Sunday, June 29, 2014
Agents of Transmedia
Joseph Oldham looks at the place of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. within the Marvel universe and the relationship of film and TV serialization.
Graphic Drama
Michael Eisner and Beau Willimon converse about the era of antihero drama and graphic content.
Strong Genre Women
Joanna Robinson praises Orphan Black for its representations of female power, but laments that that seems so rare in post-Buffy sci-fi/fantasy work.
Post-Aereo Possibilities
Swanni considers why Aereo's CEO would say the service is just pausing, not going away. And Emily Steel points out that a number of streaming companies are still working to appeal to cord cutters, while Natan Edelsburg talks to the CEO of Mohu, one of those companies. An anonymous media exec sees the Aereo shutdown as a disaster for TV.
Female Spies
Julia Cooke is frustrated that so many of the recent female spy characters on TV are tied in with domesticity.
Comedy Central Comedy
Rob Brunner talks to Comedy Central exec Michele Ganeless about recent changes and successes at the channel.
Reality TV Lull
Lacey Rose & Michael O'Connell look at the struggle to find the next reality TV hit, as stalwarts like Duck Dynasty are in decline.
Netflix in Europe
Scott Roxborough notes that Netflix is expanding in Europe but without being able to offer some of its originals, like House of Cards, as others have international rights, but the service is trying to develop international productions as a result.
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Cable Upfronts
Brian Steinberg reports on the flat upfronts market for cable, as Turner nears the finish line.
Binge Risk
A new study finds that sitting and watching TV for long periods of time strongly increases your risk of mortality.
The Strain Reaction
Tim Molloy reports that FX is pulling some of its billboards for The Strain, as people have complained about being repulsed by an image.
Aereo Fallout
Aereo's CEO announced today that the service will be shut down immediately. Meanwhile, the Aereo ruling has reverberated into the Dish Network-Hopper cases, as Fox is hoping to bolster its case against Dish, while NBC's battle with Dish is reportedly easing.
Friday, June 27, 2014
Good TVeets
Just figured out what my World Cup is. Turns out it's when celebs get dragged out of theaters in handcuffs because they're ruining Cabaret.
— Raphael Bob-Waksberg (@RaphaelBW) June 27, 2014
I think the USA has a decent shot against Germany today if they can stay away from the vagina sculptures at mid-field. #worldcup
— Jeffrey Sconce (@JeffreySconce) June 26, 2014
I hate spoilers so much I don't even wanna know the name of the show. "Twin Peaks"? Oh great, now I know there are two peaks.
— Sean Thomason (@TheThomason) June 26, 2014
Aniston's TV Persona
Sarah Berridge argues that television's medium specificity has affected how Jennifer Aniston is framed as a star in the press.
Reality Labor Charges
David Robb covers a hearing presenting charges from the WGA East that reality TV crews are being treated like sweatshop workers.
Finke Analysis
Anne Thompson presents her take on Nikki Finke and Deadline's place among the trades.
Aereo Coverage
The USA Today offers its editorial board opinion on the Aereo ruling, as does the LA Times. James Poniewozik says TV will lose in the end if it doesn't better respond to customer demands. Ted Johnson proposes five scenarios for what happens next. And Peter Lauria offers a crudely-drawn but insightful chart as to why Aereo is dead.
Fullscreen News
Fullscreen will branch out into original programming, while Yahoo is bidding to buy Fullscreen, in competition with The Chernin Group.
Singing Competitions Fade
Josef Adalian looks into the declining ratings for singing competition shows.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Xbox Entertainment
Xbox Entertainment Studios SVP Creative Lydia Antonini talks about the gaming console's expansion from gaming into entertainment.
Hashtag Value
Alicia Rancilio explores reasons why Twitter hashtags can be seen as valuable for TV execs.
TV Issue
The film journal Offscreen has a special TV issue featuring:
- TV Horror: Covering the Televisual Horror Landscape by Donato Totaro
- TV Vampires: From Barnabas Collins to Bill Compton by Stacey Abbott
- Contextual Analysis of An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge: Robert Enrico vs. Rod Serling by Donato Totaro
- Revolution & Sex: The Evolution of TV by Tom Stempel
- Robert Towne’s Television Years by Elaine Lennon
Fox Finishes Deals
Jon Lafayette reports that Fox has become the finial network to finish up its upfronts deals, with volume down.
