Caught The Batman this weekend (thanks for the treat, roomie) in an actual movie theatre, a momentary escape from the hellish week of still more rejection and impatience I endured. Roomie’s first-take observation was “good, but very woke”. Mine’s a bit more detailed and complex. Unlike most of the superhero franchises currently in vogue, the … Read more
…that the landscape of cable television, and arguably the world of streaming TV, changed forever. For a change, I had a direct role in it. THE SHIELD, a one-hour drama centering around a morally ambiguous Los Angeles police detective, Vic Mackey, and his colleagues at the fictional Farmington precinct, premiered on FX on March 12, … Read more
I’m watching the war of words and accusations between Nielsen and the Video Advertising Bureau from an uncomfortable distance, and I’m increasingly concerned that there seems to be more attention being paid to the argument than what is being argued about. To catch you up, the VAB, which is an organization representing the interests of … Read more
I hesitated in observing this particular anniversary as I have some many others in this space, but a friend that I was actually making in-person lunch plans with yesterday made the fatal mistake of pointing out the milestone to me. Plus, it was a relatively slow media news day, and I simply don’t have the … Read more
In the opening scene of the HBO series WINNING TIME that premiered last night, John C. Reilly, literally reincarnating Dr. Jerry Buss with his performance, exclaims “God damn! Basketball! It’s like great sex!”. As the camera pans out, it’s revealed that he’s likely naked, in the Playboy mansion with a model curled up next to … Read more
ABOUT LAST NIGHT recently premiered on HBO Max, yet another deliciously addictive reality half-hour where an entire season can be binged in one evening. Hosted by Ayesha Curry and her NBA superstar hubby Steph, the show features three celebrity couples attempting to match answers to intimate questions about their relationships and, in the end game, … Read more
MEMO TO: CHRIS LICHT, INCOMING CHAIRMAN AND CEO, CNN GLOBAL FR: STEVE LEBLANG. MEDIA CONSULTANT RE: REQUEST FOR INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW Dear Chris, First of all, may I be the millionth or so person in the last 72 hours to congratulate you on your appointment to this prestigious position. Based on your accomplishments of the past … Read more
For the first time in far too long the entertainment industry held a good old fashioned fancy awards ceremony. The 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were handed out last night in Santa Monica, with actual human beings wearing actual dress clothes on an actual red carpet and eating actual food which almost looked a … Read more
Last night I spent sunset reconnecting with long-lost friends and business colleagues at the foot of the Pacific Ocean, thankfully in person and most without masks. Tragically, it took yet another premature death to make that happen. Unless you lived the lives of the beautiful people in these photos, you likely never heard of Tim … Read more
Perhaps the most surprising success story of this fractionalized television season has been ABBOTT ELEMENTARY, a mid-season ABC sitcom that quietly launched with its pilot as a lead-0ut from the LIVE WITH A STUDIO AUDIENCE special in early December which then migrated to Hulu over the Christmas holidays. Airing on the half-hour, the show got … Read more