Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Friday, October 2nd, 2020

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Friday, October 2nd, 2020. I'm writing this from the Twin Cities suburbs, where AllYourScreens HQ is powered by Watermelon juice and strawberry waffles.

I'M NOT GOING TO DUNK ON QUIBI, BUT....
It's no secret the mobile-first streaming service Quibi is struggling to survive. A new piece in Bloomberg ties a bunch of loose threads together and paints a financial picture for the company that has to be a bit frightening for investors, who have already poured at least $1.8 billion into the company:

Quibi’s content is expensive to produce, and the company has had to spend a lot on marketing to build up its brand recognition. As a result, the service needs a lot of people to sign up to be cash flow positive. In a pitch deck to investors before its launch, Quibi suggested that its best-case scenario would be to attract 70 million subscribers after five years, which would allow it to spend $2.6 billion on programming by 2024.

But Quibi is now tracking closer to its worst-case scenario: 11 million subscribers in five years. The app’s pitch deck suggested that under such a scenario, it would decrease its spending on content to $618 million by 2024. Currently, Quibi has a reported $1.75 billion in funding. Based on these figures, and publicly stated marketing costs, advertising revenue and subscriber mix, Quibi is on pace to exhaust its cash balance in 2021 and will need to raise $1.8 billion by 2024.

To make matters worse, Quibi not only wildly overpaid celebrities to create content for the service, Quibi loses the rights to that content in seven years. 

But yes, let's continue to buy into the "our smart CEO can magically make things better" myth:

By compiling Quibi’s reported and public statements about content spending, advertising, subscribers and more, a picture emerges of a company headed for financial distress after a tough first year. In one scenario, if little changes, the company faces a funding shortfall of about $1.8 billion by 2024 and $6 billion by 2030. Katzenberg, who has made a career selling stories of characters beating the odds, has said he’s up for the test.

ODDS AND SODS
Comcast and Activision are offering Xfinity customers early Beta accessto "Call of Duty: Black Ops - Cold War." 

Acorn TV has ordered the new British crime drama Whitstable Pearl, a six-episode series based on the Julie Wassmer crime novels The Whitstable Pearl Mystery and Disappearance at Oare. Kerry Godliman (Ricky Gervais’ After Life) will play the lead role as Pearl Nolan.

The annual Edmund Fitzgerald memorial beacon lighting at Split Rock Lighthouse will be an online event this year. This year marks 45th anniversary of the wreck, which inspired the iconic Gordon Lightfoot song "The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald."

Peacock today announced two original news shows featuring Mehdi Hasan and Zerlina Maxwell. The Mehdi Hasan Show and Zerlina will debut on Monday, October 5th. Both have appeared frequently on MSNBC, which gives you an idea of where Peacock is headed with these shows.

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

1) A Go! Go! Cory Carson Halloween (Netflix)
Cory, Chrissy and Freddie are on the hunt for king-sized candy bars this Halloween! But are all the treats worth the trek to the spooky side of town?

2) Deadly Double Cross (LMN)
Mother, Lisa, is determined to prove that her teen daughter, Amber, is innocent of murdering her older boyfriend.

3) Dick Johnson Is Dead (Netflix)
While a lifetime of making documentaries has convinced her of the power of true stories, Kirsten Johnson is ready to use every escapist movie-making trick in the book if it will help her 86-year-old psychiatrist father elude death.

4) Emily In Paris Series Premiere (Netflix)
Emily, an ambitious twenty-something marketing executive from Chicago, unexpectedly lands her dream job in Paris. Her new life is filled with intoxicating adventures and surprising challenges as she juggles work, friendships, and romance.

5) Kingdom Of Silence (Showtime)
This documentary explores the complicated dynamic between the United States and Saudi Arabia as a backdrop to the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist and U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi.

6) Monsterland Series Premiere (Hulu)
Encounters with mermaids, fallen angels, and other strange beasts drive broken people to desperate acts in Monsterland, an anthology series based on the collection of stories from Nathan Ballingrud’s "North American Lake Monsters."