Sitcom Sadness
And apparently watching sitcoms can make you sadder than watching rom coms. So you darn well better not binge them, I guess.
Binge Sadness
Scott Kaufman reports on studies finding that binge watching could make viewers unhappy,
CBS & CW Premieres
Fall premiere dates have been announced for CBS, which has a staggered plan, and for The CW.
ABC News Changes
Alex Weprin reports on an overhaul at ABC News, where Diane Sawyer is out as evening news anchor and David Muir is in. Brian Lowry says this shows Good Morning America's influence at ABC News. And Brian Steinberg says this illustrates the decline in evening news anchor importance, and Chris Ariens notes that we'll now be back to three white men anchoring the evening news.
Aereo Ruling
The Supreme Court ruled against Aereo today. Reporting from Brian Stelter, Jeff John Roberts, Jeanine Poggi, Joe Mullin, Peter Lauria and Lisa Tozzi. Barry Diller says Aereo is done, but Aereo's CEO says the company will continue to fight. CBS's Les Moonves is celebrating, saying justice was served. Alex Weprin considers what's next, Peter Kafka says TV will continue to drag its feet with change, and Alyssa Rosenberg has advice for the TV industry. Broadcasters' stocks went up in the wake of the ruling. Sarah Laskow says this ruling could be seen as good news for local news. Reynolds Holding says a digital shake-up is coming despite this decision.
Good TVeets
No I haven't read any news all week, too busy getting this tattoo of Gary Oldman's face on my back. What, did something happen?
— Sean Thomason (@TheThomason) June 25, 2014
Are we really surprised Robin Thicke is a creepy weirdo after the way Kirk Cameron turned out? Alan Thicke is the worst dad.
— William Carpenter (@Pixel_Kaiser) June 25, 2014
The NAB re Aereo: "Broadcasters embrace innovation every day." HA! Biggest broadcast innovation in 5 years: the spinning chairs on The Voice
— Anthony Crupi (@crupicrupicrupi) June 25, 2014
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Another Tyrant Lament
Daniel Fienberg explains why it matters negatively that Tyrant does not have a Middle Eastern actor playing its lead role.
Full Frontal HBO
Sezin Koehler argues that HBO's full frontal nudity practices on shows like True Blood, Hung, and Game of Thrones contributes to a climate of male entitlement fantasies.
ABC News on Apple TV
Todd Spangler reports on ABC News' launch of an Apple TV channel, no pay TV subscription required.
NBC Ad Ban
NBC has reportedly declined to air a film trailer that uses the word "abortion." Planned Parenthood is now involved with a petition.
Revolutionizing the Guide
Issie Lapowsky looks at how Rovi intends to revolutionize the television guide and better enable cable to compete with Netflix.
Oliver Impresses
Prachi Gupta looks at how John Oliver has carved out a unique and effective place within the cable news political satire genre.
Watching World Cup
Derek Thompson questions the premise that record World Cup ratings in the US prove that Americans are now committed soccer fans.
Rape Lament
In her review of FX's new drama Tyrant, Maureen Ryan says she's at the end of her rope with TV's depictions of rape.
Upfronts Deals
Brian Steinberg reports that NBC is getting higher advance advertising commitments than the other broadcast networks, and The CW is the latest to see declines.
Community Dies Again
Michael Ausiello reports that Hulu has stepped away from the negotiating table with Sony to keep Community alive.
Good TVeets
Jack will not leave London until he has thrown every single citizen from a 5th floor window. That is the remaining 30 mins of this episode.
— TEDDY GOOALSEVELT (@edsbs) June 24, 2014
I’m just sayin’ that if you *have* to commit murder, you could do worse than committing murder for Tyra Collette.
— Daniel Fienberg (@HitFixDaniel) June 24, 2014
The use of “too” is my favorite sequel-title conceit because it’s so honest. “Did you like THINK LIKE A MAN? This is also THINK LIKE A MAN.”
— Noel Murray (@NoelMu) June 23, 2014
Monday, June 23, 2014
Tyrant Oversight
A Muslim group is asking for TV critics to be vigilant about stereotyping in FX's Tyrant.
Tax Credit Boost
Neil Midgley looks at how tax credits have helped boost drama production in the UK.
Finke & Deadline
Deadline's Peter Bart and Mike Fleming Jr. give their take on the Nikke Finke situation.
Twin Peaks' Impact
James Orbesen considers how Twin Peaks helped to shape the subsequent "Golden Age" of TV that followed.
