When the Wall Street Journal broke the news yesterday of the reported discussion of NBC abandoning programming the 10 PM Eastern hour by next fall, my phone and LinkedIn were ablaze with alerts and shock. How could a network that is frequently quite successful in winning the hour–the most strategically beneficial to companies as it … Read more
The announcement from today’s Los Angeles Times that onetime local morning news standout Michaela Pereira unexpectedly announced her impending departure from the co-anchor role of FOX 11’s GOOD DAY LA immediately made me think of an impromptu focus group in a San Fernando Valley fire station several years ago that reinforced some disturbing truths about … Read more
So yes, I indeed did watch the premiere episode of HOUSE OF THE DRAGON. I thought it was at times riveting, at times overdone and I’m a far bigger fan of Matt Smith’s now than I was of his performance as Prince Philip in THE CROWN. And feel free to laugh, I had no idea … Read more
I’ve envied Rob McElhenney from the moment I met him, when he and a couple of other struggling comedians parlayed a $200 demo tape into a six-episode afterthought order for an FX sitcom that was originally destined to be the filler for a more anticipated series about a weight loss group. 17 years later, no … Read more
Thirty years ago Penny Marshall produced what she would later describe as her most satisfying film, a poignant look at the World War II era All American Girls’ Professional Baseball League called A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN. With the likes of the imposing and stunning Geena Davis and a vulnerable Tom Hanks as leads, not … Read more
I got some disturbing news this week about a good friend’s sister, who was fighting for her life and undergoing emergency surgery to replace her spleen as well as to treat many other injuries. Sadly, as it turned out the cause of those injuries was this woman’s, for lack of a better word, boyfriend. As … Read more
I’ll admit, I’m not the authority on anything related to GAME OF THRONES. My roommate has implored, urged, cajoled and even chided me to watch the original series. And as someone who loves compelling, epic television, I know I should. But, honestly, the idea of devoting more than 100 hours to anything other than physical … Read more
Depending upon what generation you are in, this morning’s revelation from Nielsen that July 2022 was the first month ever since they began measuring the total share of television among the buckets of cable, broadcast and streaming that the latter category was the platform of choice by a plurality of persons over the age of … Read more
A little more than 40 years ago, in the infancy of Stan Lee’s expansion of his core Marvel super-heroes, the publisher introduced a female counterpart to the Incredible Hulk. At the time, the character was enjoying a renaissance via the mercurial hit CBS prime time series, which immortalized bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno as a pop-culture icon … Read more
Yesterday’s official announcement that Nexstar was taking over controlling interest in the CW network was not a surprise; the handwriting has been on the wall since former co-parents CBS and Warner Brothers evolved into streaming-centric companies with more parochial priorities than the CW as currently structured provides. Indeed, I had predicted the network was a … Read more