Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Thursday, September 21st, 2023
Luckily, none of us listened to CNBC's David Faber
Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Thursday, September 21st, 2023.
PROGRAMMING NOTE
Unless there is some massive breaking news, there won't be a newsletter tomorrow. I am having some minor surgery done in the morning and in theory should rest through the weekend. But if the news gods do not cooperate, I'll be dictating a newsletter to my wife in order to get something out. I should back to normal on Monday.
In a related point, since there won't be a Friday newsletter, I'm expanding the listings at the bottom of today's newsletter to include the weekend premieres. This feels like a good time to remind you that paid subscribers receive a weekly newsletter on Sundays that includes every premiere of the upcoming week, along with links to show information, videos and more.
See you Monday!
HMMM.....I GUESS THEY WILL BE NEGOTIATING BEFORE 2024
The WGA just sent out this message to guild members, which is at the very least a cause for continued guarded optimism:
Honestly, all anyone outside the room knows for sure is that the talks have been substantive. I heard tonight from sources on both sides who were familiar with the conversations and to give you an idea of how fluid the situation might be, I heard two very similar perspectives. With two very different takeaways. Both sources told me they were some variation of cautiously optimistic. But while the source of the guild side explained that a particular issue had been the biggest sticking point, a source on the studio side pointed out a completely different issue as the biggest challenge.
So we are in the crazy part of the negotiations where there are a lot of rumors and I'm not sure you can trust anyone's take (no disrespect to anyone who reached out to me today). Maybe they'll come to a tentative agreement tomorrow. Maybe they come to a deal before the weekend or need to continue negotiations Tuesday. But both side do appear to reached the resignation portion of the negotiating process, and have come to terms with the fact that a deal needs to happen.
ONE LAST POINT
While a lot of the other issues being wrangled over in the WGA and AMPTP have received a lot of attention, one lower-profile point that could cause some problems is the idea of whether the final agreement will codify the right of writers to honor other striking union's picket lines.
Obviously, that's a big issue if you want writers to begin work before the striking SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP come to an agreement. If an agreement comes in the next couple of weeks, there is still a timeframe in which writers could begin work and still have time to create a 10-13 week season for the broadcast networks. Especially is everyone agreed to cut the normal two-week holiday break to one week. But that assumes writers go right to work following a deal and they don't wait for the actors to come to their own agreement.
The last public WGA set of proposals included the right to honor rival picket lines, but I haven't been able to get any clear sense of where that is now in the current negotiating mix.
But even if writers aren't given official protection in case they respect the SAG-AFTRA picket lines, it seems clear some writers would do so anyway. But that opens up all sorts of complicated issues. Such as...is working in a Zoom writers room considered crossing a picket line?
TWEET OF THE DAY
THINGS ARE GETTING TOUGH ALL OVER
For all the disruptions in Hollywood, other professional organizations and unions across the globe are wrestling with their own unique challenges.
The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance, also sometimes referred to as the Alliance, is the Australian trade union and professional organization which covers the media, entertainment, sports and arts industries. It has more than 13,000 members and hundreds of screen workers held a mass meeting at Disney Studios in Sydney on Thursday, protesting deep cuts in Australia's Made in NSW program and the Post-production, Digital and Visual Effects Rebate.
Those programs help provide incentives for programs to be produced in Australia and the Alliance estimates an estimated 85 projects and 300,000 jobs are at risk following the defunding of two state programs.
Australia's TV and movie production industry is already facing challenges, as an increasing number of productions are opting to head to territories with a trained workforce and a lower overall cost structure. Eastern Europe has seen a recent uptick in productions deciding to take advantage of experienced, non-union crews and a robust studio infrastructure.
ODDS AND SODS
* The CW continues its march into turning itself into a 1990s-style basic cable network with its latest order, the true-crime series entitled Crime Nation. The ten-episode season of two-hour episodes is described as "a captivating true-crime and justice anthology series that thrusts viewers into the gripping world of real-life mysteries, cold cases and heart-stopping investigations."
* If you're looking for a food-related TV show that is unlike anything you've ever seen, allow me to recommend the Netflix series Samurai Gourmet, the series highlighted in the latest installment of "Deep Streams."
* Season two of The Santa Clauses is set to premiere November 8th on Disney+.
* I'm always fascinated with new ways to encourage content discovery and social connections in the world of streaming. "Music League" is a free app that allows someone to create a series of weekly musical challenges built are an overall theme. Each week, competitors are asked to choose a song that fits a specified mood or mental image from Spotify. The rest of the league votes on their favorites and eventually a "winner" is selected. I've just started playing around with, but if you'd like to check out inaugural effort - "Best Southern Dive Bar Jukebox" - you can click here and join for free.
WHAT'S NEW TODAY, TOMORROW AND THIS WEEKEND:
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21ST:
* All-Star Shore (MTV)
* Amazon Music Live Season Two Premiere (Prime Video)
* Interrogation Raw (A&E)
* Jaane Jaan (Netflix)
* Kengan Ashura (Netflix)
* Love & Murder: Atlanta Playboy (Part One) (BET+)
* Scissor Seven (Netflix)
* Sex Education Season Premiere (Netflix)
* Young Love Series Premiere (Max)
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22ND:
* Cassandra (Prime Video)
* Deadlocked: How America Shaped The Supreme Court (Showtime)
* Haunted Harmony Mysteries: Murder In G Major (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)
* How To Deal With A Heartbreak (Netflix)
* Love Is Blind Season Premiere (Netflix)
* No One Will Save You (Hulu)
* Peanuts Anthology III & IV (Apple TV+)
* Song Of The Bandits (Netflix)
* Spy Kids: Armageddon (Netflix)
* Still Up Series Premiere (Apple TV+)
* The Black Book (Netflix)
* The Continental: From The World Of John Wick Part One (Peacock)
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23RD, 2023:
* Haven't Met Yet (Great American Family)
* No Hard Feelings (Netflix)
* Retreat To You (Hallmark)
* Sam Jay: Salute Me Or Shoot Me (HBO)
* Saving the Gorillas: Ellen's Next Adventure (Animal Planet)
* Stolen Baby: The Murder Of Heidi Broussard (Lifetime)
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24TH, 2023:
* Krapopolis Series Premiere (Fox)
* Murder At The Country Club (Lifetime)
* Outrageous Pumpkins (Food)
* Yum And Yummer Season Premiere (Cooking)
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH, 2023:
* Below Deck Mediterranean Season Eight Premiere (Bravo)
* Futurama Season Finale (Hulu)
* Halloween Cooking Championship (Food)
* Kids Baking Championship: Bloodcurdling Bakes (Food)
* Kitchen Nightmares Season Premiere (Fox)
* Little Baby Bum: Music Time Series Premiere (Netflix)
* Special Forces: World's Toughest Test Season Premiere (Fox)
* The Irrational Series Premiere (Fox)
* The Voice Season Premiere (NBC)
Click Here to see the list of all of the upcoming premiere dates for the next few months.
SEE YOU MONDAY!
If you have any feedback, send it along to Rick@AllYourScreens.com and follow me on Twitter @aysrick.