Daytime Emmys
Daytime Emmys were handed out last night, and the online show was apparently a hot mess.
Al Jazeera Convictions
Three Al Jazeera journalists have been convicted of aiding the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, and an international outcry has followed.
World Cup Ratings
The World Cup is setting ratings records and outpacing ratings for playoffs in American sports (non-football categories). Anthony Crupi notes that out-of-home viewing has been significant.
Good TVeets
USA vs Portugal left me with that Prince Oberyn vs. The Mountain feeling. @MenInBlazers
— zlm (@honeyduckroll) June 23, 2014
Kinda wish we could have started Jack Bauer up front for Altidore today.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 22, 2014
The USMNT advances with:
- A win over Germany OR
- Defeat the Minoans AND recover three artifacts OR
- Build a Wonder
— Ryan Nanni (@celebrityhottub) June 23, 2014
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Twitter Helping Advertisers
Martin Beck reports on a study from Twitter and a media buying agency finding that "combining Twitter and TV results in strong gains in brand awareness, TV ad recall, engagement with television shows and sales lift."
Orphan Black Dance
Vlada Gelman talks to Orphan Black's creators about how they pulled off a notable scene in last night's finale. There's also a video showing the individual components of the scene.
BBC Collaboration Charge
An Iranian documentary filmmaker has been jailed on charges of collaborating against the state through working with the BBC.
Measuring Hits
James Poniewozik introduces his print story, which considers how we measure TV hits in a world where Netflix doesn't report viewership figures.
Miramax TV Move
Miramax has created a new VP position for TV, a sign it is beefing up its television efforts.
Digital Broadcast Networks
TVNewsCheck has a three-part series on digital broadcast networks, looking at the top 25 of them (led by Me-TV), the preponderance of classic shows for programming, and subchannel leasing.
WB TV UK
Warner Bros. is taking full control of a UK production company, which will be renamed Warner Bros. Television Productions UK.
GoT Viewing
Emma Holden reports on results of a study looking at how a Sky viewing panel watched Game of Thrones, in terms of live and time-shifted options.
Staying Too Long
Joel Keller points a finger at Showtime for letting shows like Nurse Jackie run on too long, while Eric Deggans complains about True Blood going on too long, along with other shows (and also apparently drops a Dexter finale spoiler that greatly angers the commenters).
Rupert + Sumner
Peter Kafka considers some possible scenarios by which Rupert Murdoch and Sumner Redstone's corporate interests could come together.
Netflix Change
Andrew Wallenstein says Netflix hiring Chelsea Handler is a bold move that opens new questions about the service's direction. James Poniewozik also discusses the Handler deal and where a talk show might fit in a binge context.
Good TVeets
Everything in "The Wire" turns out great, btw. Omar opens a deli.
— Sara Benincasa (@SaraJBenincasa) June 22, 2014
What if anthology TV but each season is just 2 hours or so and released into theaters?
— Brandon Nowalk (@bnowalk) June 22, 2014
Our ship name was Molvo. #fargo pic.twitter.com/qlMDOAswbu
— Allison Tolman (@Allison_Tolman) June 22, 2014
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Piracy Criticism
Walking Dead producer Gale Ann Hurd is critical of those, like Jeff Bewkes, who don't seem to fret over piracy of shows like Game of Thrones.
Enlisted Reflections
Alan Sepinwall explains why he doesn't want to see Enlisted exit yet, and Ryan McGee pleads with us to watch it before it's gone.
Better Call Saul Scheduling
AMC has already granted Better Call Saul a second season, while it has pushed the season one premiere into 2015. Aaron Paul says he won't be a part of the series.
ABC Upfronts
Brian Steinberg reports that ABC is close to sealing its upfronts deals, with volume down, and Sam Thielman says the network is putting hopes in the scatter market and diversity.
World Cup Ratings
Jeanine Poggi reports on the ratings records being set by World Cup broadcasts on Univision and ESPN.
Friday, June 20, 2014
Good TVeets
I played a character on "Game of Thrones" who gets killed off before it's ever filmed.
— Brent Spiner (@BrentSpiner) June 6, 2014
How much do you charge to not talk about Louie?
— Richard Rushfield (@richardrushfield) June 19, 2014
"Think of all the genres / Think of all their crossings." #OITNB #CCTA RT @Zap2itRick: "Best series competing in the comedy category."
