the latter word could not be spoken.
Google Chromecast
Peter Kafka explains why Google's new Chromecast device might make TV execs at Hulu and HBO concerned. Janko Roettgers says it's also a threat to Apple.
It's Always Sunny in Winterfell
Dave Itzkoff has the story on Game of Thrones writers penning a script for It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Hopper Win
Dish Network got another Hopper-related court victory, as an appeals court ruled that it doesn't violate copyright law.
Good TVeets
I want to give Anthony Weiner more shit for his bad pictures but I keep remembering I was in BLADE: TRINITY.
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) July 24, 2013
Whenever I show Ken Burns my family photos, he slowly moves his face closer into them. it's weird but that's Ken.
— Paul Briganti (@PaulBriganti) July 24, 2013
Catfish is the perfect show if you've committed the time & energy to dating someone online but you havent had a chance to Google their name.
— Rob Fee (@robfee) July 24, 2013
Egyptian Soap Islamists
Leslie T. Change profiles an Egyptian soap opera people are watching during Ramadan that resonates with current events.
Diginet Success
TVNewsCheck has a two-part look at digital subchannels: local stations are using them for newscasts, and classic shows and movies are also reliable programming fare for them.
Bunheads & Sex
Alyssa Rosenberg says we're losing an effective representation of teen sexuality in the cancelled Bunheads.
Reality Dominates
As usual, reality TV is dominating summer network ratings, though Under the Dome qualifies as a summer hit.
Retrans Share
Dave Seyler argues that SNL Kagan numbers show pay TV operators don't have much too complain about in terms of what retransmission fees take out of their revenue and thus FCC intervention isn't needed.
TV Distribution is Better Than Film
Robert David Sullivan offers an important intervention into the "TV/film is better than film/TV debate" in raising the issue of distribution: "Today, you can see any TV series worth talking about, in its entirety, at your convenience, thanks to "on demand" cable options and streaming-video sites like Hulu. By contrast, non-blockbuster films get pushed off the limited number of cinema screens faster than most of us become aware of them."
SATC's Legacy
Emily Nussbaum laments that Sex and the City is no longer appreciated for being the radical, flagship show it was. Responses from Anne Helen Petersen, Alyssa Rosenberg, Stephen Silver, and Ross Douthat.
Talking Critics
Ryan McGee assesses Chris Hardwicke and the lessons to critics his example offers: "The sweet spot, so near as I can tell, is halfway between Hardwick’s proselytizing and the distanced criticism that marks so many reviews."
Best TV of 2013
An AV Club panel distributes awards for the Best TV of 2013 in various creative categories.
TCA Press Tour
TCA is upon us again. (Twitter, you've been warned. And here is the schedule.) Eric Deggans is on his way there and has some big questions about the future of TV he wants to raise with TV people. Tim Goodman has a TCA primer.
NBC Gets NASCAR
NBC has signed a deal for NASCAR races, taking the package away from ESPN and Turner.
A La Carte Bill Update
John McCain's bill proposing to force cable operators to offer channels on an a la carte basis has a new co-sponsor.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Good TVeets
Royal Baby born, first words are demanding that BUNHEADS be cancelled. ABC Family listens.
— Brian Lynch (@BrianLynch) July 22, 2013
To heck with the #Upfront. From now on we announce the new #CBS schedule on an easel in front of Black Rock.
— Chris Ender (@soundbyte53) July 23, 2013
Imagine how much we would've hated the Beatles if all those girls in the Ed Sullivan Show audience had had Twitter.
— Aaron Fullerton (@AaronFullerton) July 23, 2013
Netflix Subs
Netflix's second quarter subscriber numbers are out, showing growth, but not significantly so. Netflix credits Arrested Development for the bump that was there. Quarterly revenue topped $1 billion. Peter Lauria assesses Netflix's ratings video chat, as does Will Richmond. Netflix's stock went down after this info, but Matthew Yglesias says this shouldn't detract from Netflix's incredible success.
Facebook Talks TV
Peter Kafka discusses the more voluminous TV chatter on Facebook as compared to Twitter.
RIP Dennis Farina
Actor Dennis Farina has died. Alan Sepinwall shares his reaction. Dick Wolf has released a statement. Matt Zoller Seitz offers an appreciation. The Chicago Tribune has an obituary and a remembrance.
