Too Much TV: The Global Television Awards Special Edition

A guide to things you can watch this week

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Friday, December 27th, 2024:

PRODUCTION NOTES
Tomorrow there will be a shortened email with my predictions for the media in 2025 as well as some suggestions for streaming music specials you can watch instead of the Ryan Seacrest/ghost of Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve tomorrow night. Then I'm off Wednesday before returning back to normal on Thursday.

THE FIRST ANNUAL TOO MUCH TV GLOBAL TELEVISION AWARDS CELEBRATES THE BEST IN GLOBAL STREAMING
Here is the press release that went out earlier today:

The inaugural Too Much TV Global Television Awards has announced its winners, honoring the finest non-English language television shows and movies available on U.S. streaming platforms between December 1, 2023, and December 1, 2024. Over 60,000 ballots were cast by the subscribers of the Too Much TV daily newsletter, reflecting the growing importance of international programming in American streaming culture.

“Non-English language television is increasingly popular in the United States, but that popularity hasn’t been reflected in entertainment press coverage or PR efforts by some of the streamers,” said AllYourScreens.com founder Rick Ellis, who is also the journalist behind the Too Much TV Newsletter. “We launched these awards as a way to celebrate the best global television available to American audiences, as well as to remind people in the industry of the growing importance of these productions.”

“As these award winners illustrate, global television is more than just Squid Games,” Ellis continued. “You can find everything from true crime specials to comedies to hard-hitting prestige dramas, released by producers in dozens of countries across the world.”

Here is a breakdown of winners by streamer:
Netflix: 19
Apple TV+: 3
Hulu: 3
Viaplay: 3
Prime Video: 2
Max: 2
Disney+: 1
MHz Choice: 1

Here is the complete list of winners for the First Annual Too Much TV Global Television Awards:

APAC (Asia-Pacific)
Best Scripted Drama Series - South Korea
A Shop For Killers (Hulu) - [trailer]

Best Scripted Drama Series - Japan
Like A Dragon: Yakuza [Prime Video] - [trailer]

Best Scripted Drama Series - Southern & SE Asia
Joko Anwar's Nightmares & Daydreams [Indonesia] [Netflix] - [trailer]

Overall Winner: Best Scripted Drama Series - APAC
A Shop For Killers [South Korea] [Hulu] - [trailer]

Best Scripted Comedy Series - APAC
Seoul Busters [South Korea] [Hulu] - [trailer]

Best Unscripted Series - APAC
Culinary Class Wars [South Korea] [Netflix]

Best Movie - India
Bhakshak [India] [Netflix]

Best Movie - South Korea
Uprising (Netflix) [trailer]

Best Movie - Southern & SE Asia
Bangkok Breaking: Heaven And Hell [Netflix]

Overall Winner: Best Movie APAC
Uprising (Netflix) [trailer]

Best Documentary - APAC
The Indriana Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth (India) (Netflix)

Best Variety/Comedy Special - APAC
The Great Indian Kapil Show (India) (Netflix)

EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa)
Best Scripted Drama Series - Africa
Aníkúlápó: Rise Of The Spectre [Nigeria] [Netflix] [trailer]

Best Scripted Drama Series - Continental Europe
My Brilliant Friend [Italy] [HBO]

Best Scripted Drama Series - Middle East
Another Self [Turkey] [Netflix]

Best Scripted Drama Series - Nordic Countries
Ronja The Robber's Daughter [Sweden] [Viaplay] - [trailer]

Best Scripted Drama Series - Spain
Red Queen [Reina Roja] [Spain] [PrimeVideo]

Overall Winner - Best Scripted Drama Series - EMEA
Ronja The Robber's Daughter [Sweden] [Viaplay] - [trailer]

Best Scripted Limited Series -EMEA
The Fortress [Norway] [Viaplay] - [Q&A: Eili Harboe Talks The Fortress]

Best Scripted Comedy Series -EMEA
Miss Merkel [Germany] [MHz Choice] - [trailer]

Best Unscripted Series -EMEA
The Parisian Agency: Exclusive Properties [France] [ Netflix]

Best Movie - Africa
House Of Ga'a [Nigeria] [Netflix]

Best Movie - Continental Europe
The Wages Of Fear [France] [Netflix] - [trailer]

Overall Winner - Best Movie - EMEA
The Wages Of Fear [France] [Netflix] - [trailer]

Best Documentary -EMEA
Skin Hunters [Poland] [Max]

Best True Crime -EMEA
The Asunta Case [Spain] [Netflix]

LATAM (Latin America)
Best Scripted Drama Series - Mexico
Midnight Family [Mexico] [Apple TV+]

Best Scripted Drama Series - South America
Griselda [Columbia] [Netflix]

Overall Winner - Best Scripted Series - LATAM
Midnight Family [Mexico] [Apple TV+]

Best Scripted Comedy Series - LATAM
C.H.U.E.C.O. [Argentina] [Disney+]

Best Scripted Limited Series - LATAM
Women In Blue (Las Azules) [Mexico] [Apple TV+] [trailer]

Best Movie - LATAM
Rest In Peace [Argentina] [Netflix]

Best Documentary - LATAM
The Accidental Twins [Columbia] [Netflix]

Best True Crime - LATAM
The Guardian Of The Monarchs [Mexico] [Netflix] - [trailer]

ODDS AND SODS
* Or, if you’re looking for a way to support my work that involves less of a commitment, you can just buy me a cup or two of coffee by clicking this link.

*If you're looking for something a bit quirky to watch, I just posted "Deep Streams" reviews of the French-made zombies-during-the-French-Revolution series La Révolution and the gentle and incredibly soothing Japanese series Samurai Gourmet.

* Anyone with an Apple ID will be able to watch Apple TV+ for free this Friday through Sunday.

* In a bit of a surprise end of the year addition, Netflix has added three Warner Brother theatrical titles on a non-exclusive basis. All three titles are still available for streaming on Max. The new additions are Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, The Watchers, and Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1. The Warner Brothers title Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire was added to Netflix on December 22nd.

* Chef Carla Hill is launching her own magazine. But since this is 2024, Sweet Heritage By Carla Hill will be digital only and launches on CarlaHill.com on January 1st.

* Hulu's upcoming comedy Mid-Century Modern, in which Linda Lavin played mom to Nathan Lane, has three of ten season one episodes left to shoot.

* Nashville TV reporter Phil Williams was targeted by the Christian right in a pre-Christmas wave of online abuse.

* Adam Corolla has released a new comedy special in which he "promises to do a clean set." Honestly, I am more hopeful that he'll focus on funny. The imaginatively-named Adam Corolla Comes Clean is available on Dry Bar Comedy Plus, the Angel app and Angel.com.

WHAT'S NEW TONIGHT AND THIS WEEK

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30TH:
Darby & Joan (Acorn TV)
Maine Cabin Masters Season Premiere (Magnolia)

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31ST:
A Toast To 2024! (ABC)
Avicii: I'm Tim (Netflix)
Avicii: My Last Show (Netflix) - (first look video)
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2025 (ABC)
Fate/Strange Fate Series Premiere (Crunchyroll)
Gardeners' World Winter Special 2024 (Britbox)
Horror's Greatest (Shudder)
Michelle Buteau: A Buteau-ful Mind (Netflix)
New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash (CBS)

SEE YOU ON TUESDAY!