Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Tuesday, June 29th, 2021

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Wednesday, June 30th, 2021. I'm writing this from the Twin Cities suburbs, where AllYourScreens HQ is powered by root beer and more root beer.

THE CHALLENGE OF LAUNCHING A BROADCAST TV SHOW IN 2021
After a year of pandemic-related changes to the television industry, the broadcast television networks are preparing to launch their new seasons and I don't envy their choices. Viewership at the broadcast networks continues to decline and while they're managed to use a combination of live sports events and retransmission revenue to remain profitable, it's fair to say that they are a declining part of the television/streaming universe.

In some ways, broadcast television in 2021 reminds me a lot of the what the music industry went through more than a decade ago as sales for physical units took a precipitous dive. The audience for CD's was mostly older and more willing to spend lots of money on elaborate box sets than new music. So there was an explosion of rereleases and special editions of familiar titles in an effort to keep the revenue flowing in while the streaming industry evolved. And you can see that same trend in the upcoming broadcast television primetime schedules: more spin-off of familiar titles, procedurals that could have been rolled out  20 years ago and TV veteran actors coming back for another round.

All of which is fine. But it does make things challenging for the publicity/communications part of the business. How do you promote these shows to younger audiences? Is there to expand your viewer base or at least slow down the decline? Because one advantage of overall small ratings is that a few hundred thousand more viewers in the 18-35 demographic can make a huge difference in both the weekly ratings and the survival chances of the show.

And yet, I don't see a lot of effort to do that in recent promotional and marketing campaigns for the various broadcast television shows. In many case, the PR campaign isn't that different than you would have seen ten years ago. Which is a generation or two in TV years. Stories pitched to the big general interest magazines and web sites, an appearance by the cast at the TCA's and some select solo interviews leading up to the premiere. It's all very traditional and safe. And not at all suitable for 2021.

I was a big fan of NBC's Debris, which wasn't picked up by the network for a second season. It's a challenge getting a broadcast TV audience to embrace a complex science fiction series in the best of times, but now you really have to pursue every opportunity and I was extremely frustrated by NBC's lack of effort on the show. The fact that after a full season of episodes, the official Twitter account for the show only had 314 followers is astounding to me. There are a lot of factors for that, but one important variable is that the showrunner for Debris wasn't active on social media and neither was some of the cast. It's not the only thing that matters, but not having official advocates on social media who can drive up weekly interest and serve as faces for the show does have an impact.

Obviously, it's tough to reach out to new audiences if you're working with NCIS: Hawaii (although there are some things that might work). But for the few slightly more adventurous new shows, if you aren't exploring every avenue from Twitch to Tik-Tok, then you're leaving money on the table, so to speak. I'll write about this more as the fall season draws closer, but if you have any thoughts reach out to me at rick@allyourscreens.com or on Twitter at @aysrick.

HBO MAX CONTENT CHIEF CASEY BLOYS 
I live in a weird spot in the TV/media reporting hierarchy. I write a lot of reviews and other news coverage for the web site, so I'm in that specific PR silo. But I also write a lot about the business of the industry (especially in this newsletter), so I end up getting put in that PR silo by a separate group of publicists. It's an odd mix and there are plenty of blind spots. All of which is leading up to the point that I wasn't part of yesterday's gathering between some of the press and HBO Max Chief Content Officer Casey Bloys at WarnerMedia's Hudson Yards headquarters yesterday, although you can read a good recounting of it in this piece in the Hollywood Reporter. 

He did apparently have a lot to say HBO Max, including the importance of having returning series as well as limited run shows:

“The nice thing with an ongoing series is you don’t have to introduce viewers to it every year, and you have a built-in fanbase, so that is great when you have one working. With a limited series, because it is not ongoing, you tend to have [higher-profile] actors that are not looking to be tied up for five years,” he says. “I would not want a service that is only ongoing series, and I would not want a service that is only limited series. The number one job is keeping viewers and subscribers happy, and the way to do that is with the right mix of programming. So limited series will be a part of that, ongoing series will be a part of that, but I think you do try to balance so that you are not offering too much of one thing at a time.”

He also talked about his belief that HBO Max has all of the money and resources it needs to be competitive:

“Right now, I feel like we have got enough to do the programing we need to do, but there will always be a debate about the right amount of programming, and therefore is there the right amount of money?” he adds. “We would have these debates at HBO within Time Warner, how much does HBO need, do we have the right amount? … What is the right amount of programming to reach subscribers? And I don’t know, I’m not sure anybody has the exact right answer, some of it is always going to be trial and error.”

Although it wasn't in the THR story, reporters there apparently also got an embargoed look at trailers for the upcoming season of Succession as well as the upcoming Game Of Thrones spin-off.

There are a few other things I'd like to know about HBO Max, including the fact that I've been told by more than one writer that the streamer isn't taking new pitches for shows right now and that they believe they have enough projects in the pipeline to keep HBO Max busy for the next six months or so.

DAZN AND YOUTUBE TEAM UP ON UEFA WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP
YouTube announced a partnership with DAZN the leading global sports streaming platform to stream the UEFA Women’s Champions League to fans around the world live for free. This move marks the first time UEFA has centralized all Women’s Champions League matches globally:

At a time when professional women’s sport continues to fight for more exposure, this new partnership brings visibility like never before to players, Clubs, and the elite competition itself by making matches all season long available to fans all over the globe. For the first two seasons (2021-23), fans will be able to watch live and on demand all 61 matches from the group stage onwards on DAZN and free on DAZN’s YouTube channel. For the last two seasons (2023-25), all 61 matches will be live on DAZN while 19 matches will be made available for free on DAZN’s YouTube channel. 