New Paramount TV Head
Amy Powell is the new president of Paramount Television, which has multi-platform hopes and plans to make shows for anyone who wants them.
Sports Rights Costs
John Ourand thinks its wrong to assume the sports rights fees bubble is due to burst.
Aereo Showdown
Scott Bomboy notes that the Supreme Court might end up deciding the future of TV with the Aereo case.
Newcomb Tribute
Antenna has published the remarks Amanda Lotz offered at an April tribute to retiring Peabodys director and pioneering TV Studies scholar Horace Newcomb, which focus on the importance of his "cumulative narrative" concept. You can also hear an interview with Newcomb in the Aca-Media podcast focusing on his legacy.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Carson on iTunes
Starting tomorrow, Johnny Carson Tonight Show clips and shows will be available on iTunes.
FCC Watching CBS/TWC
The FCC is "continuing to monitor the situation" between CBS and Time Warner Cable. And media analysts are weighing in.
Fox News Viewership
Bill Carter analyzes the fanbase of Fox News and finds old but lucrative viewers.
Netflix Expansion
Netflix plans to expand its originals scope and move into stand-up specials and docs.
OITNB Ratings
Scott Collins tries to figure out how many people are watching Orange is the New Black on Netflix.
Mad Men's Paratexts: Feminist or Not?
Jonathan Gray analyzes Mad Men's paratexts through a feminist lens: "Some are feminist, many are not."
AJAM CEO
Al Jazeera America has named Kate O'Brian, formerly of ABC News, as its CEO. The new channel will launch on August 20.
Party of Five's Greatness
Todd VanDerWerff explains why Party of Five was a great, underappreciated drama.
OITNB Quality
Jon Weisman says Orange is the New Black gives Netflix more Emmy hopes, and June Thomas says reading the book version gives her new appreciation for the Netflix adaptation.
TV Everywhere Appeals
The Economist looks at how pay TV providers are hoping TV Everywhere will help battle against over-the-top streaming services.
Doctor Who Debate
The 50th Anniversary Doctor Who trailer premiered at Comic-Con, and some BBC license fee payers are angry about that.
Comic-Con Wrapup
Todd VanDerWerff files his final Comic-Con report (maybe ever?). Except for this report for Grantland. Vulture lists the best and worst of Comic-Con 2013.
Comic-Con, Fans, and Industry
Erin Hanna takes us to Comic-Con and looks at the relationship between the industry and fans there: Part 1, Part 2.
CBS-TWC Links
CBS channels could go dark on Wednesday for Time Warner Cable subscribers due to an ongoing retrans fee dispute. TWC is threatening to recommend Aereo as an alternative, and Aereo could end up a winner here.
Good TVeets
"Yep we're gonna need a new one". pic.twitter.com/LdbCEvWP6m
— sue vertue (@suevertue) July 21, 2013
Geraldo actually looks pretty good for 70. Way more embarrassing is his stance on every single issue for the last twenty years.
— Guy Endore-Kaiser (@GuyEndoreKaiser) July 21, 2013
I don't watch True Blood, but if I did, I'd want to be seated on a big couch with everyone from the Parents Television Council.
— Aaron Fullerton (@AaronFullerton) July 22, 2013
Sunday, July 21, 2013
BBC4 Drama Ending
A Burton-Taylor biopic airing Monday night will bring scripted drama on BBC Four to an end, with budget cuts responsible.
Emmys' Digital Problem
Liz Shannon Miller says the Netflix nominations distract from the Emmy Awards' digital content shortcomings.
More Comic-Con Links
Hitfix live-blogs for panels on Breaking Bad, Doctor Who, Community, and Sons of Anarchy. Todd VanDerWerff's take on day 3. Charlie Jane Anders gives details from the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary trailer.
British Drama Diversity Problem
Homeland actor David Harewood says British drama isn't serving black viewers sufficiently.
TV as Second Screen
Janko Roettgers says it's TV that's becoming the second screen behind iPad and mobile screens.
Patten Exiting BBC Trust
Lord Patten will step away from his position are chairman of the BBC trust in 2015, leaving major questions for the crucial next stage of the BBC charter and license fee review.
Sharknado & Branding
Natan Edelsburg is impressed by Syfy's ongoing social Sharknado efforts, including how major brands have tied into it.
