Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Tuesday, October 6th, 2020

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Tuesday, October 6th, 2020. I'm writing this from the Twin Cities suburbs, where AllYourScreens HQ is powered by coffee that's too strong & banana bread that needs some iced topping.

NETFLIX AND THE TRUE CRIME AUDIENCE
There is a lot of discussion about Netflix's content spend and whether they can develop in-house IP to rival competitors such as Disney. But it's worth noting that one constant for Netflix in 2020 has been the success of its line-up of true crime-ish documentaries. The horrifying 90-minute American Murder: The Family Next Door has been at the top of Netflix's Top Ten list for six days and let's not forget The Tiger King. None of these shows are IP that can be specifically exploited in the long-term. But they have established Netflix as a destination for this type of programming. 

I was thinking about this a lot last night, as I finished watching the five-part documentary The Con, which premieres today on VOD. It is an impressively comprehensive look at how corruption and greed led to bankruptcy, homelessness and suicide in the 2008 mortgage crisis. The docuseries is so frustrating to watch, as filmmakers Eric Vaughan, Patrick Lovell, and Adam Bronfman lay out the many ways average Americans were manipulated and scammed out of their houses. The series is built around the story of a 90-year-old Akron, Ohio widow who killed herself when she was faced with losing her house to foreclosure. As the story unfolds, it turns out that she had never even applied for the loan that resulted in her suicide. Someone had forged her name multiple times, taken out several loans against her home equity and used corrupt appraisers and government officials to ram through the deals. And as The Con lays out in painful detail, this process was repeated tens of thousands of times in the years leading up to 2008.

As impressive as The Con is to watch, I couldn't help thinking that it is going to be lost on VOD. But it is one of those documentaries that would be the topic of the week if were premiering on Netflix. And that is one of the underappreciated strengths of Netflix-it has a breadth of audience and content that can make the right content - even unscripted shows - a hit.

MEET THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPS FOR SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA COMPANIES
While this ProPublica piece doesn't have a direct media industry connection, it does provide a somewhat depressing look at the people providing customer service support for some of your favorite media companies. The investigation specifically focuses on Arise, a company that provides customer service support for a wide variety of companies. Including, as it turns out, AT&T:

After paying about $1,500 for home office equipment: a computer, two headsets and a phone line dedicated to Arise; after paying Arise to run a check on her background; after passing Arise’s voice-assessment test and signing Arise’s nondisclosure form; after paying for and passing Arise’s introductory training, to which she devoted three days, unpaid; after paying for and passing a certification course to provide customer service for Arise client AT&T, to which she devoted 44 unpaid days; after then being informed she had to get more training yet — an additional 10 days, for which she was told she would be paid, but wasn’t; and then, after finally getting a chance to sign up for hours and do work for which she would be paid (except for her time spent waiting for technical support, or researching customer issues, or huddling with supervisors), Tami Pendergraft spent three weeks fielding telephone calls from AT&T customers, after which she received a single paycheck.

For $96.12.

But while people working for Arise might struggle to make money, the company itself is doing quite well:

Arise is privately held, so its finances are not public. But a 2017 confidential slide deck obtained by ProPublica shows quarterly revenue of $40 million and a gross profit margin of nearly 30%. Intuit, Carnival, Disney and Comcast were among the largest revenue generators.

Arise was acquired last year by Warburg Pincus, the New York private equity firm. A report the firm published this year said it seeks, in its investments, to “support the payment of competitive wages and benefits to employees.” A spokeswoman for Warburg Pincus declined to comment.

Here is a rundown of the new television programs premiering today:

1) Black Box (Amazon)
After losing his wife and his memory in a car accident, a single father undergoes an experimental treatment that causes him to question who he really is.

2) Ellen's Game Of Games Season Premiere (NBC)
The show includes supersized versions of the most popular and action-packed games from DeGeneres’ award-winning daytime talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, as well as some designed especially for the primetime show. Contestants must maneuver massive obstacles, answer questions under crushing time pressure and face gigantic plunges into the unknown – all in a quest to win a big cash prize.

3) Frontline: America Unprotected: The Medical Supply Crisis (PBS)
An investigation into how the U.S. was left scrambling and desperate for critical medical equipment as the coronavirus swept the country.

4) Homestead Rescue: Raney Ranch Series Premiere (Discovery)
For years the Raney family has helped novice homesteaders around the country save their homesteads from brink of failure and helped to bring their dreams of living off the grid to life. Now, inspired by years’ worth of rescues, Marty Raney will attempt his greatest recue of all – his very own 40-acre homestead.

5) Latino Vote: Dispatches From The Battleground (PBS)
Get an inside look at the high-stakes effort to get out the Latino vote in this year’s election. Political candidates are focused on maximizing turnout and support from Latinos, poised to be the largest non-white voting bloc.

6) Siempre, Luis (HBO)
The documentary centers on Luis A. Miranda Jr. who left Vega Alta, Puerto Rico for New York City in the 1970s. Filmed over the course of a year, Luis’ devotion to family and country propels him forward despite recent health issues. Always searching for ways to assist communities in need, particularly when his beloved Puerto Rico is suffering, Luis moves to action following the devastation of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, coordinating relief efforts and raising money and awareness while managing the complicated and ambitious tasks involved in bringing his son’s award-winning production of Hamilton to the island.

7) Special Division Series Premiere (MHz Choice)
This Armenian drama is about plainclothes superheroes – an elite Special Division that tackles difficult crimes and embraces its mission as a calling rather than a job. No moral ambiguity here – just good guys ferreting out the bad. It’s a very traditional show, generated by a society more traditional than the US. There is romance, but understated: people, for the most part, keep their clothes on. (Isn’t that more smoldering, anyway?) Special Division offers a look into a culture and part of the world you may not be acquainted with.

8) StarBeam: Halloween Hero (Netflix)
Greedy Captain Fishbeard is stealing everybody's Halloween treats for himself, but StarBeam and Boost have some tricks up their sleeves to save the day.

9) Swamp Thing Series Broadcast Premiere (The CW)
When a mysterious illness strikes the small Louisiana town of Marais, CDC investigator Abby Arcane (Crystal Reed) is sent back to investigate. Meanwhile, biologist Alec Holland (Andy Bean) goes missing while investigating in the depts of the swamp and something else rises in his place: Swamp Thing (Derek Mears), a mysterious creature born of the swamp’s mystical and terrifying secrets.

10) The Lie (Amazon)
When their teenaged daughter confesses to impulsively killing her best friend, two desperate parents cover up the horrific crime with a web of lies and deception.

TOO MUCH TV REALLY IS A THING
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.