Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Wednesday, February 23rd, 2022

The world is filled with annoying people.....

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Wednesday, February 23rd, 2022. 

IS JEN PSAKI THE NEXT RACHEL MADDOW?
The various cable news networks have been rightfully criticized for serving as career rehabilitation moves for ex-politicians and various party and administration higher-ups. It's one of the reasons why cable news is so stubbornly stuck on whatever the conventional wisdom might be in the Beltway. It also serves to reinforce in viewers minds that cable news journalists are no different than the people they cover. To the public, both cable news anchors and political hacks are just two sides of the same intellectually inbred coin.

If you didn't think things could get any worse, than Puck's Dylan Byers has a surprise for you. According to a just published piece, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki is planning to leave her post at the end of the year and she has her sights set on an anchor job at CNN or MSNBC:

CNN+ programming lead Rebecca Kutler were in Washington for a top-secret and mission-critical recruitment assignment. The chaos embroiling their brand had not deterred their efforts to court a new potential on-air talent who, in their eyes, had the potential to become a marquee star both in the CNN lineup and its nascent streaming service. 

They weren’t the only ones to hatch this novel idea. Less than one week later, NBC News Chairman Cesar Conde and MSNBC President Rashida Jones made a similar pilgrimage to Washington to meet with the very same talent, in the hopes that she might one day join their networks in a flagship role, and perhaps even take the top spot in primetime on MSNBC. CNN may be reeling from the Zucker mess, but MSNBC is imperiled in its own way, as Rachel Maddow prepares to exit her nightly show, prompting a presumed top-down re-think of primetime.

I'm sure Psaki is a fine person and she certainly has the intellect to do well in the cable news business. But at a time when distrust of the media - especially cable news - is at an all-time low an lo, hiring Psaki as an anchor is not unlike bring criticized for your ugly pants and then deciding to go pantless. 

There's a case to be made for Psaki signing on to CNN+ or maybe at that weird NBC News Now/Peacock combination of services. But the thought of Psaki being hired to anchor a cable news program is a level of celebrity worship that won't do her or whatever network she lands at any favors. 

Byers was being provocative with the "next Rachel Maddow" headline," but along those lines, I want to throw out my own suggestion for Maddow's replacement.

MSNBC recently rehired Alex Wagner, who has a wealth of journalism experience as well as experience anchoring at MSNBC. She filled in for Maddow last week and is filling in for Chris Hayes this week. She has been spectacular and last week's run showed that she is capable of adapting her own style with Maddow's staff to create the promise of something special. I get the impression MSNBC President Rashida Jones want to make a statement with Maddow's eventual replacement and that Wagner isn't the massive sea change she is looking for. 

But what Wagner can do is a fine job in primetime and she's capable of developing her own style in much the same way Maddow did. Moving Nicole Wallace into Maddow's slot feels like a holding action. Hiring Psaki for the job is a betrayal of Maddow's audience. The last thing they want is an avowed insider who has her own passive-aggressive issues with journalists.

TRANSLATORS ARE BEING LEFT BEHIND IN INDIA'S TRANSLATOR BOOM
With Minnal Murali, Netflix turned heads in the Indian market. Released on Christmas Eve 2021, the superhero origin film follows a village tailor who is struck by lightning and develops supernatural powers. In its first week, Minnal Murali placed third on Netflix’s Global Top 10 list of most-watched non-English movies and has now accumulated over 25 million streaming hours. The film’s success on Netflix is partly attributable to translations: filmed in the South Indian regional language Malayalam, the blockbuster was eventually dubbed into Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and English as well as subtitled in over a dozen international languages.

That success has spawned a boom in requests for local translation services from global streamers ranging from Netflix and Amazon to Disney+. But that boom in work has not meant more money for the people doing the translations:

Veteran translator Rekhs says that the rise of streaming services has changed how distributors see the translation industry over the past decade. She has over 500 film credits to her name, and her work is regarded within the industry as the gold standard for South Indian cinema. But that appreciation has not converted to increased wages. Her standing rate ranges between 41,000 rupees and 52,000 rupees [$550 and $700], depending upon the target language of translation, which has not increased in several years. 

“We are digging our own grave,” Rekhs said. “There are students that are half-baked idiots, who agree to do it, and there are producers who don’t care. And so they just say, Fine, here’s somebody who’s willing to do it for 15,000 rupees or even 5,000 rupees [$200 or even $60]. Do you think it’s fair?” 

And if you've ever wondered why the quality of many translations is so spotty, maybe it has something to do with the paltry money being paid for the services:

Even major translation clients pay less for Hindi than for some languages. Netflix global rates cards list $30 for every minute of content subtitled from English audio to Japanese, but just $9.00 for every minute of English-Hindi subtitling. Subcontracted translators will often pocket only a fraction of this payout. 

NEW IN MARCH
The various streamers are sending out their lists of titles coming in March and here are the first couple examples.

Here is what is coming to Netflix in March, although they typically also add things after the fact. The second season of Bridgerton is obviously the big highlight, but I'd also suggest you watch out for Pieces Of Her. It's still under embargo, so I can't say much. Other than it's a show I suspect is going to do very well. It's a harder sell to American audiences given the subject matter, but I would also put the Belgian series Soil on your radar. It's about a young entrepreneur who sets up a bold yet risky plan to import soil from Morocco to bury his community’s deceased.

As for Paramount+, they only have two show premiering in March. But those two are the long-awaited Halo: The Series and the season season of Star Trek: Picard. But once you get past those shows, the list is pretty dismal.

TWEET OF THE DAY

ODDS AND SODS
* CBS has given a series order to Superfan, an unscripted game show where music fans compete to prove that they are a certain artist’s ultimate superfan.

* From toxic masculinity to age-old ideals, rom-coms don’t make the cut for Gen Z women anymore.

* Redbox Adds AccuWeather NOW Live Streaming Service to its Lineup.

* CNBC is making some changes to its afternoon schedule beginning in early March. Sara Eisen will solo anchor the 3:00 p.m. hour and Scott Wapner will take over the 4:00 p.m. hour.

WHAT'S NEW FOR WEDNESDAY
Here's a quick rundown of all the new stuff premiering today on TV and streaming:

Free Guy (Disney+)
Frederick Douglass: In Five Speeches (HBO)
Nature: American Horses (PBS)
Nova: Augmented (PBS)
Predicting My MS (PBS)
Snowfall Season Premiere (FX)
The Loud Family: Louder & Prouder Series Premiere (Disney+)
UFO (Netflix)

Click Here to see the list of all of the upcoming premiere dates for the next few months.

SEE YOU THURSDAY! 

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