Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Thursday, July 21st, 2022
How are the major streamers handling tonight's January 6th hearings?
Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Thursday July 21st, 2022.
HOW ARE THE STREAMERS HANDLING TONIGHT'S LIVE JANUARY 6TH PRIMETIME HEARING?
As I write this, the live coverage of tonight's House January 6th hearing is about 30 minutes away. And I was curious how the various streamers that have a news presence are handling coverage of the hearings, including whether they try and push to some sort of live coverage.
The short answer is that Peacock has by far the most impressive programming. If you visit Peacock's "news" tab, a splashy image points to what they refer to as live "MSNBC on Peacock." Weirdly, although the photo features MSNBC's anchors, the actual "Peacock On MSNBC" live feed is really a completely different broadcast, which includes different anchors and guests. Although it seems to include interviews and other material prerecorded by MSNBC anchor talent? Peacock also includes the live NBC News Now feed featuring Lester Holt, which is yet another distinct and separate feed.
I do have a couple of criticisms, although things might change once the hearings begin. I think it would have helped to have included a tease to coverage on Peacock's main page carousel. Plus, unless I missed it, Peacock didn't send out an email today promoting the coverage, which feels like a missed opportunity. And I still don't understand the differentiation between MSNBC on Peacock and NBC News Now. Unless it's some sort of clever news journalist full employment program.
But aside from those slightly nitpicking, Peacock is putting forward an excellent effort. And btw, if you work at Peacock and can connect me with someone there who can talk to me on the record about this stream, I'd love to speak with you. I haven't had much luck connecting with anyone there yet. At least on the record.
As for the other streamers, the hearings might not as well be taking place. Despite the fact that Paramount+ has a CBSN live news channel feed, there is no push to that for subscribers. You have to know that the live news channel exists and click the "Live TV" tab. And once you're there, scroll through the channels to find CBSN. Paramount+ has six spots on its home page carousel. You would think that one of them could have been used to promote the hearings on CBSN.
I am assuming that Hulu Live TV will have a top of the home page push once the hearings begin. And of course, the various live cable news and broadcast channels covering the hearings will appear on the live tv horizontal tab. But there isn't any real promotion of a live news option and as I have mentioned before, I find it strange that Hulu doesn't have a topline "news" tab that can house all of the news content available on Hulu.
As for HBO Max...well, as everyone knows, the incoming Warner Bros. Discovery head David Zaslav shut down the standalone CNN+ streaming service, which is certainly his right. The problem for the company is that the CNN+ shutdown along with a revamp of the HBO Max app leaves the service with no live news option. Which is a bit of an embarrassment, given CNN's massive live news assets. There is not even a CNN hub on HBO Max. Which apparently means that for now, the message from Warner Bros. Discovery is "if it's live news you want, go elsewhere."
FIVE LESSER-KNOWN STREAMING SHOWS YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING: THE FOLLOW-UP
My piece yesterday highlighting some streaming shows that deserve a bit more attention received a lot of attention and some of you emailed me with more suggestions. I'm going to wade through the suggestions and I think it's an idea that deserves to be broken out into a weekly feature for AllYourScreens.
YES, I'M DEFENDING BINGEING YET AGAIN
In the latest edition of his Buffering newsletter for Buffering, Joe Adalian once again suggests that Netflix should rethink its binge release idea:
Similarly, centering members might mean admitting that as groundbreaking as the binge model was, many real people (not just critics) actually do like watching shows which release episodes weekly, particularly if those shows also churn out 20+ episodes every year. Why shouldn’t a modest percentage of the 100 or so series Netflix makes each year follow the broadcast TV model? Netflix already does this with titles it acquires from other platforms and distributes internationally, like the South Korean smash Extraordinary Attorney Woo, which debuts new episodes twice each week on Netflix. It should do the same with some of its own originals, too. Because, you know, choice.
Honestly, I feel as if I'm all alone on this. Perhaps it’s time for my “Bingeing Isn’t So Bad” TED Talk. But I don't understand how a weekly-release schedule would be an improvement if it means that instead of the binge drop of two or three new shows per week, viewers are faced with the prospect of a new episode of twenty different shows each week.
Some shows on Netflix will be dropped in batches or even weekly. It depends on the show, licensing issues and timing. But there is something visceral about the idea of binge-dropping seasons that just drives many TV critics, industry types and media super fans absolutely bonkers.
THE TCA CANCELS ITS IN-PERSON TOUR
Members of the Television Critics Association were set to return back to Pasadena for a live press tour beginning next Wednesday, but that has now been canceled and is being replaced with some sort of virtual press tour similar to the one that happened in January of this year.
Honestly, I'm not surprised at the move, given the level of COVID-19 breakouts in Southern California right now. Even with a vaccine and masking mandate for the panels and events, I suspect that a lot of networks were wary of exposing cast members to the possibility of an infection if there is another option.
And I can't help wondering if some networks prefer the virtual panels, because while it does sacrifice the face-to-face interactions, it allows casts to appear from wherever they happen to be at the time. And the networks can control the messaging a bit easier, which is bad for viewers but great for risk-adverse executives.
ODDS AND SODS
* Tickets for Bruce Springsteen tour went on sale this week and fans were not happy.
* Byron Allen buys Black News Channel out of bankruptcy. Allen is near the top of my interview bucket list. What a fascinating guy.
* Syfy has picked up Resident Alien for a third season.
* The viral comedy trio The Try Guys have a new series premiering on the Food Network. No-Recipe Road Trip With The Try Guys premieres Wednesday, August 31st.
TWEET OF THE DAY
WHAT'S NEW FOR THURSDAY
Here's a quick rundown of all the new stuff premiering today on TV and streaming:
Animals Decoded (Smithsonian)
Bad Exorcist Series Premiere (Netflix)
Dickie V (ESPN)
Grown-ish Season Premiere (Freeform)
Indian Predator: The Butcher of Delhi (Netflix)
Siempre Fui Yo (It Was Always Me) (Disney+)
The 2022 ESPYs (ABC)
Tudo Igual... Só Que Não (Disney+)
Virgin River Season Four Premiere (Netflix)
Click Here to see the list of all of the upcoming premiere dates for the next few months.
SEE YOU FRIDAY!
If you have any feedback, send it along to Rick@AllYourScreens.com and follow me on Twitter @aysrick.