More Comic-Con Links
Live-blogs for How I Met Your Mother and True Blood. Live-blog and summary of Vampire Diaries. Summary of Arrow panel. Revolution panel. Bates Motel live-blog. News that NBCU is developing a clone series.
Good TVeets
The people who camped out in line at Comic-Con were up all night to get Loki.
— Eric D. Snider (@EricDSnider) July 21, 2013
I'm not sure I've understood a word on my twitter feed other than "Karen Gillan bald" for an hour. #sdcc
— Daniel Fienberg (@HitFixDaniel) July 21, 2013
Woke up to Geraldo's topless selfie. This is the world that awaits you, Royal Baby. Take your time.
— Bearded Stoner (@beardedstoner) July 21, 2013
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Murphy on Glee
Ryan Murphy is talking about Glee's adjustments in the wake of Cory Monteith's death.
Over-the-Top Viability
Jeff Bercovici considers what it will take for Google or Apple to create a viable over-the-top pay TV option. Peter Kafka suggests football. Will Richmond also addresses this topic in his podcast. Ted Johnson says these new options may not disrupt anything. Apple's deals aren't taking off yet. Jeff John Roberts thinks Apple looks like the better bet.
Comic-Con Links
Coverage of Comic-Con: from Vulture, from Hitfix, from Variety, and on Joss Whedon, The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the S.H.I.E.L.D. pilot screening, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, the Veronica Mars panel, the Veronica Mars trailer, the Orphan Black panel, how Orphan Black does clone scenes, And a bonus Orphan Black link: a panel at Nerd HQ. Todd VanDerWerff covers day 2.
New Zimbabwe Station
Zimbabwe's state broadcaster will soon have private competition, as a new station based in South Africa will strive to provide impartial news.
Pelecanos Interview
Indiewire talks to George Pelecanos about The Wire, Treme, and a new David Simon project.
CBS-TWC Links
The FCC doesn't want the CBS-Time Warner Cable retrans dispute to linger. CBS is turning to its radio outlets to get its message out, but it isn't touting dropping pay TV altogether.
Mythbusters to Take On Breaking Bad
Right as Breaking Bad starts up again, Mythbusters will test out things depicted on the series.
Buying Ads
Bill Harvey considers why broadcast network ads might be a better buy than cable for advertisers. It is the case that broadcast ad revenue is up.
Malone Favors Broadband
Andy Vuong details how John Malone's investment in Charter is about broadband.
Hulu's Awesomes
Tanzina Vega reports that with its sale off, Hulu is throwing its attention onto promoting its new animated series, The Awesomes.
Silver to ESPN
ESPN has hired statistician Nate Silver away from the New York Times. While known more for his political analysis, Silver has a sports background.
Ratings Bits
Big Brother hit a season high (though Univision won Thursday night), and Sharknado's repeat surpassed the original airing.
Glee Delay
Glee has pushed back its production schedule and season premiere date due to Cory Monteith's death.
Good TVeets
Sitcom writing tip: When you get to the act break, have your lead character say "That went well!" then literally set yourself ablaze.
— Rob Sheridan (@robertdsheridan) July 20, 2013
. @GuyFieri what are some good tips for finding the perfect sunglasses for the back of my head?
— Chris Illuminati (@chrisilluminati) July 20, 2013
My current weather commentary is the same as when I'd watch TRL 10 years ago: God, 98 Degrees sucks.
— itsonlyzach (@itsonlyzach) July 19, 2013
Friday, July 19, 2013
Cross-Platform Data
CBS plans to start releasing cross-platform viewing data on its shows, with Under the Dome being the first example.
Social Promos
Brian Steinberg notes that networks are turning to social media to promote fall shows.
CBS v. TWC
Things are getting publicly ugly in the retrans dispute between CBS and Time Warner Cable.
Good TVeets
Tatiana Maslany not getting nominated for an Emmy is like breathing not being nominated for important thing to do.
— Patrick J. Adams (@halfadams) July 18, 2013
"I'm a winner, I'm a champion" -- guy who finished 13th on a reality show where people sleep 18 hours a day #bb15
— Cory Barker (@corybarker) July 19, 2013
Nobody in my life e-mails me as often as Rob Thomas e-mails me.
