Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Friday, April 28th, 2023

Variety finds a guy who retired 15 years ago to talk about mini-rooms.

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Friday, April 28th, 2023.

A FEW PROGRAMMING NOTES
There has been an influx of new subscribers over the last month and this seems like a good time to let you know what to expect. Too Much TV is a daily M-F newsletter that tries to cover all the important things you should know about. It's not always the most important news. Instead, it's highlighting the stuff that really matters. And it's written by someone who (he says modestly) has a lot of knowledge about the industry. But I also live in the Twin Cities now, so I have a unique perspective that makes it a bit easier not to get bogged down in conventional industry wisdom.

Along those lines, here are links to some recent-ish pieces I've written for my web site AllYourScreens. In many cases, they are expanded versions of what you might have first read in this newsletter:

* A Netflix Executive Unofficially Weighs In On Residuals, Mini Rooms

* Should Most Streaming Original Movies Receive A Theatrical Release?

* The Long, Dumb Ride Of Discovery+

* Why Are Netflix's PR Efforts So....Grrrr

* The Iraq War Began 20 Years Ago Today. Phil Donahue's MSNBC Show Was One Of The First Casualties

* Why The 'Pokemon' Franchise Matters To Netflix

* Warner Bros Discovery Embraces The Familiar To The 'Max'

As someone who makes his living with this newsletter and web site, I am always feeling the financial pressures that come with being an independent journalist. But I am also a reader, so the web site isn't crammed with auto-playing videos and cheesy ads. And I also don't enjoy reading newsletters that ask for money in every single issue. So I try and limit the mentions here to once or twice a month.

But I do offer a paid upgrade and if you'd like to support my efforts, I would appreciate it. This newsletter will always be free, but if you find it valuable and want to encourage the work, I've priced it lower than any of my competitors. Just click on the link below and it should take you directly to upgrade page.

Whether you have a free or paid subscription, I appreciate the support. And with a writer's strike likely by Monday night, I think having an independent voice covering the industry will be even more important than ever.

VARIETY FINDS A GUY WHO RETIRED 15 YEARS AGO TO TALK ABOUT A WRITER'S STRIKE
With about 72 hours left until a probable WGA strike, entertainment industry journalists are scrambling to find someone - anyone - who will talk on the record. Even in the midst of a strike both sides generally stick to vaguely-sourced comments publicized in the trades. So finding someone with experience as a labor negotiator with one of the networks sounds like a great find. Especially if they are willing to speak on the record.

And to be fair, someone with 40 years of industry experience does have some useful insight. But it's also helpful to keep in mind that he retired in 2009, at a time when Netflix's streaming business was two years old. There is definitely some useful stuff in this interview. But it's also clear that he doesn't have a handle on the current negotiating landscape, like his take on the "mini-rooms" discussion:

There is a parallel. You talk about manning requirements – you have to have so many workers per camera. The Writers Guild is proposing if you want to make a TV show, it’s got to have this number of writers. What they’re looking for is not necessarily a dollar figure for that. But I would think that would run into that same issue.

It kind of does. My initial reaction to that – I wasn’t aware of that as a proposal – but my reaction if I were sitting there at the table, I’d say “Hell no. You’re not going to tell us how many people it needs.” Obviously the complaint is, “Oh, these poor writers are working too hard. They can’t produce these shows. Now they gotta turn it around in two days and get a script out there. They’re being worked to death. And that’s because you don’t have enough writers engaged. You have to have more writers.” So every show – a half-hour (show) has to have eight. Every hour(-long show) has to have 12 – whatever it is. If that is a proposal, I think my company would absolutely take a strike over that issue, because no one is going to tell us how many it takes. There are so many variable factors. No, to me that would be an absolute horror show. 

But for all the cluelessness, I do think it's important to understand that based on what I am hearing from both sides, the mini-room negotiations are likely to be some of the most difficult ones to untangle. The two sides are so far apart on just the general parameters of the problem that it's hard to see where the middle ground might be. 

