Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Tuesday, August 31st, 2021

Go, Cubs, Go.....

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Tuesday, August 31st, 2021. I'm writing this from the Twin Cities suburbs, where AllYourScreens HQ is powered by leftover wings and Diet Rite.

The newsletter is going out a bit earlier than normal. I'm heading out to take my son to his first Chicago Cubs game. Although it's here in the Twin Cities and not at Wrigley Field. 

ANOTHER STREAMER TO KEEP YOUR EYES ON
I probably write about small niche streamers as much or more than anyone else in the business. I'm fascinated with the ways that companies have figured out how to successfully grow a revenue stream around a marker segment that most people would ignore. I'm always on the lookout for new ideas and fresh approaches to the streaming world.

Struum launched earlier this year and it's a unique approach to niche streaming. Subscribers pay a $4.99 per month subscription fee and receive 100 credits. The credits can be used to pay for the rental of individual programs, with several thousand programs available from more than 25 content providers (growing to more than 50 in the coming months). Each provider determines how much a piece of content "costs" and here is how the Struum FAQ describes the process:

Credits required to watch vary by program, generally 1-2 credits for each short, episodes are 3-4 credits each and movies are 6-7 credits each. You can browse the titles and see the credit value next to each one.

For now, Struum is also selling extra credits at a discounted price in case you run low.

I'm fascinated by this idea, although the big challenge for this idea is acquiring enough interesting content to make this ala carte approach worth it to subscribers.

From my perspective, one of the strengths of Struum are the executives behind the idea:

Struum is the brainchild of founders Lauren DeVillier, former Head of Product for Discovery Ventures and head of Digital for Disney Channels, Eugene Liew, former Vice President of Product and Technology at Disney+, Paul Pastor, former Executive Vice President of Strategy, Revenue and Operations at Discovery Networks and Thomas Wadsworth, former lead Advanced Product Development for Walt Disney Imagineering. In addition to Eisner, the company has brought on an all-star roster of top tier entertainment and technology executives to its advisory board and executive team, including Nancy Tellem, former President of CBS Entertainment and Xbox Entertainment, Ben Pyne, former President of Disney/ABC Television Distribution, and Donald Hicks, VP Trust Policy and Partnerships at Airbnb.

I plan to test out the service this weekend and will have a fun rundown next week. I'm also working to get an interview with an executive from the company, because I have many questions....

MICHAEL RICHARDS IS OUT AS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF 'JEOPARDY!'
In what has turned into the worst TV host transition process since The Tonight Show, Sony Pictures Television announced Wednesday morning that embattled former replacement Jeopardy! host Mike Richards is no longer executive producer on the long-running game show:

Sony said on Tuesday that Mike Richards would immediately exit his job as the executive producer of “Jeopardy!,” completing a stunning downfall for a game-show impresario who just three weeks ago had secured one of the most coveted jobs in television as the replacement for the longtime host Alex Trebek.

“We had hoped that when Mike stepped down from the host position at ‘Jeopardy!’ it would have minimized the disruption and internal difficulties we have all experienced these last few weeks,” a Sony executive, Suzanne Prete, wrote in a memo to staff on Tuesday. “That clearly has not happened.”

Mr. Richards is also set to leave his role as executive producer of "Wheel of Fortune."

CONSERVATIVE TRUST IN MEDIA HAS CRATERED
Axios has a report on a new study from Pew Research Center that shows the trust of media in conservative political circles has cratered since 2016:

Prior to the Trump administration, both parties had a great deal of trust in the national media, according to Pew. But while Democrats' trust in the national, local and social media continues to hold steady, Republicans' trust in those same institutions has sharply declined.

What the study doesn't mention is that aside from the partisan reasons behind the shift, the conservative media is increasingly incentivized to claim liberal media bias because it then allows them to push their own news products. So highlighting the reporting flaws of some conservative media outlets doesn't change the fact that sowing distrust in the mainstream media isn't a design flaw, it's a revenue stream.

PARAMOUNT+ AT THE TCAS
Today is the lone day of presentations in front of the TCA critics this week and Paramount Plus unveiled a number of new shows. Panels included an executive session with TomRyan - President & CEO, ViacomCBS Streaming and TanyaGiles - Chief Programming Officer, ViacomCBS Streaming (although notably with no questions from critics). Shows highlighted included Guilty Party, Star Trek Prodigy,  The Game, The Harper House and Mayor Of Kingstown.

Here are a few of the things that were announced throughout the day:

* First Look: Star Trek: Prodigy main title sequence

* First Look: 'Mayor Of Kingstown'

* Paramount+'s Revival Of "The Game' Premieres On November 11th.

* First Look: Images From Upcoming Paramount+ Series 'Guilty Party'

TLC ANNOUNCES WINTER PREMIERE DATES
While the network is a bit off the radar for most people in the industry, the folks at TLC want to point out that they are the #1 ad-supported network for women in primetime. Although when it's worded that specifically, it makes me wonder what non-ad supported network gets more viewers.

Regardless, the network is definitely a destination for women and TLC has just announced a bunch of Fall/Winter season premiere dates for some of its biggest shows:

MONDAY, OCTOBER 11TH
The Family Chantal

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10TH
My 600-LB Life

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH
1000-LB Sisters

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16TH
7 LIttle Johnstons

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST
Sister Wives

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30TH
I Am Jazz

ODDS AND SODS
* AVOD Pluto TV is launching three new channels today: Pluto TV Pranks, British Comedy and Pluto TV 007, which includes 19 classic James Bond movies.

* Netflix has picked up the license to the classic 90s CBS sitcom Major Dad in the United States. It premieres tomorrow

* The Starz series adds Power Book III: Raising Kanan adds Letoya Luckett, Omar Dorsey, Krystal Joy Brown and Paulina Singer to the cast.

* E!'s new music competition series Clash Of The Cover Bands premieres on Wednesday, October 13th. And Kids Tonight Show premieres Thursday, October 14th on Peacock.

SEE YOU WEDNESDAY

If you have any feedback, send it along to Rick@AllYourScreens.com and follow me on Twitter @aysrick.