Too Much TV: 'Breaking The News' Is The Definition Of TV 'Ripped From The Headlines'
Plus, I'm not sure Chuck Todd knows how newsletter really work.
Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Tuesday, May 20th 2025:
ANTENNA'S 'STATE OF SUBSCRIPTIONS' REPORT
Antenna just released their latest report that tracks the state of SVOD and AVOD services and while there is a lot of data to wade through, a great deal of it is likely a bit too deep of a dive for most of you. But I did think this chart provided some great context:
As the various ad-tiers were being rolled out, there was a great deal of concern inside the industry that the ad-supported tier would cannibalize current subscribers who were paying for the ad-free experience. But as this shows, very little of that "trading" is taking place. What seems to be happening is that more former subscribers are deciding to sign back on to the cheaper ad-supported tier.
The downside of all of this is that the ad-supported tiers seem to have higher-than-average subscriber churn rates. So it's not a perfect solution for anyone.
I DON'T THINK CHUCK TODD QUITE UNDERSTANDS HOW NEWSLETTERS WORK
I am always happy to see former legacy news journalists going out on their own, and even if I don't agree with their point of view, I wish them well. But I have to say I'm a bit perplexed by some recent moves from former Meet The Press anchor Chuck Todd.
He has a new Substack - with the awkwardly long name "Beyond The Pod with Chuck Todd from Chuck Todd" - but hey, he has a national footprint and I don't. So maybe he knows something about branding I have yet to learn.
But he sent out a newsletter today, which is comprised of a series of what look like screenshots of the text, along with branding from his web site. I don't think I've ever received a newsletter that looks like this:
It's just an odd choice. A bit like faxing subscribers a copy of your newsletter.
TV VIEWING TIP: 'BREAKING THE DEADLOCK'
Back in the 1980s, PBS aired a ten-part series entitled Ethics In America, which was developed and hosted by former CBS News president Fred Friendly and produced by Columbia University. Each episode dealt with a specific ethical question and featured a prominent law professor moderating a diverse panel of politicians, journalists, authors and other intellectuals. The conversations were often riveting and the show was successful enough to spark a second series of shows Ethics In America II.
WGBH is producing a series that feels like the modern-day equivalent of that show, although Breaking The Deadlock seems to be produced on what might charitably be described as a much less regular schedule. Episode one Breaking The Deadlock: An Election Story premiered last September and it was fine, but ultimately didn't seem to resonate with me. Although the episode was recently nominated for a News and Documentary Emmy, so what do I know?
The show is back with a second episode this week (it's airing Tuesday night on many PBS stations), and it's hard to imagine a topic that could be more ripped from the headlines than Breaking The Deadlock: A Power Play.
Moderator Aaron Tang guides panel participants through complex hypothetical scenarios around the use of executive power by a pair of fictional U.S. Presidents from opposite parties. The panelists include Dr. Dave Brat, senior vice president of business relations at Liberty University and former U.S. representative from Virginia; Chris Christie, former New Jersey governor and managing partner at Christie 55 Solutions LLC; Hon. Allyson K. Duncan, retired U.S. circuit judge; Rep. Dan Goldman, U.S. representative from New York and former assistant U.S. attorney; Alberto R. Gonzales, former U.S. attorney general and dean of Belmont University College of Law; Sarah Isgur, senior editor at "The Dispatch" and co-host of the “Advisory Opinions” legal podcast; Scott Jennings, senior political contributor for CNN and partner at RunSwitch Public Relations; Tim Ryan, former US Representative and senior adviser for the Progressive Policy Institute’s Campaign for Working Americans; Roger Severino, vice president of domestic policy at The Heritage Foundation; Marc Short, former White House legislative affairs director under President Donald Trump; Lesley Stahl, correspondent for CBS’s 60 Minutes; and Jon Tester, former U.S. senator and farmer.
There are a number of truly fascinating moments in the special, but the segment in which CBS reporter Lesley Stahl is asked how she would react if a fictional network president asked her to present an easy question in a press conference so the network might have better relations with the administration is something else.
ODDS AND SODS
* Showtime has picked up Yellowjackets for a fourth season.
* The UK's Channel 4 has just renewed the drama Patience for a second season and today PBS announced that season one will premiere Sunday, June 15th on the network. Here is the logline: "Based on the hit French series Astrid, Patience follows a brilliant records clerk in York (played by Ella Maisy Purvis) whose extraordinary attention to detail draws her into complex investigations. Alongside DI Bea Metcalf (Laura Fraser, Breaking Bad), she helps solve gripping weekly mysteries grounded in emotional truth and psychological depth." It's rare to have a an autistic lead character played by a neurodiverse actress, so I'm interested to see what American audiences think of the series.
