Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Friday, May 24th, 2024
Our long national nightmare is over
Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Friday, May 24th, 2024:
PRODUCTION NOTES
* It's the Friday before a three-day holiday weekend (at least in the U.S.), so I'll keep today's newsletter short. And btw, while there won't be a Too Much TV newsletter on Monday, there will be a regular Global TV news round-up. If you don't receive that already (and I don't automatically add everyone when they subscribe to this one), log into your Substack account, select "Settings" from the drop-down menu. Under Subscriptions, click on the "Too Much TV" and then subscribe to the section "10 Stories You Should Know."
* Even though we're still about four months out, I am already hard at work on a massive project to look at the state of the TV industry 50 years ago. The 1974-1975 primetime season is really fascinating and I'll be doing in depth dives on each show - from Ironside and Barney Miller to Khan! and Keep On Truckin! As you might imagine, there aren't a lot of people still around from those days, but I am having some success. I'll also have interviews with industry people familiar with the shows as well as looks at other dayparts and whatever else I can find.
I mention this because it's a big, complicated project and I don't want to miss anything. So if there is someone you think I should talk to, or a show you want to know more about, let me know. I've managed to track down copies of a bunch of that season's failures, although I sadly don't have the budget to fly to New York and spend a week watching episodes of Hot L Baltimore and Get Christy Love! at the Paley Center. But short of that, I think it's going to be a blast for everyone to read.
THE LONG NATIONAL NIGHTMARE IS OVER
It looks as if Discovery+ has finally updated their weekly Friday afternoon What's Trending This Week email blast after at least two months of sending the same one out each week.
SPEAKING OF WBD
As we go into the three-day weekend, there still is no firm news on a new NBA rights deal. Warner Bros. Discovery has the right to match whatever offer NBC makes for the NBA "B" package that TNT has in its current deal, which expires after the 2024–25 season.
One rumor I keep hearing is that since Comcast/NBC can include a broadcast TV element, their offer might be one that WBD can't match exactly. But I am also hearing that if WBD's monetary offer is the same, they'll likely take the NBA to court in order to nab the rights. The truth is that no one outside the negotiations knows the details of the existing deal, which will play a large part in what happens next.
The big question is...will David Zaslav decide to pony up nearly $2.5 billion a year for the NBA rights? One thing we do know is that he has a very healthy ego and there is a large part of me that suspects he doesn't want to be this generation's Dick Ebersol (the NBC Sports head who decided not to up his network's offer and lost the NBA back in 2002).
ODDS AND SODS
* Former TCA president and Salt Lake Tribune TV critic Scott Pierce, 64, died today after a brief, undiagnosed illness.
* Here is a round-up of interesting global TV stories from today.
TWEET OF THE DAY
WHAT'S NEW TONIGHT AND TOMORROW
FRIDAY. MAY 24TH:
* Atlas (Netflix)
* Destination Heaven Series Premiere (Great American Pure Flix)
* Diary Of An Old Home Season Premiere (Magnolia)
* Dom (Prime Video)
* Great Performances: Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through The Cotton Patch (PBS)
* Jurassic World: Chaos Theory Series Premiere (Netflix) - [first look video]
* Lingo Season Premiere (CBS)
* Mr. Manhattan (Great American Pure Flix)
* Mulligan (Netflix)
* My Oni Girl (Netflix)
* Off Script With The Hollywood Reporter Season Premiere (IFC)
* Paint It Black (Hulu)
* South Park: The End Of Obesity (Paramount+)
* The Beach Boys (Disney+)
* The Great American Baking Show Season Premiere (The Roku Channel)
* The Test (Prime Video)
* The Ultimatum: South Africa Reunion (Netflix)
SATURDAY, MAY 25TH:
* Cruise Ship Murder (Lifetime)
* Gaga Chromatica Ball (HBO)
* My Adventures With Superman Season Two Premiere (Adult Swim) - [first look video]
MONDAY, MAY 27TH:
* Fallen Idols: Nick And Aaron Carter (Investigation Discovery) - [first look video]
* Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted Season Premiere (NatGeo)
* Houses Of Horror: Secrets Of College Greek Life Series Premiere (A&E)
* Seeking Sister Wife Season Finale (TLC)
* The Great War (History)
* The Truth Series Premiere (Acorn TV)
TUESDAY, MAY 28TH:
* America's Got Talent Season Premiere (NBC)
* Beat Shazam Season Seven Premiere (Fox)
* Fiennes: Return To The Wild Series Premiere (NatGeo)
* For Love & Life: No Ordinary Campaign (Prime Video)
* The Quiz With Balls Series Premiere (Fox)
SEE YOU ON TUESDAY!