7) Oloture (Netflix)
A young, naïve female journalist goes undercover to expose the shady business of human trafficking in Nigeria and encounters a brutal underworld.

8) Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 2  (Amazon)
As a follow up to last year’s ground-breaking event, this year’s Savage X Fenty Show is raising the bar. Debuting the bold and fearless Fall 2020 line, Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 2 will include performances from an all-star lineup including international superstars Bad Bunny, Ella Mai, Miguel, Mustard, Roddy Ricch, and Rosalía during the experience.  Savage X Fenty Showveterans Bella Hadid, Big Sean, Cara Delevingne, Christian Combs, Normani, and Paloma Elsesser return, walking alongside newcomers Lizzo, Demi Moore, Erika Jayne, Gigi Goode, Irina Shayk, Laura Harrier, Paris Hilton, Rico Nasty, Shea Couleé, Willow Smith, Chika, Miss 5th Avenue, Jaida Essence Hall and many more, wearing the latest savage styles and debuting Savage X Fenty’s fierce and unapologetic Fall 2020 collection. 

9) Serious Men (Netflix)
When a slum dweller spins a web of lies in pursuit of the upward mobility he has long craved, his ruse could be especially dangerous for his young son. 

10) Song Exploder Series Premiere (Netflix)
Based on the acclaimed podcast of the same name, and from host Hrishikesh Hirway and Oscar®-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville, each episode of Song Exploder features some of the world's greatest musicians as they reveal how they brought one of their songs to life. The series weaves together in-depth interviews, archival footage, and raw recordings as each artist breaks down their song, layer by layer, sharing intimate insight into the personal inspiration behind the music and lyrics. Featured artists include 15-time Grammy® Award-winning artist, songwriter, and producer Alicia Keys, who breaks down “3 Hour Drive” from her 2020 album, ALICIA; Pulitzer Prize, Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award-winning composer, lyricist, and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda, who delves into the creation of “Wait for It” from the musical phenomenon “Hamilton”; Rock & Roll Hall of Famers R.E.M. who open up about the influences behind the life-changing track “Losing My Religion”; and Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and producer Ty Dolla $ign who discusses the inspiration behind “LA,” the deeply personal opening track from his gold-certified major label debut album, FREE TC.

11) The Binding (Netflix)
While visiting her fiancé's mother in southern Italy, a woman must fight the mysterious and malevolent curse intent on claiming her daughter.

12) The Real Black Panther (NatGeo)
This isn't Wakanda. Deep in south India is a jungle kingdom that has inspired legends. Kabini, in the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve, is home to a rogue confederation of animal tribes all vying for territory, power and resources. Now a new king, Saya, is on the rise. He is the only black panther in this jungle. Lineage doesn't favor him, but he's got cunning and grit - and he plans to claim Kabini as his kingdom. From internal struggles for power to a cast reminiscent of "The Jungle Book," "The Real Black Panther" transports you to the heart of this jungle kingdom. All hail the new king.

13) Tiny World (Apple TV+)
Narrated by Paul Rudd, this docuseries showcases nature’s lesser-known tiny heroes. Spotlighting small creatures and the extraordinary things they do to survive, each episode is filled with surprising stories and spectacular cinematography.

14) Undercover Boss Season Premiere (CBS)
Bosses go undercover to spy on their employees and reward a few in order to feel better about themselves (I might be slightly mistaken about this)

15) Vampires Vs. The Bronx (Netflix)
A group of young friends from the Bronx fight to save their neighborhood from a band of vampires.

16) Warrior Season Two Premiere (Cinemax)
Set during the Tong Wars in the late 1800s, Ah Sahm, a martial arts prodigy originating from China to San Francisco, ends up becoming a hatchet man for the most powerful tong in Chinatown.

17) You've Got This aka Ahi te Encargo (Netflix)
An ad creative and a successful executive have a great marriage - until he wants to be a dad just as her star is rising. Then he brings someone new home.

A series of challenges push Mildred and Ethel's magical powers to the limit as they compete for the honor of being named Head Girl.

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