— Myles McNutt (@Memles) June 20, 2014
Latino Underrepresentation
Anna Bahr reports on a study finding that Latinos are underrepresented in US media.
Cable Rerun Problems
Amos Sharma reports on how the decline in network hits is causing problems for cable channels that rely on syndicated reruns for programming.
Handler on Netflix
Chelsea Handler has signed a deal with Netflix for a talk show and comedy specials. Alex Weprin analyzes her strategy. Joan E. Solsman says this makes Netflix more like a TV network, and Peter Kafka also offers some speculation along those lines. Earlier this week, Netflix's Original Content VP talked about development plans for the service.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
CNN Resistance
Brian Steinberg says upfronts ad buyers are expressing resistance to CNN's move beyond news and toward documentaries and entertainment.
Fear of Crime
Deadline reports on a new Annenberg study finding that the depiction of crime on TV can influence people's fears of crime.
Female Sexuality
Anna North laments the dearth of positive images of female sexuality on TV. Lili Loofbourow also discusses this subject.
Breaking Bad Remake
Mike Hale notes that you can watch the Spanish-language remake of Breaking Bad on Hulu, albeit without subtitles.
Long-Running Evolution
Randee Dawn considers how long-running network series evolve to keep viewers engaged.
Comedy Distribution
Cynthia Littleton notes the rise in comedians distributing their stand-up specials directly over the internet, with Comedy Central offering support.
New Show Ratings
Spotted breaks down how new shows performed in the 18-49 ratings during the 2013-14 season.
Free TV Worries
Elizabeth Jensen reports on concerns that the spectrum auction will endanger over-the-air public television.
GoT Piracy
Game of Thrones once again thrived among pirates with its finale, and in Australia, some are pointing fingers at the show's pay TV host. Game of Thrones is also big on YouTube with user-generated content.
AMC Online
Amir Efrati reports that AMC Networks is planning to launch a set of online subscription video sites. Bloomberg also reports.
US v. UK TV
The BBC's director of television is defending the quality of British drama in comparison to US drama. Vicky Frost questions the premise of the debate. Michael Moran offers reasons why the UK may be at a disadvantage in this direct comparison.
TV Changes
As we are on the eve of crucial rulings, Swanni considers how Aereo, net neutrality, and mergers all soon stand to change TV. Cecelia Kang considers how the NFL could be affected by an Aereo ruling.
NBC News Ratings
Marisa Guthrie looks at NBC News' plans to reverse a ratings slide across dayparts.
Aereo's Plan B
Dan Primack considers what Aereo might do if the Supreme Court rules against the service.
State of TV Recaps
The Chicago Tribune looks at TV recapping (behind a paywall, unfortunately, so I don't know what it says beyond the headline).
Netflix Native Advertising
Michelle Castillo looks at how Netflix is going native with its advertising.
Fargo Finale
Fargo creator Noah Hawley did post-Fargo interviews with Alan Sepinwall, Denise Martin, and Andy Greenwald (audio). TV Tattle has some finale reaction links.
Good TVeets
I can't think of a better sponsor for a bowl game than fake money.
— TEDDY GOOALSEVELT (@edsbs) June 18, 2014
UNIVISION: SO MUCH EXCITING STUFF IS HAPPENING. AND ITS ONLY HALFTIME. | bbc: let us wait quietly for death to come.
— Binyamin Appelbaum (@BCAppelbaum) June 17, 2014
Louie was a triumph/disaster that proved CK knows what he's doing/is too self-indulgent. I can't wait for next season/Broad City.
— Jaime J. Weinman (@weinmanj) June 17, 2014
Monday, June 16, 2014
Satirical Searches
Tony Maglio highlights the utility of Snapstream's recording and caption capabilities, which lend crucial help to shows like The Daily Show and The Soup in enabling them to use keyword searches of captions to find material.
New In Media Res
Theme: "Kids" Doing Alright in the Queer Modern Family: Speaking to Our Representation
- Monday, June 16, 2014 - Kellen Kaiser (COLAGE) presents: How Queer was/is My Two Dads?
- Tuesday, June 17, 2014 - Danielle Silber (COLAGE) presents: Real Families: Beyond the 20/20 Sound Byte
- Wednesday, June 18, 2014 - Aaron Sachs (St. Mary’s College of California) presents: Who’s Alright?: The Politics of “Queerspawn” Representation in "The Kids Are Alright"
- Thursday, June 19, 2014 - Nick Hetherington (COLAGE) presents: Shameless
- Friday, June 20, 2014 - Annie Van Avery ([AFFILIATION]) presents: TBD
GoT Finale
Myles McNutt covers the controversy among book readers over last night's Game of Thrones season finale, and TV Tattle has more and more links to coverage.
