Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Monday, March 29th, 2021

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Monday, March 29th, 2021. I'm writing this from the Twin Cities suburbs, where AllYourScreens HQ is powered by weak coffee and strong tuna fish.

#FREEBLOCKBUSTER
Well-known brands have some residual value, long after the business that made them famous has dissolved. For instance, while you can still buy Smarter Image-branded items at retail stores such as Target, the essence of the original company is gone. All that remains now is the name, slapped onto cheap items bought in bulk.

Blockbuster was perhaps on the best-known brands in the 80s and 90s and even today - when only one authorized Blockbuster remains - it's a brand that resonates with people who never stepped inside on the more than 9,000 stores the company owned at its peak. For some perplexing reason, Dish Network bought the company when it was coming out of bankruptcy in 2010 and was down to about 1,400 stores. The final 300 company-owned stores closed in 2014 and at the time Dish negotiated franchise deals with a few people that allowed a small number of Blockbusters to survive. But now only one Blockbuster store remains open in the U.S. and Dish has decided that it will no longer license the Blockbuster name to anyone.

Which is a short-sighted move, since I can see a way that someone with a bit of money and a lot of ingenuity could revive the Blockbuster brand as a chain of small, boutique-style stores that cater to the growing segment of entertainment trendsetters who are embracing our analog past.

Imagine a storefront with the Blockbuster name that is not much larger than a medium-sized Starbucks. It includes popular DVD/BluRay rentals in one corner provided by special Blockbuster-branded Redbox units. There is a selection of rarer independent and collectible discs for rent or sale, along with a highly curated selection of albums, cassettes and even the random 8-track. A few refurbished turntables and other entertainment units for sale, along with a wide range of analog-era entertainment items. You can purchase a small number of drinks and snacks, then rent a disc and watch it onsite at one of the recliners with a built-in screen. There's a small stage for acoustic musicians to play for the crowd on weekends, and the entire store is designed to be cat nip for nostalgia lovers with disposable income. This Blockbuster isn't mass market like the original. But what it does have in common with its namesake is a feeling of place. Once you've been to this Blockbuster, you're left with a comfortable feeling that is unlike any other experience in the market.

One other thing. A big factor in making this idea work is to lean into the local artistic community. Hire managers who know the local scene and give them the ability to stock the store the way they think it will work best. Include plenty of local bands, authors. If someone has a short film, make it available in the store. Making that new Blockbuster the center of the local artistic community only reinforces the analog feel of the space.

To be honest, if I won the lottery tomorrow, this is where I would put my money. The pandemic has only accelerated the consumer trend of leaning into nostalgia and old-school entertainment choices. No one wants to give up Netflix forever. But providing an hour or two away from 2021 technology is a business model that  I think has a tremendous upside.

T-MOBILE PARNERS WITH YOUTUBE TV AND PHILO ON ITS TVISION INITIATIVE
Telecom T-Mobile has been trying to get a toehold in the video business and after a mostly unsuccessful effort to launch its own service, announced earlier today that it is partnering with Google and Philo to provide discounted video subscriptions to its customers:

We are welcoming YouTube TV and Philo to the TVision initiative. As part of an expansive, new, multi-year agreement with Google, we’re going to make YouTube TV our premium live TV service. And we are announcing a new partnership with Philo as our new base live TV service, starting at just $10 per month, exclusively for T-Mobile customers.

With TVision, we provide T-Mobile customers with preferential access to the world’s best streaming services. And we will make those services available on the TVision HUB, our exclusive low-cost TV streaming device that comes with a familiar, easy-to-use remote to make the leap from cable to streaming as smooth as possible. Our customers can get all the streaming services we offer directly with exclusive rates and benefits, such as Netflix, MLB.tv, YouTube TV and Philo (with more to come soon!), while also having access to just about any media out there, because the TVision HUB is built on the familiar Android TV platform.

The big winner in this deal is Philo, which has struggled to grow, despite having perhaps the best deal in the OTT video market. 

IT'S OFFICIAL..THE WORLD HAS GONE MAD

Trademark lawyer Josh Gerben recently noticed that the band Chainsmokers has filed a a trademark application on March 23rd for the name "Blockchainsmokers" in connection with EFT's and a Chainsmokers cryptocurrency:

TODAY'S PREMIERES
1) Black Ink Crew: Confessions (VH1)
The "Black Ink Crew" is reuniting for the first time in-person nearly a year later to settle unfinished business. Caeser and the OG tattoo crew break down every beef and reveal if the Harlem shop at 113 survived.

2) Elliott From Earth (Cartoon Network)
Elliott and his Mum, Frankie, investigate a mysterious rock which is not from Earth.

3) Hall Of Flame: Top 100 Roast Moments (Comedy Central)
Comedy Central revisits the top moments from its celebrity roast specials.

4) Independent Lens: 'Til Kingdom Come (PBS)
This documentary unravels the controversial bond between America’s Evangelical Christians and the State of Israel, and the influential pastors wielding prophecy as a political tool. The film exposes the financial and political motivations fundamentally reshaping American foreign policy toward Israel and the Middle East.

6) Magic For Humans: Spain Series Premiere (Netflix)
In this Spanish adaptation of Magic For Humans, folks of all ages on the streets of Barcelona are amazed by tricks that inspire delight and wonder.

7) Race To The Center Of The Earth Series Premiere (NatGeo)
Four teams from across the world compete in the ultimate adventure race for $1 million.

8) Running Wild With Bear Grylls Season Premiere (NatGeo)
Actor Anthiny Mackie joins Bear Grylls for an exhilarating journey in the Italian Dolomites mountain range.

9) The Brokenwood Mysteries (Acorn TV)
After transferring from a big city to the quiet, little, murder-ridden town of Brokenwood, Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Shepherd (Neil Rea, Go Girls) and Detective Kristin Simms (Fern Sutherland, The Almighty Johnsons) uncover more murderous rivalries and lethal grudges with each new episode.

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