Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Tuesday, May 24th, 2022
It is amazing to me that this "SNL" story hasn't received more attention....
Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Tuesday, May 24th, 2022.
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A DARKNESS AT THE HEART OF 'SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE'
Over the past year, I've written several times about allegations of sexual grooming and underage sexual conduct that centered around a former member of the early 2000s Saturday Night Live cast (with a bonus appearance by Jimmy Fallon). And sadly, it's not the only troubling event that's part of the SNL history.
Insider's Katie Warren has a deep rundown of the allegations against former SNL writer Horatio Sanz, as well as a number of other allegations:
Scott Sassa, the president of NBC's West Coast division from 1999 to 2003, flew into New York for the live shows accompanied by a group of young women referred to around "SNL" offices as "Scott Sassa's Pussy Posse," according to Tony Daro, an "SNL" writer from 1998 to 2001. (Sassa told Insider that when he attended "SNL" tapings during that period he was only ever accompanied by his wife, NBC's business partners, or prospective business partners). Lorne Michaels, the show's legendary cocreator and producer, had a roster of young, attractive, blond female assistants nicknamed "the Lornettes."
The piece is just filled with incredibly unsettling stories:
A former intern told Insider that at a 2003 after-after-party, a different high-profile cast member asked her to sit on his lap, licked one of her cheeks, and told her he had an "understanding" with his wife. She said she didn't want to give the cast member's name on the record because so much time had passed and she didn't want to negatively affect his career.
At one after-party in November 2001, six months before she says Sanz assaulted her, the fan sat with Fallon and other NBC and "SNL" employees in a VIP area drinking beer, her lawsuit says. She told Fallon she was a junior in high school. "So you have a few years before you graduate," he was quoted as saying before then asking about her college plans. The suit says the other people at the table "became very quiet" when the fan said she was a high schooler. She said Fallon introduced her to Lorne Michaels at the same party.
In her lawsuit, which also names NBC and "SNL" as defendants, the fan says that Sanz wasn't the only "SNL" cast member or NBC employee who preyed on girls and that the network and the show were complicit.
As the Insider article notes, there was a huge incentive for interns and other lower-level employees to stay silent at the time. About 80 percent of NBC interns went on to get a full-time job at the network and the fear was that registering an official complaint would sink the chance for permanent employment.
WHIP WATCH RANKER REPORTS
Here is the latest most-watched streaming originals and movies for the week of May 16th-22nd. Just a reminder, these lists are based on data collected from TV Time's 21 million global users. Whip Media also provides similar lists for the U.K., France, Brazil, Italy, Germany and Spain.
Does anyone know of a data firm that is collecting similar information for the Middle East & Africa?
HOW WELL ARE NETWORKS AND STREAMERS USING TIKTOK?
There is nothing more embarrassing then when some big media company runs an ad or promotion that tries to attract the "hip, cool kids." Authenticity is important and it’s hard to fake, especially when reaching out to viewers on social media.
Still, I am surprised I haven't seen more serious efforts on TikTok to surface new original content. Some actors use TikTok very well and I've seen a few scattered efforts by the various networks and streamers. But I haven't seen a lot of successful campaigns.
It's easy to forget that the TikTok user base is huge - around one billion global users. And the last data via ComScore says the 20-29 demo is 29.5 percent and the 10-19 demo is 32.5 percent. So this would seem like a place where networks and streamers can reach their audience. But can they do it in a way that feels organic and entertaining.
Have you seen any good uses of TikTok by big entertainment? Reply directly to this email or email me directly at rick@allyourscreens.com.
THERE IS SO MUCH WRONG WITH THIS STORY
Someone stole Seth Green's Bored Ape NFT, which was supposed to star in his new show. The actor has been pleading on Twitter with "DarkWing84," who bought his ape from a scammer, to return it:
Actor and producer Seth Green was robbed of several NFTs this month after succumbing to a phishing scam that inadvertently threw a monkey wrench into the plan for his new animated series. The forthcoming show was developed from characters in Green’s expansive NFT collection, but in light of the recent hack, the project’s blatant crypto optimism has become a tragically ironic reminder of the industry’s shadier side.
On Saturday, Green teased a trailer for White Horse Tavern at the NFT conference VeeCon. A twee comedy, the show seems to be based on the question, “What if your friendly neighborhood bartender was Bored Ape Yacht Club #8398?” In an interview with entrepreneur and crypto hype man Gary Vaynerchuk, Green said he wanted to imagine a universe where “it doesn't matter what you look like, what only matters is your attitude.”
Unfortunately, Green lost four NFTs in a phishing scam and now the new owner of his stolen NFT is refusing to give it back:
If the current owner “wanted to cause trouble for Seth Green they probably could, because that person becomes the holder” of the commercial usage rights, said Daniel Dubin, an intellectual property attorney at Alston & Bird LLP.
NFT copyright law can be “a particularly thorny issue,” Dubin said, and has only begun to be tested in court. A growing number of NFT projects are granting owners the right to commercially adapt their works, which has been a useful strategy for increasing brand visibility but has consequently introduced a host of legal disputes. Bored Ape Yacht Club was among the first to adopt these terms, which led to an explosion of Bored Ape merchandise and derivative NFT collections but also set the stage for bitter copyright lawsuits.
TWEET OF THE DAY
A classic tweet, yet very timely given the growing controversy over the new Rickey Gervais special that was just released on Netflix
WHAT'S NEW FOR TUESDAY
Here's a quick rundown of all the new stuff premiering today on TV and streaming:
Keeper of the Ashes: The Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders (Hulu)
Lost Gold Of The Aztecs Season One Finale (History)
Ricky Gervais: Supernature (Netflix)
Sins Of The Amish (Peacock)
This Is Us Series Finale (NBC)
Yo! MTV Raps Series Premiere (Paramount+)
Click Here to see the list of all of the upcoming premiere dates for the next few months.
SEE YOU WEDNESDAY!
If you have any feedback, send it along to Rick@AllYourScreens.com and follow me on Twitter @aysrick.