Too Much TV Exclusive: NYC Media Execs Recruited For Donations To Anti-Mamdani Campaign

There appears to be an effort to recruit media executives into an anti-Zohran Mamdani ad campaign

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Thursday, June 26th 2025:

APPARENTLY NYC'S WEALTHY REALLY DON'T LIKE ZOHRAN MAMDANI
In last night's newsletter, I asked readers to reach out if they had any thoughts about the recent New York City Mayoral primary results, or if they had any information they thought I should know.

One of the individuals who reached out today is a C-Suite executive at a major media company. He told me he had been contacted earlier today by someone claiming to be seeking donations for a major media campaign targeting Democratic Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani in the general election.

According to the executive, the ask for an initial donation was at least $250,000, which the executive described as "doable, but I would REALLY have to hate the person." The source described his politics as "not generally Democratic," but didn't want to share who he voted for in the recent mayoral primary or the 2024 Presidential race. "I don't agree with a lot of his (Mamdani's) politics and I think some of the proposals border on being naively idiotic. But I think it's a terrible idea for a bunch of wealthy - or at least very successful - New Yorkers to do after him."

He went on to explain that his biggest political fear wasn't a Zohran victory, but the backlash that would come from a loss that many people would believe was the result of interference from wealthy donors. "It would result in real class warfare. This is a time when people in my industry are fighting to stay independent and free from political interference. We need as many allies as we can get and pissing off a bunch of politically engaged New Yorkers seems like a bad bet."

I spent Monday evening trying to confirm the story and the person I was told was the contact for the donation request hung up on me when I reached out. I was able to speak with an executive at a major publisher who confirmed they had been contacted. But when I asked for my details, the response I received was "I'll tell you what I told them. Fuck off."

It's not at all clear to me at this point whether the donations were being solicited for a campaign that is in the works. Or if these donations were aspirational, with hopes of gathering enough money to build out a media campaign. However, given the public comments about Mamdani's win that have already surfaced - including some near-meltdowns on the air at CNBC - an anti-Mamdani campaign financed by media executives and personalities seems like a likely response to what some people see as a pivotal moment in the city's future.

As always, if you have any details or comments, you can contact me confidentially at rick@allyourscreens.com or on Signal at allyourscreens.24

ADVENTURES IN REBRANDING A TV SHOW
What does a network do when it has a reality format it really likes, but the host ends up being arrested and charged with strangulation, battery and making terroristic threats against his wife? Well, in the case of the Food Network, you change the name of the show, hire a new host and pretend that it's an entirely new series.

Superchef Grudge Match aired for two seasons on the Food Network before host Darnell Ferguson was arrested for assaulting his wife. He maintained at the time of his arrest that he didn't assault her and ultimately pled guilty to misdemeanor charges of criminal mischief and harassment, with no jail time. But the damage was done and his Food Network career was over.

But the Food Network apparently loved the format, which pits two chefs against other, with the winner taking a prized chef's knife from the losing chef. I really disliked the concept of the series. It included a bunch of faux rivalries and pointless trash talk. It's as if someone created a show that includes everything you hate about Food Network competition shows.

However, the format is returning, this time with the name Chef Grudge Match. Yes, they literally just removed "Super" from the name of the show. And the new show will be hosted by boxing champion Laila Ali. Which is certainly an interesting choice. Jet Tila will be the resident judge and the lineup of guest judges are the same overused personalities that drift through other shows on the network: Eric Adjepong, Maneet Chauhan, Adrienne Cheatham, Tiffani Faison, Stephanie Izard, Eddie Jackson, Chris Oh and Claudette Zepeda.

If you're interested, Chef Grudge Match premieres Tuesday, August 12th on the Food Network. One funny thing in the press release is that it touts the show will be available for streaming the next day on HBO Max. But it doesn't mention the "other" streaming service, Discovery+. And I didn’t receive a response from the network when I reached out for clarification on that point.

ODDS AND SODS
* Bill Moyers, who shifted from being an aide for President Johnson in the 1960s to having a long and distinguished career in journalism, has died of complications from prostate cancer at age 91.

* Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav said in an interview several months ago the company could cut half of its production of original content for its linear networks and that "viewers won't even notice." HGTV looks to be taking that idea to heart, as it has now canceled four long-running shows in the past week: Farmhouse Fixer, Married To Real Estate, Izzy Does It and Bargain Block.

* Season two of The Chicken Sisters will premiere Sunday, August 10th on Hallmark.

* Rick Hurst, the actor known for playing Deputy Cletus Hogg on The Dukes of Hazzard, has died unexpectedly at age 79.

* The Jason Bateman and Jude Law limited series Black Rabbit will premiere Thursday, September 18th on Netflix.

* Twenty years ago today, the series Yacht Rock premiered on Channel 101. Created by JD Ryznar, Lane Farnham and Hunter Stair, the series also included co-producer Dave Lyons and host "Hollywood" Steve Huey. It coined the phrase 'yacht rock," but unfortunately for the group, they didn't trademark the name or ultimately make any money from the branding.

* Netflix has given the greenlight to the six-episode scripted comedy series Free Bert starring, co-created and executive produced by Bert Kreischer, who has done six stand-up specials for the streamer.

* President Trump has threatened The New York Times and CNN with legal action over their reporting on a preliminary intelligence assessment that raised doubts that the U.S. strikes on Iran destroyed their nuclear program.

* DirecTV has struck a new agreement with Paramount Global, adding its Nickelodeon programming to a newly launched $20-a-month kids bundle called MyKids.

TWEET OF THE DAY

WHAT'S NEW TONIGHT AND TOMORROW

FRIDAY, JUNE 27TH:
* American Masters: Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny (PBS)
* Marry My Husband Series Premiere (Prime Video)
* My Boyfriend's Wife Is Dead (LMN)
* My Mom Jayne (HBO)
* Please Don't Feed The Children (Tubi)
* Pokémon Horizons: The Search For Laqua (Netflix)
* Smoke Series Premiere (Apple TV+)
* Squid Game Season Three Premiere (Netflix)

SATURDAY, JUNE 28TH:
* A Machu Picchu Proposal (Hallmark)
* Lord Of Mysteries (Crunchyroll)
* Pretty Hurts (Lifetime)
* Takopi's Original Sin (Crunchyroll)

SEE YOU ON FRIDAY!