John Oliver's Revolution
The Guardian's Edward Helmore looks at how John Oliver has had an impact already only a few weeks into his new show.
Female Nominees
Cory Barker analyzes the historical problem of so few women being nominated for writing and directing Emmys.
John Oliver's Revolution
The Guardian's Edward Helmore looks at how John Oliver has had an impact already only a few weeks into his new show.
Good TVeets
I like Arya Stark more than 99% of real people.
— Julieanne Smolinski (@BoobsRadley) June 16, 2014
The best part of Game of Thrones is thinking about the actors standing at craft services and talking about how their costumes itch
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) June 16, 2014
Judging by these outraged #GOT tweets, my sense is someone blew open the hatch in the final moments but didn't go down into it. #Lost
— Ryan McGee (@TVMcGee) June 16, 2014
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Good TVeets
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA... 1/24
— David Schneider (@davidschneider) June 14, 2014
"Bring me the tighter jerseys."
"Sir, I don't think th-"
"AM I THE URUGUAY MANAGER OR ARE YOU?"
— Ryan Nanni (@celebrityhottub) June 14, 2014
Well... That answers that. pic.twitter.com/2rTT1dTqdl
— ILM Visual Effects (@ILMVFX) June 15, 2014
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Modern Family's Importance
Amanda D. Lotz says Modern Family's image of fatherhood is important and influential.
Good TVeets
Haha, whoops. Accidentally addressed my Father's Day card to "Coach Taylor." For the ninth year in a row.
— Aaron Fullerton (@AaronFullerton) June 14, 2014
Y'all like soccer huh. Funny, it's been four years since y'all liked soccer.
— Richard Lawson (@rilaws) June 14, 2014
Footballers deserve all that money. They can go 45 mins without checking their phone.
— John Brennan (@ActingAnEejit) June 13, 2014
Friday, June 13, 2014
Investigating Netflix's Claims
The FCC says it's going to investigate Netflix's disputes with Verizon and Comcast over streaming speed and quality.
Fargo & Antihero TV
James Poniewozik praises Fargo for bringing a new spin to the tired antihero cable drama formula: [O]ver the course of the miniseries, Fargo has managed to do something different. It’s telling a story of actual good people and actual bad people, one in which we have clear rooting interests, without moralizing or dumbing down its worldview."
CBS Upfront Deals
CBS has announced that it is wrapping up its upfronts deals, claiming it is getting higher prices than rivals but not revealing what those prices are.
World Cup Coverage
ESPN saw solid ratings for its first night of World Cup coverage, but Univision drew more viewers. Peter Kafka reports that Google has a partnership deal that will send World Cup searchers ESPN's way. In Britain, ITV's streaming player had overload problems.
Mega Indies
John Ellis considers the rise of mega indies in the UK, with financing from US companies, and their potential relationship to public service TV and the BBC.
Score Box
Richard Sandomir lauds the 1994 introduction of the continuous on-screen scoreboard graphic for sports.
Lauer Extended
NBC has extended Matt Lauer's contract, despite a downturn for Today. Brian Steinberg looks at the pressures Lauer and Today now face.
Univision For Sale
Univision is reportedly seeking a buyer, with CBS and Time Warner as possible suitors.
Network Declines
Vulture has a handy chart illustrating that a preponderance of returning network shows dropped significantly in the ratings in 2013-14 compared to the previous season. The biggest mover in the other direction? Scandal.
Good TVeets
If Jon Lovitz started popping up everywhere and messing with people like Bill Murray's been doing he'd be in jail by now.
— Dave Horwitz (@Dave_Horwitz) June 12, 2014
The I WANNA MARRY HARRY cancellation makes me want to erect an Iwo Jima-like statue w a TV watcher pointing a remote to change the channel
— James Poniewozik (@poniewozik) June 12, 2014
Can't be unseen. pic.twitter.com/xuyTiiGxrO
— Meredith Frost (@MeredithFrost) June 12, 2014
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Upscale Series
Lisa de Moraes highlights the highest-indexed shows in upscale households; apparently rich people like The Bachelor more than one might assume.
