Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Wednesday, May 17th, 2023

I'll never look at "7th Heaven" the same way again.

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Wednesday, May 17th, 2023.

NETFLIX UPFRONTS
Netflix did their upfront virtually this afternoon, after original plans to do a live presentation at the Paris Theater were changed for some unstated reason that didn't have anything to do with a possible WGA strike line.

I didn't receive a Zoom link until after the event had started and I heard from several reporters who complained that either they didn't receive a link or lost out because Netflix was limiting the Zoom links to one link per outlet. So let's just say the situation wasn't ideal.

Regardless, the executives made the best of it and announced a few renewals (listed below) and touted the many new originals on the way, writers strike be damned.

The company announced that its advertising-supported tier now has five million subscribers globally and executives touted both the growth and the opportunities for advertisers to jump on board as the service continues to grow. One question would be whether or not Netflix is positioned to monetize those global subscribers and the answer to that lies in just where those global subscribers are located (information the company didn't share).

Co-CEO Ted Sarandos talked about how Netflix is experimenting with various ad formats and ways of presenting advertising in a way that increases viewer engagement:

Because of the trove of data Netflix has, Sarandos suggested, a 30-minute commercial could be created, playing out over several days in short bursts as viewers start and stop viewing. “You can’t do that on linear TV because people don’t live on one channel. Now, this isn’t going to happen next week, maybe not even next year. And it’s just one idea. We can’t wait to explore your other ideas and opportunities.”

In fact, Netflix executives took a number of shots at linear TV as well as its streaming competitors, with Co-CEO Greg Peters Netflix taking a shot at Max and its new catch phrase (“The One To Watch”). "To be the one to watch, you need everyone watching."

And Ted Sarandos closed Netflix’s virtual upfront upfront by telling advertisers Netflix is the place to find 18-49 year olds, who have all “moved on” from traditional linear TV.

THIS IS A BIT OF WHAT TO EXPECT FROM MAX
When HBO Max relaunches as Max on May 23rd, it will have a handful of new originals premiering, including SmartLess: On the Road, How To Create a Sex Scandal, What Am I Eating? With Zooey Deschanel, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, Clone High, and documentary Bama Rush, plus the theatrical movie Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

As for what else you can expect, I think this description from Max provides a pretty good snapshot of the range of programming they are promoting. Mostly HBO and reality stuff. And a podcast:

Launch week will also feature a new episode of HBO Original White House Plumbers (5/22) and the debut of HBO Original comedy special Sarah Silverman: Someone You Love (5/27), HBO Original documentary Being Mary Tyler Moore (5/26), and HBO Original film Reality (5/29) starring Sydney Sweeney; the premiere of lookback podcast Talking Sopranos (5/23), a new episode of Max Original The Other Two (5/25), the finale of Max Original Love & Death (5/25), and the debut of special 100 Years of Warner Bros. (5/25); new episodes of Food Network’s Ciao House (5/28), TLC’s 90 Day Fiancé: Love in Paradise (5/29), Discovery’s Deadliest Catch (5/23), and HGTV’s Home Town Takeover (5/23); debut of Magnolia Network’s Silos Baking Competition (5/28) and a new season of Growing Floret (5/23); a new season of DC’s Teen Titans Go! (5/25) and the debut of Total DramaRama: A Very Special, Special that’s Quite Special (5/25); the debut of ID’s The Curious Case of Natalia Grace (5/29); and a new season of Kendra Sells Hollywood (5/26).

IS LAURA INGRAHAM OUT AT FOX NEWS?
Drudge (yes, he's still a thing) is reporting that in a major shakeup, the right-wing news network has shifted its primetime schedule, moving Sean Hannity to Tucker Carlson's former 8:00 pm timeslot, Jesse Watters to 9:00 pm, and Greg Gutfeld to 10:00 pm. Fox quickly responded to the report, stating, "No decision has been made on a new primetime lineup and there are multiple scenarios under consideration."

It later followed up with another statement by the network which apparently now considers Drudge a left-wing propaganda outlet: "Reports based on various tweets by left wing activists are wildly inaccurate — Laura Ingraham, the top-rated woman in cable news, is now and will continue to be a prominent host and integral part of the Fox News lineup."

Although you'll notice that while the Fox News people are pushing back on the possibility that Ingraham is leaving the network, they essentially confirm she is losing her primetime slot.

THE WHIP WATCH WEEKLY STREAMING ORIGINALS REPORT

HONESTLY, SOME STREAMER SHOULD HIRE THIS GUY TO DO REVIEWS OF THEIR SHOWS
I am fascinated by the ways in which TV fans use Tik Tok and this guy is one of my favorites. His short recaps of episodes of the old WB series 7th Heaven are hilarious and it's a way to make a thirty-plus year-old show relevant to younger audiences.

I THINK I MIGHT KNOW WHERE MOST OF THE READERS OF THE WRAP LIVE

ODDS AND SODS
* The 2024 Producers Guild Awards will take place on February 24th, 2024 at Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

* The third and final season of the Apple TV+ dramedy Physical premieres on Wednesday, August 2nd.

* The animated film Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir: The Movie arrives on Netflix July 28th.

* Even though season five of Virgin River isn't premiering until this Fall, Netflix announced today that is renewing the series for a sixth season. 

* Netflix has picked up a third and fourth season of Ginny & Georgia. Season two ended on February 5th and along with the pickup, the show also has a new showrunner in Sarah Glinski (Degrassi: The Next Generation). Glinski will take over for Debra J. Fisher, who ran the first two seasons.

* MGM+ is going back to the fifth century for a "revisionist" take on the story of King Arthur with the new drama The Winter King. 

* In the category of "I am pretty sure no one asked for this," TBS has "reinvented" the reality series Joe Schmo, which will follow a guy named Ben who believes he’s on a competition show called The Goat.

TWEET OF THE DAY

WHAT'S NEW FOR WEDNESDAY:
*Butterfly Vision (Mubi)
* Faithfully Yours (Netflix)
* Fanfic (Netflix)
* Farmer Wants A Wife Season Finale (Fox)
* High Desert Series Premiere (Apple TV+)
* McGregor Forever (Netflix)
* Queenmaker: The Making Of An It Girl (Hulu)
* Rhythm + Flow France Series Premiere (Netflix)
* SisterS Series Premiere (IFC)
* The Family Stallone Series Premiere (Paramount+)
* The Masked Singer Season Finale (Fox)
* True Lies Series Finale (CBS)
* Working: What We Do All Day (Netflix)

Click Here to see the list of all of the upcoming premiere dates for the next few months.

SEE YOU THURSDAY!

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