Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Monday, May 24th, 2021
Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Monday, May 24th, 2021. I'm writing this from the Twin Cities suburbs, where AllYourScreens HQ is powered by unsweetened ice tea.
PEACOCK'S BIG MISS WITH EUROVISION
The streaming business - like nearly every other business - depends on a company's ability to successfully execute the small things. That is especially the case when you're talking about executing things such as cross-promotions across multiple product lines and divisions. Stock analysts devote a great deal of attention to the supposed upsides of "synergy" and "scale." But what good does it do to own multiple related companies if you don't spend the time to wring every last benefit out of the combined assets?
I find NBCUniversal to be the most confounding of all of the traditional television/media companies. They own a wide array of networks as well as a streaming service (Peacock) and yet too often their marketing and promotional efforts feel tired and almost as if everyone involved is just phoning it in. And that is especially frustrating when I see them miss slam dunk opportunities to cross-promote projects and use their size and scale to drive viewers to programming.
Early last week, Peacock announced that it had nabbed streaming rights to Eurovision 2021 finals, which aired live on Saturday. And while there were a couple of news stories at the time, there wasn't much in the way of promotion I could see from the streamer itself. Much less any of its sister entertainment divisions.
I understand that everyone only had a few days to throw together a marketing plan and get it executed. And since the live show was taking place overseas, it premiered off primetime here in the U.S. But thanks to the success of last year's Eurovision movie starring Will Ferrell, there was an unusual amount of interest in the event this year. And if you were on social media on Saturday, you would have seen lots of talk about the show, including a hilarious running jokethon from NBC's Amber Ruffin. But what you didn't see was any effort by Peacock or NBC to promote the show. There was a lone vague tweet from the official Peacock Twitter account (with only about 130,000 followers), but nothing at all from NBC's account. Or from accounts that might have some followers who would be interested in Eurovision, such as the official Twitter account for The Voice. And before you bring up "oh, well, it's a bit off-topic for them, that account (with its 5 MILLION followers), tweeted out stuff about the Billboard Music Awards program that aired on NBC on Sunday.
And that is my point. Why are the promotional efforts at NBCU so siloed and unimaginative? Yes, in the scheme of things a Eurovision stream isn't a huge event. But it's emblematic of the haphazard way that NBCU approaches even the simplest efforts at cross promotion.
NETFLIX DEBUTS YOUTUBE SERIES 'SNYDER SCHOOL'
Netflix is becoming increasingly aggressive on YouTube and in the past couple of years have moved from a focus on trailers and behind-the-scenes features to posting original video created especially for YouTube and social media. Today the Netflix Film Club YouTube channel posted part one of a four-part series entitled "Snyder School" to the channel's 1.3 million subscribers. In each 13-15 minute video, writer/director Zack Snyder discusses an aspect of filmmaking and how he approaches the subject. In episode one, Snyder breaks down the opening sequence of Army Of The Dead and discusses his process of putting together the nearly six-minute collage of images. If you've seen the movie already, it's a good glimpse at his work process and hopefully at some point Netflix will bundle the four "classes" into one special for the core streaming service. To watch episode one, click here.
THE WARNERMEDIA/DISCOVERY DEAL COULD HAVE WENT VERY DIFFERENTLY
Here is an interesting tidbit from the NY Times Dealbook:
In October 2016, shortly before Time Warner and AT&T announced their deal, Bob Iger, the head of Disney at the time, placed a call to Jeff Bewkes, the chief of Time Warner, according to two people intimately familiar with those details. The Disney leader asked Bewkes if he’d be interested in a possible merger. It was too late, Bewkes said. There was already something in the works. Iger wished him well and hung up the phone. Later, Iger called another media chief in the hopes of forging a deal. It was Rupert Murdoch.
ODDS AND SODS
* Netflix is breaking season five of Money Heist into two parts because of pandemic-related production delays. Part one premieres on September 3rd and part two premieres December 3rd.
* A really good look from the Hollywood Reporter on Why Local-Language Adaptations Are the Next Round of Remakes.
* Rachel Campos-Duffy, the conservative commentator and former participant in MTV's Real World, has been named new co-host of Fox & Friends weekend edition.
* The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will return to The Ed Sullivan Theater on June 14 welcoming back a "full and fully-vaccinated studio audience."
ICYMI:
Here's a rundown of some of the pieces that were posted on the web site over the weekend and this morning:
* The iCarly Reboot And The Ticking Time Bomb That Is Dan Schneider
A reboot of the Nickelodeon series iCarly is premiering on June 17 and it's a reminder that Viacom still hasn't come to terms with its biggest HR problem of the past.
* Today's Song You Should Know: 'Make You Feel My Love' By Garth Brooks
It's the birthday of Bob Dylan and I highlight a cover version that has a lot of meaning for me. Because let's face it, it's all about me.
* First Look: Murder Nation
TODAY'S PREMIERES
1) Mad For Each Other (Netflix)
Bothered to realize thet are next-door neighbors and share a psychiatrist, a man and a woman find it's impossible to stay out of each other's way.
2) Whitestable Pearl Series Premiere (Acorn TV)
With her son grown, single mom Pearl (Kerry Godliman, After Life) pursues her lifelong dream and starts a private detective agency, which she runs from her family restaurant in the coastal town of Whitstable. Drawn by her caring nature, locals soon flock to her with all kinds of cases. But when a friend dies suspiciously, Pearl finds herself in conflict with gruff new cop in town DCI Mike McGuire (Howard Charles, The Musketeers, Liar,Shadow and Bone). The series also stars Frances Barber (Mr. Holmes, Silk, Doctor Who) as Pearl’s outspoken mother, Dolly.
3) Women In Entertainment: The Next Generation (Lifetime)
Lifetime and The Hollywood Reporter present this one-hour special that highlights the stories of extraordinary high school girls selected by Big Brothers Big Sisters LA and paired with a female Hollywood executive as a mentor. It will follow each of their journeys and see how these relationships have changed all their lives. Hosted by Padma Lakshmi, the special will also feature appearances by Anna Kendrick, Anitta, Elizabeth Olsen, Emma Corrin, Gillian Anderson, Lana Candor, Jurnee Smollett, and Kathryn Hahn, and a special performance by Sara Bareilles. This is a special about women helping women.
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.