Distributors v. Sports
John Ourand says distributors are gaining more leverage against sports franchise seeking huge rights fees.
World's Biggest TV
The world's biggest TV is 370 inches, can show 20 channels at once, and costs $1.7 million.
Web Series Viewership
Aymar Jean Christian discusses the challenge of visibility for low-budget indie web series and highlights the quality of one called F to 7th.
Starz & Streaming
With recent renewals of some underwatched shows, Ben Travers says Starz needs to take better advantage of streaming services in order to cultivate larger audiences.
Writing Methods
Debra Birnbaum compares the typical US writer's room method to the UK solo writer method.
Wednesday Ratings
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Analysis from Fienberg and Spotted.
Analysis from Fienberg and Spotted.
Digital & TV Ad Money
The TV ad market is projected to still notably outpace the digital video market in the next few years, while Mike Shields says Honda's new YouTube channel should worry cable channels in terms of possibly losing ad dollars to the internet.
Playstation TV
Sony says we can look for the Playstation TV gaming console and media player this fall. Ryan Waniata looks at the TV part of Playstation TV.
Dish Internet Service
Janko Roettgers looks at Dish Network's upcoming internet TV service, which will target those dissatisfied with pay TV.
Spelling Bee & Race
Sameer Pandya looks at the National Spelling Bee through a racial lens: "Watching the bee, I suspect, allows many Americans to simultaneously celebrate the American Dream and ease their anxieties about the success of one particular race."
Drama Roundtable
Roundtable season continues, as the LA Times presents a drama actor roundtable with Jon Hamm, Liev Schreiber, Vera Farmiga, Lizzy Caplan, and Norman Reedus.
Good TVeets
I truly enjoy reading tweets about #Catfish - a show I've never watched and probably never will. But it sounds wonderful/awful. Wondawful.
— Tara Rose (@RareOats) June 12, 2014
In conclusion, "Catfish" is the bwerst. #catfish
— Tara Ariano (@TaraAriano) June 12, 2014
Live every season like it's THR Roundtable season
— Richard Lawson (@rilaws) June 11, 2014
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Media Ownership Debate
Joe Flint reports on today's congressional hearing into the FCC's media ownership rules.
Too Many Shows
Ben Travers reports on comments from a panel of cable execs about original series overload.
Showtime Model
Kent Gibbons covers Showtime's business model in regard to program ownership and multiplatform opportunity.
Upfronts Haggling
Brian Steinberg says advertisers are fighting for smaller rate hikes relative to last year in upfronts negotiations.
Comcast Video Service
Janko Roettgers reports on the YouTube competitor that Comcast has in the works.
TV Definition
Marie-José Montpetit looks at how the internet is changing the definition of what TV is.
Global Popularity
NCIS and Modern Family have been declared the most-watched drama and sitcom globally.
Rentrak's Inroads
Cynthia Littleton notes that Retrak is starting to gain ratings measurement ground with some major studio deals.
AT&T's Pitch
Peter Kafka reports on AT&T's claim offered to regulators that its purchase of DirecTV may help slow the rise of cable bills.
Digital to Exceed Physical
Brent Lang reports on a study projecting that revenue generated from digital media will exceed that of physical media in the next few years.
ATX Festival
Elizabeth Wendorf discusses what the ATX Television Festival experience is all about: "it’s Twitter in the world, it’s TV camp, it’s maybe the safest real world space I’ve ever found to be a voracious, unapologetic fan of television." Libby Hill also discusses the festival.
NFL in Upfronts
Brian Steinberg considers how football sales will factor into upfronts negotiations.
Disney Jr Merch
Ben Fritz reports that Disney Jr.'s ratings may not impress, but the outlet brings in big money via merchandise, such as toys.
EW Evolution
Anne Helen Petersen takes us back through Entertainment Weekly's history: "EW's rise, scattered identity, brilliant heyday and slow, gradual decline mirrors the same journey of Time Warner's conglomerate hopes and dreams. The leading magazine company weds a film and television giant? It all looked so great on paper. But here we are with the EW of today, and it's clear: Just because it looks pretty in a business plan doesn't mean it's a good idea at all." Jeff Jarvis has a response, which includes early EW documents.
Good TVeets
Let's see if Hulu picks up Eric Cantor.
— Ryan McGee (@TVMcGee) June 11, 2014
Just reminding all you Emmy voters that there's nothing funnier than when a cancelled show wins something #Enlisted
— Mike Royce (@MikeRoyce) June 9, 2014
Netflix should invent a feature where your wife never goes out of town and makes you wait to watch the shows.
