Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Tuesday, March 11th, 2025

The next shoe drops in Hollywood's culture wars

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Monday, March 10th, 2025:

READER FEEDBACK
As I mentioned in my paid subscriber-only video earlier today, I have received a lot of feedback about my story highlighting the new deal between Netflix and the Kill Tony podcast.

As you might imagine, some of the Kill Tony fans were less than pleased with my video and subsequent comments and I have been wading through YouTube comments, emails and random social media messages all day. And for the most part, they sound like this:

So what is the “responsibility” one is supposed to take for saying something offensive? You don’t believe in free speech? Serious question, if you say something offensive are you supposed to pay a fine? Get arrested? Your argument sucks harder than you do. Shane is a McDonalds intellectual? Who even are you? I wish I could have a sit down conversation with you to deflate this insane ego you have to have to put yourself into the position of arbiter of comedy.

No, as I have mentioned more than once, if you say something you know is going to offend people - in fact, if offending people is the point - than I just want you to stone up and take responsibility. Don't try to hide behind "Oh, I was just joking," or "You just don't understand comedy."

Somehow, I think I might be digging myself further into a hole with this one. Although honestly, I thought referring to Shane Gillis as a "McDonald's intellectual" was kind of funny. Although I will admit that it's a bit mean-spirited.

THE NEXT SHOE DROPS IN HOLLYWOOD’S CULTURE WARS
I'm actively working to build out this story with more specific details. But I have heard from several (more than two) people who have received what initially sounded like casual calls from their managers or agents. The general focus of the call is to remind them that they are not citizens of the United States. And given the chaotic nature of what is going on the U.S., especially in the wake of the arrest and threatened expulsion of student activist & legal US resident, Mahmoud Khalil, there appears to be a growing fear that if you say something that pops up on the radar of the Trump Administration, your ability to leave and reenter the U.S. might be in danger.

"The call was friendly, and there wasn't any pressure at all," one mid-level actor told me. He has a Japanese citizenship and works here on a visa. "And honestly, I've already been careful. Maybe a lot of Americans have forgotten those Japanese camps during World War II, but I sure haven't. Still, the fact that someone feels they have to warn me is unsettling."

Another actor I heard from said they had been warned by their agent to think before speaking next time, especially when it comes to hot button topics such as Gaza. "You don't want to be seen as a problem by producers," she was told. "Just keep your head down and share your opinions with the people you can trust."

Have you received a similar warning from management? Do you have something else to share? You can email me confidentially at rick@allyourscreens.com or message me on Signal at allyourscreens.24

THIS IS THE REASON WHY SEASON EIGHT OF 'LOVE IS BLIND' KINDA SUCKED
I realize that anytime a show is set in a town or is cast primarily from people in a specific town, residents of said locale will complain and pushback on what they see as inaccuracies.

Still, when I watched episodes from the just-completed season of Netflix's Love Is Blind, I was left pretty perplexed. Granted, I am out of the demo to be cast in the show. But as someone who lives in the Twin Cities, I had trouble understanding why every participant this season was essentially the same person. This area is much more diverse than was shown on the show - both economically and culturally. So what happened?

Cast member Monica Danus was at SXSW and she explained that "There are four bars. In Minneapolis, North Loop is where a lot of people live and a lot of people hang out, so when you go out, you have to mentally prepare yourself: I’m going to run into somebody that I want to see, and I’m going to run into somebody that I don’t want to see.”

The North Loop is AN area in Minneapolis. But it's insane to argue that it's the ONLY area and if a show is casting an entire season using just the people who go to four local bars, then yes, it's going to suck.

A VIEWING RECOMMENDATION....JUST NOT FROM ME
If you see me recommending something to watch here, it's a show that I've seen. I don't recommend shows that "sound" interesting or that I know a lot of readers might find worthwhile. And I certainly don't recommend shows based on someone paying me (although....is that a thing?).

But today I'm recommending a Netflix series because it is one my wife is really enjoying. And based on the snippets I've seen of it, it's worth checking out if you're open to global rom-coms.