* Let's remember that time when a Nick Rocks contest let one lucky viewer meet The Jets and get a year’s supply of Kool-Aid Koolers.
* Karamo Brown's daytime syndicated talk show Karamo has been renewed for a fourth season.
* Season two of The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys premieres Monday, June 30th on Bravo.
* Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster premieres Wednesday, May 28th on Discovery. Here's the logline: "For the first time ever, global adventurer Josh Gates unveils groundbreaking new footage inside the Titan, shot in 2021 for his long-running Discovery Channel series Expedition Unknown – only months before the submersible started missions to the Titanic shipwreck. An unsettling interview with Rush, paired with a problematic test dive, ultimately caused Gates to halt production on the planned episode. Featuring candid interviews with technicians and deep-sea explorers involved with the Titan’s test dive, as well as longtime friends and colleagues of Rush’s, the special also delves into the insufficient protocols and warning signs that were detected on the submersible– and ultimately ignored.
* Apple TV+ has ordered a second season of the Spanish-language drama Women In Blue (Las Azules). Here is the official logline: "Set in 1971 and inspired by true events, season two continues the story of the four women who defied the ultra-conservative norms of the time by becoming Mexico’s first female police force. Now promoted to lieutenant, María (Mori) finds herself torn between the rules she’s sworn to uphold and a relentless pull towards the truth when the murder of a young university student is followed by more casualties and reveals a deeper conspiracy. As the killings grow bolder and the lines between perpetrator, victim, and avenger begin to blur, María, Ángeles (Sariñana), Gabina (Rasgado) and Valentina (Téllez) are drawn into a maze of buried secrets and painful reckonings."
* Season eight of Somebody Feed Phil premieres Wednesday, June 18th on Netflix.
* The syndicated daytime talker The Steve Wilkos Show has been renewed for a nineteenth season. To show how long the show has been on the air, Wilkos was "discovered" while was serving as the security guy on The Jerry Springer Show.
* Apple TV+ has announced the first new Peanuts musical special in 35 years. Here is the official logline: "In Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical, Charlie Brown is determined to make his final year at camp special, but Sally — a noob camper — is nervous about the new and unfamiliar place." It's set to premiere on July 18th.
* The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie will make its streaming debut Friday, June 27th, on Max.
* The Apple TV+ Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne drama Platonic returns for a second season on Wednesday, August 6th.
* Washington Black, the drama starring and executive produced by Sterling K. Brown, will premiere all eight episodes Wednesday, July 23rd on Hulu. Here is the official logline: "Based on the bestselling novel of the same name, Washington Black follows the 19th-century odyssey of George Washington “Wash” Black, an eleven-year-old boy born on a Barbados sugar plantation, whose prodigious scientific mind sets him on a path of unexpected destiny. When a harrowing incident forces Wash to flee, he is thrust into a globe-spanning adventure that challenges and reshapes his understanding of family, freedom and love. As he navigates uncharted lands and impossible odds, Wash finds the courage to imagine a future beyond the confines of the society he was born into."
WHAT'S NEW TONIGHT AND TOMORROW
TUESDAY, MAY 20TH, 2025:
FBI Season Seven Finale (CBS)
FBI International Series Finale (CBS)
FBI: Most Wanted Series Finale (CBS)
FBI True Season Premiere (Paramount+)
Hey Beautiful: Anatomy Of A Romance Scam (Hulu)
Motorheads Series Premiere (Prime Video)
Sarah Silverman: Postmortem (Netflix)
The Voice Season Finale (NBC)
Untold: The Fall Of Favre (Netflix)
WEDNESDAY, MAY 21ST:
Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service Series Premiere (Fox)
Make It At Market (BritBox)
Masterchef Season Premiere (Fox)
Newly Rich, Newly Poor Series Premiere (2025 reboot) (Netflix)
Nine Perfect Strangers Season Two Premiere (Hulu)
Nine Puzzles Series Premiere (Hulu)
Real Men Series Premiere (Netflix)
Sneaky Links: Dating After Dark Series Premiere (Netflix)
The Studio Season Finale (Apple TV+)
SEE YOU ON WEDNESDAY!