Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Monday, October 5th, 2020

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Monday, October 5th, 2020. I'm writing this from the Twin Cities suburbs, where AllYourScreens HQ is powered by cold coffee and peanut butter sandwiches.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR MOVIE THEATERS?
While movie theaters have been able to reopen successfully in Asia and parts of Europe, it's a much different story in the U.S. and U.K. Cineworld Cinemas confirmed late Sunday it will temporarily close 536 Regal cinemas in the U.S. and 127 Cineworld and Picturehouse theaters in the U.K. on October 8th. And earlier this morning, AMC Theatres-owned Odeon cinema chain is closing a quarter of its U.K. cinemas during the week. In both cases, it's not clear how long these closings will last, although the best guess is "early next year."

So what does that mean for the long-term future of the movie business? As things stand now, the high-profile tentpole movies are scheduled to premiere in the spring of 2021, but that assumes nothing gets pushed back again. And given that a lot of scientists are predicting it could be the 3rd quarter of 2021 before a vaccine is rolled out and distributed, the movie industry is looking at more than a year of closures or partial reopenings.

It's clear that some of those theaters will never reopen. Some of the marginal theaters aren't worth reopening and a number of independent theaters don't have the cash flow to survive such an extended closure. But a bigger challenge for the industry may be that this long-term disruption will fundamentally change the way theaters operate. 

Until the rise of the multiplex in the 1960s, movie theaters traditionally had a single screen. Multiple screens gave theaters the opportunity to offer a wider range of viewing options and target a more diverse range of audiences. That programming flexibility worked in an era where the audiences were willing and there was a variety of movies available for screening. But even before the pandemic, the industry was moving towards a blockbuster-centric business in which smaller genre films couldn't find an audience. YA and rom-coms didn't move to streamers like Netflix because the studios wanted to do that. They made the move because increasingly, that's where the audience for those genres can be found.

Certainly much smarter people than myself are writing position papers on the future of the movie industry. But from my perspective, I can see a scenario where future cinemas are smaller, with fewer screens and more intimate experiences. Some theaters have had success renting out screens to small groups and that seems like a future sweet spot. Being able to rent a theater for 30 of your closest friends could be a big draw in the post-pandemic movie world. But theaters also have to be less rigid about the existing theatrical window. Studios are becoming increasingly comfortable premiering smaller films on video-on-demand or a streaming service. And the major chain's strict rules against screening any film that doesn't respect the theatrical release window is hurting the move chains more than the studios. At a time when theaters are struggling for new films, refusing to run the new "Bill & Ted" movie because it also is premiering on VOD was a bad decision. That movie had great buzz and stars willing to promote the heck out of the film. That was a movie the theaters needed and all of the major chains turned it down.

Of course, all of this would require movie studios to rethink how they price their movies when they negotiate with movie theaters and there's no sign they feel desperate enough yet to consider making wholesale changes to their business model. But that can easily change if we get to January and everything has been pushed back again until late summer.

ODDS AND SODS
The new Bruce Springsteen documentary Letter To You will premiere Friday, October 23rd on Apple TV+.

Roblox is offering its annual October-only deal, a Headless Horseman package that costs 31,000 Robux, which would costs the equivalent of $300.

Here is a rundown of the new television programs premiering today:

1) 90 Day Fiancée: HEA Strikes Back! (TLC)
Each episode of the show will follow the events of Happily Ever After? season five in the same respective air order. Couples get the chance to watch and re-experience their journeys in love and marriage, respond to Pillow Talk commentary and offer viewers a look inside their home lives. Couples will also share behind-the-scenes details missed by cameras and address some of the most outrageous moments of the season.

2) OJ & Nicole: An American Tragedy (Investigation Discovery)
This two-hour documentary film tells the story of Nicole in greater depth than ever before. Viewers will hear from Nicole’s youngest sister Tanya Brown, her best friend Robin Greer, close family friend Ron Shipp, as well as David Gascon, Bill Heider, John Edwards and other officers, law enforcement and legal counsel who took part in America’s most infamous investigation. Intimate archival footage sews together Nicole’s journey to LA, her fateful encounter with O.J. Simpson, their whirlwind romance and later the terrifying phone calls and diaries she kept weeks before her death. Sharing never-before-seen journals and family home videos, this documentary humanizes the woman who for so long was treated first as the accessory to a famous man and then as an accessory at his trial. Using emotional, exclusive interviews with those closest to the case, this documentary reflects on the events that led up to the tragic murders in Brentwood in 1994, showing that although the trial is over, the true impact of the case will never be forgotten.

3) Soulmates Season Two Premiere (AMC)
This anthlogy series is set fifteen years into the future, when science has made a discovery that changes the lives of everyone on the planet – a test that unequivocally tells you who your soulmate is. Each of the six episodes will feature a different cast and explore an entirely new story around discovering (or opting not to discover) the results of this new test and the impact of those results on a myriad of relationships.

4) South Terminal (Mubi)
A nameless doctor is drawn into the front lines of a violent struggle between a government and an armed uprising. While dealing with the mental toll of the war, the doctor is kidnapped to take care of a rebel leader. Becoming a target for the army, he must decide if he can continue to do his duty.

5) Tell Me More With Kelly Corrigan Series Premiere (PBS)
Enjoy an intimate and heartfelt interview series hosted by four-time New York Times bestselling author Kelly Corrigan, who conducts candid conversations with influential leaders in their fields.

6) The Expecting Series Premiere (Quibi)
AnnaSophia Robb, Rory Culkin, and Mira Sorvino star in this edge-of-your-seat sci-fi thriller about a mysterious pregnancy and the potential dark secrets surrounding it. Fear is brought to life.

7) The Missing Series Premiere (Investigation Discovery)
Tyler Davis goes out and is seen on surveillance walking across a parking lot. Police ping his phone but can't locate him. And then Kristal Reisinger seeks spiritual enlightenment, but vanishes after heading to a drum circle.

TOO MUCH TV REALLY IS A THING
This newsletter is called "Too Much TV" because....well, it's hard to keep track of all the new television premiering everyday. To help you prioritize your viewing, click here to see our list of more than 400 upcoming television premieres, movies and finales. You'll find listings from more than 70 networks, as well as streaming services and web shows.

I'll be back with another one tomorrow. If you have any feedback, send it along to Rick@AllYourScreens.com and follow me on Twitter @aysrick.