The multi-year deal grants DAZN exclusive rights worldwide, with the exception of the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) – where rights do include clips and highlights – and China and its territories. The agreement is one of the largest broadcast deals in women’s club football history and signifies another game-changing move in DAZN’s long-time global commitment to women’s sport, centered on the mission of growing the UEFA Women’s Champions League, turning more players and teams into household names, and inspiring the next generation of players – all of which starts with more people around the world watching the game. 

THERE'S NOTHING LIKE AN ARREST OVER CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES TO END A LONG-RUNNING SHOW
Following the arrest of Josh Duggar, TLC has announced that it is ending the series Counting On, which was a spin-off of the popular series 19 Kids and Counting.  According to Deadline, the cancellation is in response to Josh Duggar facing a federal trial for receipt and possession of child pornography:

“TLC will not be producing additional seasons of Counting On,” read the statement. “TLC feels it is important to give the Duggar family the opportunity to address their situation privately.”

That situation is Duggar scion Josh’s federal trial for receiving and possessing child pornography, which was supposed to begin on July 6, but was pushed to November 30, 2021 just minutes before the show’s cancelation was revealed.

Counting On was a spinoff show meant to “follow the next generation of Duggars as they celebrate some of life’s milestone moments, including the realities of growing up and raising their own families.” It began in 2015 after the Duggar-centric predecessor, 19 Kids and Counting, was canceled amid the news of Josh’s alleged behavior. 19 Kids and Counting was, at the time, TLC’s most popular program. The last new episode of Counting On aired in September 2020.

ODDS AND SODS
* ViacomCBS International Studios (VIS) has entered into a first-look deal for Spanish-language content with AGC Television. The deal covers two years and ten projects.

* A curated collection of concerts and specials from the music-centric streamer The Coda Collection is now available for viewing on many United Airlines flights.

THURSDAY'S PREMIERES 
1) Audible (Netflix)
"Amaree Mckenstry-Hall and his teammates at Maryland School for the Deaf pursue success in football while coping with personal struggles and tragedy."

2) Dynasty Warriors (Netflix)
"Warlords, warriors and statesmen wage a battle for supremacy in this fantasy tale based on the hit video games and the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms."

3) Generation 56K (Netflix)
"Having formed a bond during the 56K modem era, Matilda and Daniel meet again by chance two decades later. Can their friendship turn into something else?

4) Impractical Jokers Awards Show (truTV)
"Join Joe, Q, Sal and Murr for an Awards Special unlike any other, as they honor and celebrate moments of cinematic mastery and outstanding achievement over “Impractical Jokers” franchise comprising 200+ episodes."

6) Martha Gets Down And Dirty Series Premiere (Discovery+)
"Trusted lifestyle expert Martha Stewart will let her hair down as she showcases her seasonal gardening know-how, lifestyle and entertainment tips from her Bedford, N.Y. property in Martha Gets Down and Dirty. During the eight-episode series, the Emmy® award-winning television personality and The New York Times bestselling author will prep her farm for spring and summer, as well as share fun summer decor and entertainment ideas with help from her longtime friend and Creative Director Kevin Sharkey and right-hand gardener Ryan McCallister. Martha’s superfans and celebrity friends also will reach out for video check-ins to get her valuable and cheeky counsel on their home projects. "

7) Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway (Netflix)
"After Char’s rebellion, Hathaway Noa leads an insurgency against Earth Federation, but meeting an enemy officer and a mysterious woman alters his fate."

8) No Sudden Move (HBO Max)
Set in 1954 Detroit, No Sudden Move centers on a group of small-time criminals who are hired to steal what they think is a simple document. When their plan goes horribly wrong, their search for who hired them – and for what ultimate purpose – weaves them through all echelons of the race-torn, rapidly changing city.

9) Philly D.A. Series Premiere (Topic)
In 2017, Krasner, a civil rights attorney who sued the Philadelphia Police Department 75 times throughout his career, mounted a long shot campaign for and ultimately won the District Attorney’s seat in a city that has the highest incarceration rate of any large city in the United States. Philly D.A. brings viewers inside the emotional, high stakes work that Krasner and an ensemble of idealistic outsiders from different walks of life take on as they attempt a fundamental overhaul of an expansive, entrenched criminal justice system. The series follows them undertaking this so-called “social experiment” as they push reforms such as prosecuting police misconduct and brutality, rethinking sentencing, probation and parole reform, minimizing the use of cash bail, and ending pursuit of the death penalty.

10) The Surge At Mt. Sinai (Discovery+)
COVID-19 is the greatest challenge our generation has ever faced. Nowhere embodied the catastrophe of the pandemic like New York City in the spring of 2020.  With unprecedented access,  this documentary tells the story of this chaotic time from the perspective of frontline healthcare workers staffing one of the country’s largest--and most overwhelmed health care systems, as they fight night and day to save the lives of COVID-19 patients, their city, and themselves.

11) Top Chef Amateurs Series Premiere (Bravo)
"In each 30-minute episode, two amateur chefs will compete head-to-head in some of the most iconic challenges from the “Top Chef” archives including the mis-en-place race, blind taste test and they’ll even try to break the curse of “Top Chef’s” most dreaded dish – risotto."

12)Young Royals (Netflix)
"Prince Wilhelm adjusts to life at his prestigious new boarding school, Hillerska, but following his heart proves more challenging than anticipated."

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