— Alex Blagg (@alexblagg) June 9, 2014
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
New In Media Res
Theme: Golden Girls
- Monday, June 9, 2014 - Deborah A. Macey (Saint Louis University) presents: Archetypal Characters and their Narrative Function: Iron Maiden, the Consciousness Raising Character
- Tuesday, June 10, 2014 - Bridget Kies (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) presents: "Blanche, Will You Marry Me?": The Golden Girls and Marriage Equality
- Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - Jessica Lee & Rosanne Carlo (University of Houston / University of Arizona) presents: “Shady Pines, Ma”: Mother-daughter role reversal in the Golden Girls
- Thursday, June 12, 2014 - Thomas J. West III (Syracuse University) presents: Of Condoms and Cheesecakes: Female Discourse and Sexual Agency in "The Golden Girls"
- Friday, June 13, 2014 - Emily Kofoed (Georgia State University) presents: Rose’s St. Olaf: The Midwest Exotic
C4 Digital Storytelling
The deputy chief creative officer for Britain's Channel 4 describes how digital technologies are enhancing documentary and interactive storytelling possibilities.
New Investments
Tim Peterson says Viacom is the latest to invest in a YouTube-related company, buying a stake in Defy Media, while Time Warner is reportedly eyeing a stake in Vice Media, which could also see HLN handed over to Vice. AdAge considers the issue of targeting millennials in the latter situation, and Alex Weprin has more on the potential deal.
Working Stiff TV
Eric Deggans draws positive attention to what he calls Working Stiff TV, shows like Longmire that aren't prestigious but get the drama job done: "they have all the best elements of great TV shows — strong characters, surprising stories, well-crafted episodes and cool plot arcs. But they aren't quite competing with the big-ticket TV shows out there, so critics like me don't spend a lot of time talking about them."
Game of Thrones Directing
Gina McIntyre talked to Game of Thrones director Neil Marshall about shooting Sunday's episode, and Jesus Diaz offers a clip of a striking 360-degree shot from the episode.
Reality TV Nominees
Andy Dehnart highlights potential nominees for reality TV Emmys and notes that there are 57 possible host choices and 142 possible series choices across three categories.
Renewals & Review
Comedy Central has renewed Review and Inside Amy Schumer. Alan Sepinwall talked to Andy Daly about the first season of Review and what could be next.
British on US TV
Christy Grosz highlights the recent influx of British actors on American television.
Ratings News
Michael Schneider highlights the list of the top 50 most-watched series of 2013-14. And in cable news ratings, Megyn Kelly has surpassed Bill O'Reilly in 25-54 ratings for the first time.
Netflix's Messages
Peter Kafka reports on Netflix's response to Verizon's cease-and-desist order in regard to Netflix blaming Verizon for streaming slowdowns. Netflix says it will stop sending messages about the issue to subscribers, but it's not backing down from the complaint. Also, full video is now available of a recent Reed Hastings talk, in which he's added FX to the list of who Netflix sees as a competitor.
Monday, June 9, 2014
Good TVeets
#TonyAwards are over, but now I will continue to support live theater by seeing the movies that are made from the shows.
— Frank Conniff (@FrankConniff) June 9, 2014
The Tonys is a showcase of the most talented people on Earth who would kill for a supporting role on an ABC Family sitcom.
— Louis Virtel (@louisvirtel) June 9, 2014
When you're cast on "Game of Thrones" you immediately start receiving pre-unemployment checks.
— Ben Siemon (@BenjaminJS) June 9, 2014
Sunday, June 8, 2014
PR Labor
Jennifer Pan explores the role and labor of the publicist and the job's gendered implications.
Critics' Panel
Kimberly Jones covers one of the standout panels from the ATX Festival, where producer Kyle Killen talked about the ratings system and prominent TV critics discussed their jobs.
Digital Viewing Figures
Molly Wood covers an Adobe report finding significant rises in mobile viewing and TV Everywhere app usage.
OITNB Piracy
Todd Spangler reports on Orange is the New Black P2P piracy figures, as the show is tracking behind House of Cards.
Net Neutrality & Peering Thoughts
Robert X. Cringely doesn't think net neutrality will come to pass, but he also argues that it doesn't matter in the end, while Stacey Higginbotham explores the peering issue.