— Andrew Rabin (@arrabin56) July 18, 2013
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Garofalo's Marginalization
Justin Gray laments how Janeane Garofalo has been marginalized and her impact on comedy largely ignored or overshadowed by her political image.
FS1 v. ESPN
Karl Taro Greenfield delves into Fox Sports 1's makeup and how it plans to compete with ESPN by being more fun and irreverent.
Cranston on Breaking Bad
Bryan Cranston talks in-depth with GQ about Breaking Bad coming to a close.
Cable Soars
Mike Fleming Jr. says cable is creatively dominating due to erosion in both broadcast networks and movies.
Glorification of White Crime
This essay is from nine months ago, but I missed it back then, and it's just as relevant now: A blogger named Aria discusses how quality drama often glorifies white criminals and shows them to have humanity and complex motivation, whereas black criminals are usually one-dimensional thugs.
Emmy Noms
The full list of Emmy nominations is out. THR tallies the numbers. Netflix did get nominations, and Peter Lauria says now they need to turn those into subscribers. Maggie Furlong rants about the Tatiana Maslany snub. Michael Slezak has a snubs slideshow. Brian Lowry says there's too much good TV to dwell on snubs. Alan Sepinwall shares his initial thoughts. Henning Fog argues for a Best New Program category. Lena Dunham is pleased. Andy Dehnart notes the reality nominations are mostly the same as usual. James Poniewozik has analysis, as do Linda Holmes, Alyssa Rosenberg, and Willa Paskin. Will Richmond sees the House of Cards nominations more as an outlier than the start of a trend for online originals, and Myles McNutt also doesn't think we should overemphasize Netflix's nominations as significant for online TV. Peter Knegt highlights 13 notable things about the nominations.
More links: TVTattle has many links, Orphan Black's snub may at least be good publicity, Netflix is giddy, PBS is less so, Julia Louis-Dreyfus has surpassed Lucille Ball in nominations. Analysis from Matt Zoller Seitz, Jason Lynch, Tim Goodman and more Time Goodmann, and Claire Suddath, and Dave Itzkoff has interviews with a bunch of nominees. Michael Schneider has tidbits.
More links: TVTattle has many links, Orphan Black's snub may at least be good publicity, Netflix is giddy, PBS is less so, Julia Louis-Dreyfus has surpassed Lucille Ball in nominations. Analysis from Matt Zoller Seitz, Jason Lynch, Tim Goodman and more Time Goodmann, and Claire Suddath, and Dave Itzkoff has interviews with a bunch of nominees. Michael Schneider has tidbits.
Emmy Nom TVeets
A bonus edition of Good TVeets featuring reactions to the Emmy nominations this morning.
My Emmy nom post is already written and will post promptly following the announcement (it's a gif of Amy Jellicoe burning everything down).
— Brandon Nowalk (@bnowalk) July 18, 2013
Oh no
— Libby Hill (@midwestspitfire) July 18, 2013
"I CAN'T BELIEVE THE EMMYS DIDN'T NOMINATE A MATHEMATICALLY IMPOSSIBLE AMOUNT OF GOOD TV SHOWS" - Twitter today, basically
— Jeremy Mongeau (@JeremyMonjo) July 18, 2013
it's bullshit that i need a TV show in order to get an emmy
— boxcar (@pilotbacon) July 18, 2013
BBC Sports Sexism
Britain's Culture Secretary is critical of the BBC's sports coverage for sexism, but the BBC is dismissing her claims.
Univision Socialism
Natan Edelsburg describes how Univision is taking advantage of social media for a youth awards show.
Netflix Viewing
A research firm tried to determine what people are watching on Netflix by surveying viewership in April. It found that loyalty isn't too strong, and that TV is watched more than movies.
Good TVeets
Where's everyone watching the ESPYs tonight? I'm watching at Alex's Restraint Chair With The Eyelid Clamps From Clockwork Orange.
— David Roth (@david_j_roth) July 18, 2013
Tonight's ESPN statistic of the night. .03% -- Percentage of #ESPYs attendees (including Jon Hamm) that have watched Mad Men.
— Crutnacker (@Crutnacker) July 18, 2013
If you wanted me to respond to your text, you should have made it about Orange Is the New Black.
