Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Monday, June 6th, 2022
If only there was a woman CBS could hire to host a late night talk show...
Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Monday, June 6th, 2022.
FOX ANNOUNCES ITS FALL PRIMETIME SCHEDULE
Last month, Fox was the only broadcaster not to unveil a fall schedule during upfront week. Today, it not only announced its overdue schedule, but became the first broadcast network to announce fall premiere dates.
Fox’s fall premiere dates are below. All times are ET/PT unless noted.
Sunday, September 11th
8 p.m.: Monarch
Monday, September 12th
8 p.m.: 911
9 p.m.: The Cleaning Lady
Tuesday, September 20th
8 p.m.: The Resident
9 p.m.: Monarch (regular slot)
Wednesday, September 21st
8 p.m.: The Masked Singer
9 p.m.: Lego Masters
Sunday, September 25th
8 p.m.: The Simpsons
8:30 p.m.: The Great North
9 p.m.: Bob’s Burgers
9:30 p.m.: Family Guy
Thursday, September 29th
8 p.m.: Hell’s Kitchen
9 p.m.: Welcome to Flatch
9:30 p.m.: Call Me Kat
IF ONLY THERE WERE SOME WOMEN CBS COULD HIRE TO HOST A LATE NIGHT TALKER
CBS is considering replacing James Corden’s late-night show with a multi-host panel, according to a piece in today's Variety:
CBS is considering replacing Corden’s distinct program with a multi-host panel, according to three people familiar with the matter, a sign of how late-night is changing as viewers sample the best of the programs via social media rather than watching them in their wee-hours’ time slot. Corden has decided to leave “The Late Late Show” in the spring of 2023. A panel format could encompass a wide range of concepts, such as the news-roundtable program “Politically Incorrect,” which Bill Maher led on ABC late-nights between 1997 and 2002; the gossipy “Chelsea Lately” that was led by Chelsea Handler on E! between 2007 and 2014; or even the frenetic game-show stylings of “@midnight,” which aired in late night on Comedy Central between 2013 and 2017.
Ironically, the piece says CBS executives see a rotating group of guests as a way to bring more diversity to late night and allow more opportunities for viral moments that can be shared on social media:
People familiar with the matter suggest CBS is mindful of having the new show’s production costs align with the new ways people are watching late-night TV. Producers of the shows often find themselves focusing more intently on feedback from social media users, who pass around clips from the previous evening’s programs and watch them on Twitter or YouTube. In some views, the big late-night shows remains tied to some of TV’s earliest traditions and may not be as relevant to an audience that often watches comedy clips on phones and tablets. Many networks have chosen to test weekly shows that have ties to late-night antics, such as Samantha Bee’s “Full Frontal” on TBS or “Desus & Mero” on Showtime.
A panel show might help. It would rely on several personalities, even rotating a bunch in the mix, so the program wouldn’t hinge too heavily on one particular host. And it would allow the network to tap a broader array of talent, potentially weaving more diversity into a time period that doesn’t have much of it at present.
There are a couple of problems with this approach. The "not hinging too much on one host" idea sounds nice in practice. But that assumes that viewers would tune into the show no matter who is hosting, which runs counter to nearly every late night TV experience the networks have had. Yes, the format is tired. But the changes that need to be made are the ones least likely to happen in this scenario. Much of the current late night talkers aren't worth watching because each segment and every guest appearance is planned to the point where every bit of spontaneity is engineered out of the final product.
If you want social media-friendly moments, then you need to hard-wire chaos into the format. Clips of actors talking about their upcoming movie or how much they love their pets don't generally go viral. Unexpected, magical moments are the ones that get shared.
And while I have no way of knowing what criteria CBS is using to decide on the future of the show, this paragraph doesn't lead me to be hopeful, given that NBC's late night lineup is certainly successful in a bioengineered corporate sort of way:
People familiar with the matter suggest CBS has already been approached by representatives of various hopefuls for a hosting gig, but is not likely to really ramp up its search until after the summer. These people indicated that George Cheeks, the senior Paramount Global executive who oversees CBS and as well as news and sports content for Paramount Plus, is deeply involved in the process of finding a successor for Corden. He certainly has the experience. One of the jobs Cheeks had while working at NBCUniversal was supervising late-night shows such as “Saturday Night Live,” “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “Late Night With Seth Meyers” for NBC Entertainment.
MORE ADVENTURES IN CONTENT DISCOVERY
I write a lot about content discovery because it's one of the toughest challenges in the industry and there seem to be an endless number of things that can stand in the way of subscribers finding that show they will really love.
I found one example of that today on Paramount +, after I saw someone tweeting about the series Joe Pickett, which had its Paramount+ premiere on May 15th.
I wrote about the show when it premiered on Spectrum, but since only about twelve people watched it there, it's essentially a new series to everyone else. I suppose because Paramount+ has it as a second window, it doesn't appear to be a high profile for the streamer (although to be honest, they seem to be hit or miss on what they pitch to me). But my old review has been getting a steady increase of traffic since it premiered on Paramount+, so presumably some people are watching.
But aside from the lack of promotion from Paramount+, there's also UX issue on the streamer that isn't helping the situation. Season one has ten episodes and the splash show page for the series on Paramount+ notes a new episode premieres every Sunday. Except that if you look at the episodes, they have the date the episodes premiered on Spectrum, so it appears the show only has five episodes and the last new one was posted on December 12th, 2021. Which would lead subscribers to think the season is over, instead of only halfway done.
All of this is a shame, because Joe Pickett is quite good and if you enjoyed Longmire, this series will be right in your sweet spot.
ODDS AND SODS
* Netflix has announced its series adaptation of The Sandman is premiering on Friday, August 5th.
* AppleTV+ has landed Steve McQueen's next feature film Blitz. The film, written, directed, and produced by McQueen, tells the stories of Londoners during the Blitz of World War II and it is set to begin filming later this year.
* How to make your TV show break through the noise.
* The Max Original comedy series Gordita Chronicles, from Zoe Saldana's Cinestar Pictures and Osprey Productions, debuts Thursday, June 23rd.
* Jon Hamm, Ted Lasso star June Temple and Jennifer Jason Leigh are joining Fargo for season five.
* The Midnight Club, from Midnight Mass creator Mike Flanagan, debuts October 7th on Netflix.
TWEET OF THE DAY
WHAT'S NEW FOR MONDAY
Here's a quick rundown of all the new stuff premiering today on TV and streaming:
Action Pack (Netflix)
American Ninja Warrior Season Premiere (NBC)
Bill Burr Presents: Friends Who Kill (Netflix)
In The Dark Season Premiere (The CW)
Irma Vep (HBO)
Link: Eat, Love, Kill Series Premiere (Disney+)
London Kills (Acorn TV)
Miz & Mrs. Season Premiere (USA)
MTV Video Music Awards: Unscripted (MTV)
Payback (TV One)
People Magazine Investigates Season Six Premiere (Investigation Discovery)
Roswell, New Mexico Season Premiere (The CW)
Sleeping With A Killer (Lifetime)
Seeking Sister Wife Season Premiere (TLC)
#TextMeWhenYouGetHome (Lifetime)
The Barking Murders (BritBox)
The Family Chantal Season Premiere (TLC)
The Northman (Peacock)
Click Here to see the list of all of the upcoming premiere dates for the next few months.
SEE YOU TUESDAY!
If you have any feedback, send it along to Rick@AllYourScreens.com and follow me on Twitter @aysrick.