THIS IS WHY LOW-ARPU COUNTRIES LIKE INDIA MATTER TO THE FUTURE OF STREAMING
Every earnings season, there is this predictable discussion about the relative value of streaming subscribers in mature markets such as the United States vs. those in markets such as India, where the average revenue per user is just a fraction of what it is here in the States.

You'll often read industry analysts and reporters arguing that streamers such as Netflix shouldn't devote significant resources to those emerging markets, because the return is so much less significant.

But those are also the markets that are growing the fastest, both in population and in revenue. For instance, India just surpassed China as the most populous country. And while the bulk of China’s population is concentrated in the 30-60 age range, India’s citizens are mostly between 0 and 40. Even better for American companies, English is a commonly understood language.

India has also been successful raising the overall average income in the country over the past twenty years. And that growing wealth has allowed its residents to spend more money on non-core expenses. Like the internet:

In the streaming world, Netflix, Prime Video and Disney/HotStar are major players in the Indian market. Both Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global have opted for local partnerships, which does lower the financial downside. But it also means both companies are much less well-known with Indian entertainment consumers.

It's true that in 2023, the revenue per user in India is quite low when compared to more mature markets. But the streaming companies that are devoting immense financial resources now are doing it large part because they want to be part of the conversation as India grows. It's not necessarily the best financial move in the short term. But it builds the foundation for medium and long-term success in the region.

ODDS AND SODS
* Fox has ordered the Hawaii lifeguard drama Rescue: HI-Surf from producer John Wells. The show is described as "an action-packed drama that follows the personal and professional lives of the heavy-water lifeguards who patrol and protect the North Shore of O’ahu—the most famous and dangerous stretch of coastline in the world. Each episode will feature these dedicated, heroic, and adrenaline-seeking first-responders saving lives in the difficult and often life-threatening conditions of Hawaii’s Seven Mile Miracle." So a slightly upscale Baywatch? It will debut in the 2023/2024 season.

* The HBO Original documentary Love To Love You, Donna Summer premieres on May 20th. It's co-produced by Brooklyn Sudano, daughter of Donna Summer and the description promises lots of previously unreleased footage and photos.

* Bounce has announced its summer schedule, renewing the dramedy Johnson for a third season with a premiere date of Saturday, August 5th. The summer season of Act Your Age premieres on Saturday, June 3rd and the documentary Xernona Clayton: A Life in Black and White premieres Monday, June 19th.

* Here is a link to the official WGA strike rules, in case you're interested.

TWEET(S) OF THE DAY

WHAT'S NEW FOR THIS WEEKEND:

FRIDAY, APRIL 28TH:
* Aka (Netflix)
* Charles: In His Own Words (NatGeo)
* Citadel Series Premiere (Prime Video)
* Clock (Hulu)
* Couples Therapy Season Premiere (Showtime)
* Frog And Toad Series Premiere (Apple TV+)
* From Black (Shudder/AMC+)
* Headless Chickens (HBO Max)
* King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch Series Premiere (Netflix)
* Peter Pan & Wendy (Disney+)
* The Restless (Film Movement)
* 2023 NFL Draft (ABC)
* Warner Bros. 100 Years (HBO Max)
* Wave Makers (Netflix)
* Who's Talking to Chris Wallace? (CNN/HBO Max)

SATURDAY, APRIL 29TH, 2023:
* Moonage Daydream (HBO)
* Road Trip Hostage (Lifetime)
* The Spin Cycle (Hallmark)

SUNDAY, APRIL 30TH, 2023:
* Autopsy: The Last Hours Of Flip Wilson (Reelz)
* Fatal Attraction Series Premiere (Paramount +)
* Masterpiece: Tom Jones (PBS)
* Spring Breakthrough (Hallmark Movies And Mysteries)
* Stone Cold Takes On America Series Premiere (A&E)
* Time100: The World's Most Influential People (ABC)

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

SEE YOU FRIDAY!

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