The First Frost is a Chinese television drama starring Bai Jingting and Zhang Ruonan. The plot is adapted from the Chinese novel of the same name by Zhu Yi. It's available globally on Netflix outside of China, where it streams on Youku. It's apparently set in the same universe as the Chinese series Hidden Love, which was released in 2023 and is also available on Netflix.

Since I haven't seen enough of the show to review it, here is a take from Mashable Middle East that sounds pretty accurate:

Bai Jingting’s Sang Yan is incomparably compelling, a handsome, dignified, modest, and heartbroken romantic hero who does everything for his distant love. Be it saving Wen Yifen from goons, checking on her safety, and making sure she’s well-fed, their bond is quite riveting. Whoever chooses to watch their love bloom will move to tears because of their cathartic bond.

Zhang Ruonan’s Wei Yifen is a brave woman, who learns how to solve her problems alone since childhood. Her life is nothing less than a tragedy, she lost her father and is accused of having an affair with her former superior. Even when the gossip travels to her new workplace, she remains unfazed. "Whether I clarify the rumours or not, people will believe what they want to believe. Rumors are like wounds, if you don’t pay attention to them, they stop hurting after a while,” she says in a brave moment.

What I love the most about ‘The First Frost’ is that it isn’t your usual romcom, when you look closer, the show has multiple layers as it tackles sensitive issues including workplace harassment, assault, victim-shaming, and the vulnerable of society becoming easy targets.

There are 32 episodes in the season and because it's being released at the same time in China and on Netflix, there are English-language subtitles but no audio dub.

If you decide to watch some of it, let me know what you think.

TWEET OF THE DAY

ODDS AND SODS
* This is a bit of inside baseball, but what was the point of Substack co-founder Hamish McKenzie giving an interview to The Hollywood Reporter so he can tout Substack's move past five million paid subscribers? This feels like something he should have done with...oh, I don't know...one of the many media reporters who are on Substack?

* What's On Netflix is reporting that Netflix has delayed the release of American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden, which was supposed to premiere this Monday. No word on the reason and having seen the screeners of it, I didn't see any obvious cause for the decision.

* Season two of the Vanderpump Rules spin-off The Valley premieres Tuesday, April 15th on Bravo.

* Mufasa: The Lion King will begin streaming on Disney+ on March 26th.

* The long-running Discovery series Alaskan Bush People stopped production in 2021, and at the time, the reason behind the decision was unclear. Although the fact that the Brown family was no longer living in Alaska might have had something to do with it. But according to this piece, Billy’s business partner, Robert Maughon, filed a breach of contract lawsuit against the late star’s estate and business, Alaskan Wilderness Family Productions, in April 2021, just two months after Billy died in February 2021.

* WE tv has renewed The Braxtons for a second season.

* According to Axios, Puck has hired entertainment strategist and analyst Julia Alexander to write full time for Puck's premium subscription tier, The Inner Circle.

* Nickelodeon has ordered Wylde Pak, a new 2D-animated comedy series that follows the daily life of a blended multigenerational Korean American family.

* The documentary Free For All: The Public Library premieres Tuesday, April 29th on the PBS series Independent Lens.

* According to Deadline, CBS will air Hearst Media Production Group’s new original series The Visioneers with Zay Harding on weekend mornings starting April 5th.

* The Nyle DiMarco and Davis Guggenheim directed feature documentary, Deaf President Now! will premiere Friday, May 16th on Apple TV+.

* The Israeli series Your Honor, which recently sold to China and was previously remade in the States starring Bryan Cranston, is now being remade for the Ukraine by local entertainment giant 1+1 Media.

WHAT'S NEW TONIGHT AND TOMORROW

TUESDAY, MARCH 11TH:
Constables On Patrol (Discovery)
Iliza Shlesinger: A Different Animal (Prime Video)
Last Take: Rust And The Story Of Halyna (Hulu)
Port Protection Alaska Season Premiere (NatGeo)
Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party (Paramount+)

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12TH:
Am I Being Unreasonable? Season Two Premiere (Hulu)
Everybody's Live With John Mulaney Series Premiere (Netflix)
Love You To Death Season One Finale (Apple TV+)
Married To Real Estate Season Premiere (HGTV)
Temptation Island Series Premiere (Netflix)
Welcome To The Family Series Premiere (Netflix)

SEE YOU ON WEDNESDAY!