Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Tuesday, January 16th, 2024

It's an important week for NBC Entertainment. Not that you would know that from looking at Peacock.

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Tuesday, January 16th, 2024.

IT'S AN IMPORTANT WEEK FOR NBC ENTERTAINMENT. NOT THAT YOU WOULD KNOW IT FROM LOOKING AT PEACOCK
NBC is launching new episodes of some of its most important franchise procedurals this week: Chicago Med/PD/Fire on Wednesday and the three Law & Order shows on Thursday. These are the first new episodes of these shows viewers have seen since before the Hollywood strikes and there is a lot at stake for the network. 

And yet, you would never know these premieres were taking place if you were looking at Peacock today. There are no mentions on the home page top promo carousel and even the promo carousel on the TV show page is promoting mostly older shows such as The Office and Modern Family. 

Especially given the attention the service received over the weekend, using that platform to promote the broadcast schedule seems like an obvious choice. 

In the past, Peacock has promoted some NBC premieres, but done it the day of the premiere. Which, once again, feels like a lost opportunity. A lot of Peacock subscribers aren't checking in every day. And given the decreasing size of the broadcast audience, giving fans a reminder and a suggestion to watch NBC and/or save the episodes automatically on Peacock should be the minimum level of promotion.

Speaking of the minimum level of promotion, I haven't seen much in the way of in-depth press coverage of the premieres. A few short "previews" in the Penske Media-owned trade press and some scattered red carpet coverage in the same outlets and the big pop culture magazines and TV news mags. But there doesn't seem to have been any big effort to reach out to new outlets or reach long-term fans in ways beyond the same predictable choices.

Honestly, I know that there are cost and resource challenges industry-wide. But this is pretty disappointing.

BAD NEWS FOR THOSE OF YOU IN THE PRO-MERGER CAMP
I continue to be skeptical when it comes to the idea of a new major media company mergers. If you listen to industry analysts (and way too many industry journalists), one or more big consolidation mergers is inevitable. No one seems to have the perfect scenario, although some combinations including Warner Bros. Discovery, Comcast, Apple and Paramount Global are the most frequently mentioned.

But aside from the sheer logistical issues standing in the way of such a move, there continues to be a lot of evidence that federal regulators would be very skeptical of any major consolidation in the entertainment industry.

In a 113-page opinion issued by U.S. District Judge William Young on Tuesday, the Justice Department and state attorneys general have successfully blocked JetBlue Airways’ $3.8 billion attempted purchase of ultra low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines, the second federal court decision in the past year delivering a blow to further consolidation in the U.S. airline industry:

“While it is understandable that JetBlue seeks inorganic growth through acquisition of aircraft that would eliminate one of its primary competitors, the proposed acquisition, in this Court’s attempt to predict the future in murky times, does violence to the core principle of antitrust law: to protect the United States’ markets — and its market participants — from anticompetitive harm,” Young wrote.

If that is the criteria in determining whether or not an entertainment industry merger should be approved, it's difficult to see how any of the proposals I've seen so far would pass muster with the government and the courts.

A DIFFERENT WAY TO THINK ABOUT APPLE TV+ PROGRAMMING
For a lot of people, it's unclear what Apple's long-term goal is with its SVOD Apple TV+. Although it doesn't release subscriber or viewing numbers, the perception is that it is struggling to build an audience. And yet, the service continues to spend heavily on lush, expansive original programming that seems hard to financially justify given the current usage of the service.

Apple is unveiling its Apple Vision Pro AR/VR headset this week and while this initial version costs a jaw-dropping $3,499, the price is expected to drop to a more reasonable widespread consumer cost. Dan Barrett writes in his always useful Always Be Watching newsletter that the Apple Vision Pro might have a use that many people in the TV industry haven't considered:

Something lost in all the conversation about the Vision Pro is how it aligns with what Apple has been doing with Apple TV+. It has been clear to me that everything the company has been doing since it launched its subscription video service has been done in support of AR/VR, or as Apple terms it: spatial video.

Apple TV+ has huge budget shows helmed by big screen movie actors, has leant heavily into shows with elements of spectacle. From launch titles like The Morning Show and For All Mankind, through to current shows like Shrinking and Monarch (its Godzilla show), everything has the air of big-screen consumption to it. Couple that with Apple TV+’s investment in sports and it has a really compelling content offer that can support the launch of a new product category like this.

I think that makes a lot of sense and while the TooMuchTV budget doesn't provide for a $3,500 headset, I'm looking forward to checking it out at some point. Previous VR efforts have never quite gotten past the clunky stage. And the early reviews of the Vision Pro have generally been positive, although some users have complained about its weight.

ODDS AND SODS
* Yes, We're Still Watching's Rachel Rippetoe posted a really thoughtful examination about grief and loss as seen through the lens of watching television.

WHAT'S NEW TONIGHT AND TOMORROW

TUESDAY, JANUARY 16TH, 2024:
* After Midnight Series Premiere (CBS)
* Breaking Point Series Premiere (MHz Choice)
* Death And Other Details Series Premiere (Hulu)
* Found Season One Finale (NBC)
* June (Paramount+)
* Life Below Zero: The Next Generation Season Premiere (NatGeo)
* Moonshiners: Master Distiller Season Premiere (History)
* The Shift Series Premiere (MHz Choice)

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17TH:
* American Nightmares (Netflix)
* A Shop For Killers Series Premiere (Hulu)
* Blue Lights Series Premiere (Britbox)
* Chicago Fire Season Premiere (NBC)
* Chicago Med Season Premiere (NBC)
* Chicago PD Season Premiere (NBC)
* End Of The Line Series Premiere (Netflix)
* Family Law Season Premiere (The CW)
* It Was Always Me (Siempre Fui Yo) (Disney+)
* Trafficked With Mariana Van Zeller Season Premiere (NatGeo)
* Wild Cards Series Premiere (The CW)

SEE YOU WEDNESDAY!