— Louis Peitzman (@LouisPeitzman) July 18, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Drama Mutters
The BBC will investigate if there's a problem with actors muttering in drama shows. (No really, it's about muttering.)
Flawed Females
Indiewire just finished a series of profiles on "bad" female TV characters, covering Weeds' Nancy Botwin, Enlightened's Amy Jellico, Damages's Patty Hewes, Battlestar Galactica's Starbuck, and Scandal's Olivia Pope.
Whose Line Returns Big
The CW's resurrection of Whose Line Is It Anyway gave the network its biggest audience in years.
Emmy Gender Problem
Cory Barker highlights the small number of women nominated for writing and directing Emmys since 1980.
Harmon's Story
Lacey Rose delves into the firing and re-hiring of Dan Harmon at Community and even more in talking with Harmon.
Honey Boo Boo Praise
Willa Paskin defends Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and how the family lives. Sonia Saraiya has a review of the new episodes.
Netflix's Emmys Push
With Emmy nominations coming tomorrow, Bill Carter looks at how Netflix is hoping to steal the show.
Pay TV Challengers
With Google the latest to announce plans for an online pay TV service, Will Richmond says the plan to disrupt the pay TV industry is becoming a good drama in itself.
Sharknado Sequel
Syfy now confirms there will be a Sharknado sequel, and it wants Twitter fans to help pick the subtitle.
Olbermann Returning to ESPN
Keith Olbermann is getting a nightly show on ESPN2 later this year. Jeff Bercovici has analysis. The show will be called Olbermann, and it will avoid politics...or maybe it won't.
Good TVeets
Most sharknado sightings are actually dolphinados.
— Mike Leffingwell (@mikeleffingwell) July 17, 2013
"A week of sultry weather ahead." -The Weather Channel. Chance of rain is ;)
— Andrew Schroeder (@arschroeder) July 16, 2013
When will The Newsroom catch up with the "When will The Newsroom catch up with X" jokes?
— Ali Arikan (@aliarikan) July 17, 2013
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Contraception Webisodes
Stars of the ABC Family show Baby Daddy will appear in a webisode series about contraception.
CNJ Praise
Though he has a few reservations, Harry A. Jessell applauds WWOR's new news magazine show Chasing New Jersey.
Hottest Newswoman
Controversy is stirring around a radio contest to select Maine's most attractive female news anchor.
Preserving TV
The Library of Congress is striving to convert videotapes of pre-1980s shows into digital files before the tapes become unusable.
African Edu-Drama
Zoe Fox profiles an African soap opera that's trying to entertain while educating viewers about sexual health.
Reality TV Racism
Elissa Strauss points to Princesses: Long Island as another reality show with ethnic caricature problems.
McCarthy Mistake
James Poniewozik explains why ABC hiring Jenny McCarthy for The View is a bad move.
Aereo Court Win
Aereo has notched another victory, as a federal appeals court refused to revisit an earlier decision letting the service carry on. Fox may take this up to the Supreme Court.
Ratings Bits
Under the Dome continues to stay steady, and FX's The Bridge is getting a good DVR boost. The Newsroom returned up.
Gilligan on X-Files
Breaking Bad's Vince Gilligan tells Maureen Ryan what he learned from working on The X-Files.
Health Care Ad Revenue
The effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act will put plenty of money in local station coffers.
Syfy on Sharknado
Syfy's executive VP of programming talks about what Sharknado has done for the channel. Eliza Kern says maybe all those tweets weren't a big deal.
Apple Ad Skipping
Jessica Lessin reports Apple is pitching to networks a TV service featuring ad-skipping. Brian Stelter has more.
Cost of Unbundling
An investment analyst finds that pay TV going a la carte would cut TV revenue in half and destroy the industry, also leaving the question of who would pay for what channels.
Good TVeets
"Congrats to Jenny McCarthy on The View! We're proud to have one of our best allies in such a prominent position." - communicable disease
— Jon Lovett (@jonlovett) July 15, 2013
I would rather listen to your college roommate Dave announce the Home Run Derby entirely in his Borat voice than listen to Chris Berman.
— Bryan Donaldson (@TheNardvark) July 16, 2013
Ugh, I'm at the NBC store but I can't figure out how to buy the impaling devices Hannibal is selling me.
