The above phrase, a signature of the immortal philopsopher George Costanza, may very well explain everything from last week’s folding of controversial digital media firm Ozy Media to the global phenomenon of Squid Game, let alone the popularity of ivermectin. Many who have compared my hairline to George’s have equated Leblanguage to Costanzan. At its … Read more
Yesterday I had a minor surgical procedure that had me under anethesia for the first time since my major health scare Christmas 2019. And NBC brought LAW AND ORDER back from the dead. In Leblanguage, these events are indeed connected. The revival of LAW AND ORDER, scheduled for NBC and Peacock next year 13 years … Read more
Peter Bart: As U.S. Demographics Evolve, The Question Isn’t Where Is Hollywood’s Audience, But Who Peter Bart wrote a fascinating column for Deadline yesterday that brings to light some recent U.S. demographic tweaks that reveal some fascinating trends and could go a long way to answering recent questions about why media audiences continue to be … Read more
You’ll find why I’m shedding more than a few tears tonight. Willie Garson was a versatile actor, best known for his ambitious portrayal of Stanford on the original SEX IN THE CITY, as well as several memorable co-starring roles in movies like FEVER PITCH and other TV series like USA’s WHITE COLLAR. He was a … Read more
UPDATED with revised preliminary Emmy audience estimates (CBS only) Last night I watched the Emmy Awards, or at least the portion I stayed awake for. It was an aesthetic improvement over last year, which was a glorified Zoom call, and there were some genuinely sweet and relevant moments. But a lot of it went completely … Read more
I was fortunate enough to know Jim Gianopulos while he was a top film executive at Fox. Jim was a throwback even then to the golden age of Hollywood, where movie executives had a commanding physical presence, with an obvious passion for fine art, fine wine and fine women, implicit ability to steer a negotiation … Read more
In a media landscape where change is the norm, a remarkable milestone of stability is achieved today The CBS daytime version of THE PRICE IS RIGHT begins its 50th season. There are numerous examples of Leblanguage that can be invoked to describe exactly how incredible that statement is. Try this one out: The first half-hour … Read more
As I write this, there are memorial services ongoing in New York, Washington, Pennsylvania and elsewhere commemorating the somber 20th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center. As a native New Yorker, I took these attacks emotionally and personally. While I did not personally lose anyone close to me in the buildings or … Read more
If it’s the week after Labor Day, then it must be time for a great new buzzworthy drama on FX. This year’s entry, the latest “American Crime Story” season, a scathing retelling of the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinskyscandal called “Impeachment”, is already off a stellar start, garnering significant favorable social traction. As someone who visioned this … Read more
Since the 1950s the lives and livelihoods of thousands of media executives and tens of thousands of producers and actors have been dictated by the results derived from a small fraction of U.S. TV households, otherwise known as the Nielsen ratings panel. As this column has previously documented, the daily intensity of compiling, disseminating, spinning … Read more