Bisexual Character
C.A. Pinkham argues that Oberyn Martell on Game of Thrones is the most important bisexual character in TV history. (Warning: spoilers for the last episode)
Mobile Threat
Tom Foremski says the shift to mobile platforms is a threat to major media companies in terms of ad revenue.
Good TVeets
Y'all know that when teen wolf grows up he is just gonna be a regular asshole wolf right??
— James Deen (@JamesDeen) June 8, 2014
There should be a ceremonial first pitch of horse racing where a white guy puts on a hat and sets a bunch of money on fire.
— Alison Forns (@alisonforns) June 7, 2014
California Chrome owner is bitter and says "It's not fair to these horses." The horses say "This is the least of our problems"
— Albert Brooks (@AlbertBrooks) June 7, 2014
Saturday, June 7, 2014
TV Against Terrorism
Ron Nixon reports that the US State Department is backing a new satellite channel in Nigeria intended to counter radical terrorist groups: "The goal of the channel is to provide original content, including comedies and children’s programs that will be created, developed and produced by Nigerians. State Department officials said they hoped to provide an alternative to the violent propaganda and recruitment efforts of Boko Haram."
Pakistani Conflict
Declan Walsh covers ongoing conflicts in Pakistan between the government and broadcasters, which is resulting in channels being pulled off the air.
Netflix Not Revolutionary
Corey Atad is disappointed that Netflix's original series aren't more formally unconventional, considering what its distribution context could accommodate.
Good TVeets
Can't wait to hear Neil deGrasse Tyson rip apart the science in The Fault In Our Stars.
— Andy Bobrow (@abobrow) June 6, 2014
Spoiler Alert: the fault in Starz is that they cancelled Party Down
— Jon Wiener (@CrayonWayans) June 6, 2014
Someone joined the CIA thinking they'd be all Jason Bourne but instead are trawling thru 1000s of tweets saying something like "suck my ass"
— Metal Beard Solid (@JackalopeGuy) June 7, 2014
Netflix Instant
Brian Stelter covers Netflix head Ted Sarandos' faith in the streaming service's all-at-once release strategy for its original series.
DPs Talk
Deadline presents the cinematographers for House of Cards, Hannibal, and True Detective discussing their TV work.
Online Video Subscriptions
A new study declares that about half of US households subscribe to an online video-on-demand service.
NFL Ticket Possibility
The WSJ reports that AT&T has floated the possibility of offering the NFL Sunday Ticket to its wireless customers as part of its DirecTV purchase.
RIP Steven H. Scheuer
William Yardley offers an obituary for pioneering TV critic Steven H. Scheuer.
Daytime Emmys Online
The Daytime Emmys couldn't find a TV home and will only stream online this year.
Friday, June 6, 2014
Drama Actors
THR has a drama actor roundtable with Jeff Daniels, Liev Schreiber, Michael Sheen, Mark Ruffalo, Jon Hamm, and Josh Charles.
Hypothetical Web Bundle
Peter Kafka analyzes a list of cable channels that Dish Network could theoretically offer via a virtual MVPD package.
Comcast Confident
Mari Silbey reports that Comcast appears to be quite confident its merger with Time Warner Cable will pass regulatory inspection.
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Verizon v. Netflix
Verizon is now threatening Netflix with legal action over the latter spreading the word that Verizon is responsible for its streaming slowdowns. Janko Roettgers also reports.
ATX Television Festival
Amy Gentry discusses the industry-fandom mix that the ATX Television Festival (link fixed) caters to. (Including me! Enjoying it this weekend.)
GoT Viewership
Daniel Fienberg reports on HBO's announcement that Game of Thrones is now the channel's most-watched series in history in terms of gross audience average.
Louie's Evolution
Darren Franich looks at how Louie has evolved narratively across its seasons and analyzes the "Elevator" arc.
Fresh Off the Boat Possibilities
Ken Wong considers the risks and possible rewards for Asian-Americans tied to the upcoming series Fresh Off the Boat. And Randall Park shares what it means to him to be starring on "the first Asian American family sitcom to air on network television in 20 years."
Reilly to Turner?
Bloomberg reports that Kevin Reilly may end up at Turner Broadcasting. Joe Flint considers the complications of this possibility.
HD Big Brother
With its upcoming season, Big Brother will be the final regularly schedule primetime network show to convert to HD.
Original Content Spending
Samantha Bookman tries to determine what Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix are spending on original content.