— Brandon Nowalk (@bnowalk) July 16, 2013
Monday, July 15, 2013
New Flow Issue
Check out a new Flow featuring Aymar Jean Christian with Zombies Beat Humans on Television, Hallie K. Reiss with The Reality of Television Mockumentary: Family Tree and Guest as Auteur, Lauren Kusnierz with I Prefer My Beefcakes with Fangs: Sexploitation in HBO’s True Blood, and Jessalynn Keller with The Pink Sneakers That Could? Rethinking Mediated Discourses of Wendy Davis’ Filibuster Footwear.
Veronica Mars Books
The Veronica Mars movie will be followed by two books featuring the title character.
Joan Rivers v. WGA
Joan Rivers is in trouble with the WGA for allegedly violating a Fashion Police strike. KCRW's The Business podcast also covered the issue.
RIP Cory Monteith
Glee star Cory Monteith has died. The NYT obituary. James Poniewozik has thoughts on this loss, as does Kaitlin Thomas. Lauren Hoffman wonders where Glee goes now. TV Tattle has many more links. Margaret Lyons has suggestions for Glee. Judy Rosen discusses Monteith and Glee's Finn. Molly Lambert has a remembrance.
FS1 Carriage Talks
John Ourand says Fox Sports 1 is still working on carriage fee negotiations with a few major operators, with only a month to go til launch.
Zimmerman Verdict Ratings
Cable news channel viewing surged on Saturday night as the George Zimmerman verdict was delivered. Eric Kelsey says CNN's Zimmerman coverage reveals its Zuckerian path.
McCarthy to Join The View
Jenny McCarthy wil be added to The View in September. Bill Carter also reports.
Trans Representation
Zinnia Jones laments the narrow representations of transgendered people in TV and film.
Scandal Syndication
BET has picked up syndication rights to Scandal, which will include fall repeats of season 3 episodes.
YouTube Channel Profiles
Ryan Lawler checks out what makes major YouTube channels tick, as Google opens a big new studio in LA.
Emmy This! Entries
I've missed a bunch of AV Club entries in their cool Emmy This! series, which brings attention to unsung categories in anticipation of the nominations, so here's a catchup list:
Sports Pushback
The WSJ reports on pay TV operator efforts to battle rising sports programming costs. (Behind paywall. This source appears to have an excerpt.)
BB15 Disclaimer
CBS ran a disclaimer before Big Brother last night in regard to the houseguests' bigoted comments. Andy Dehnart reports. Brian Lowry is skeptical.
Good TVeets
If the networks that went wall to wall Zimmerman can't be bothered to cover protests after the trial maybe they need to be sites of protest.
— Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) July 15, 2013
Dance like no one is watching CNN
— Eli Braden (@EliBraden) July 14, 2013
I would totally watch a version of "The Newsroom" in which Will McAvoy had to cover, with a straight face, the events of "True Blood".
— Tim Carvell (@timcarvell) July 15, 2013
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Netflix is New HBO
Liz Shannon Miller says Orange is the New Black establishes Netflix as the new HBO.
Create Demand
Using Sharknado and Scandal as examples, Ryan McGee insists the TV industry should produce more shows that audiences feel compelled to watch promptly in order to share in the collective experience and conversation.
AJAM Strife
Glenn Greenwald looks at the rocky beginnings of Al Jazeera America, which includes internal strife. Joe Pompeo also reports on the new channel.
Zimmerman Trial Links
Brian Lowry says cable news coverage of the George Zimmerman trial was akin to politicized talk radio, and it brought a boost to ratings. Eric Deggans gives an overview of media reactions. Ted Johnson considers how the verdict might affect Zimmerman's libel case against NBC. AJ Marechal looks at today's coverage.
Good TVeets
Zimmerman jury has sent a question, "Could a tornado really suck up sharks and drop them on L.A., because that seems like bullshit."
— pourmecoffee (@pourmecoffee) July 14, 2013
Free advice to cable net execs: develop shows that lend themselves to great hashtags but don’t bother producing them. Invest in hashtags.
— Max Dawson (@fymaxwell) July 12, 2013
Wine and NewsRadio > Talking to People
— brian (@AdmiraltyPirate) July 13, 2013
Yet again, Storify is being a pain. If you get a 404 message for the rest of the tweets, try this direct link instead. Seems to be working now, though.