The TV thread

A look at the television trends that are no longer needed in the 2020s and beyond.

5 TV trends to retire in 2020

 

I have heard some version of this said a few times by British guests on podcasts. "Americans think British TV is good only because you watch the good shows, not the the dreck."

I wonder how much of the difference between US and British TV schedule is based in the different businesses. The BBC does not have to sell ads. Imagine how hard it would be to sell ads for a large number of new shows every year. Or turn away from a show that you know will do well with advertisers.

Another thing is syndication. Are British TV shows syndicated to the same extent? US TV still has a big interest in creating shows that can do well in syndication and to do that companies need a lot of content.

 

Watching all the football this weekend - I can't believe people still watch a lot of network shows. CBSs action shows (SWAT and SEAL TEAM? Hawaii 5-0 AND Magnum? Three NCIS?) are about as indistinguishible from each other as their comedies. I do cop to Madame Secretary and Survivor (and The Good Place on NBC). I'm glad that a lot of actors are getting good checks, but kind of sad to see what they're doing after appearing in better shows earlier in their careers. I mean, Angela Bassett, Peter Krause, Aisha Hinds and Connie Britton on a show called 911?


As for the BBC thing - not having to rely on ads changes things on a couple of levels. The BBC has a charge to entertain, but also represent all aspects of UK life
When you rely on advertising, you are shaping a schedule to target specific audiences targeted by advertisers. Always thought ABC geared their schedule toward women to pair their ad sales of ESPN to men. NBC only programs about 10 hours of scripted a week so they can pick and choose and CBS takes one risk a season. Fox targets nerds.

 

It all goes back to syndication. USA Network and TNT need something to show. There are still UHF channels that broadcast repeats of all the cop shows and there are some sub-channels that do, also.

 

Finished "The Man in the High Castle." The second-to-last episode is tremendous. The ending left me feeling a little bit flat, like I expected more, but it was OK. They had to end it somehow. The Chilton character went from shithead to someone you admire for his ability to keep going. That guy should have been killed a bunch of times, but he made it out.

 

I was under the impression they were finishing with a 10-ep season. Hard to believe they have four more eps to fill after what happened in the most recent episode. Loved the (fake) tracking shot when all the big shots were gathered in the room and I have to think there was at least a veiled reference to Trump with one of the people in the room. Same hair and stature, though only scene from the back.

 

Not sure there has been a better political show since The West Wing than The Crown. Not only do I learn about some moments in history that have eluded me - the way the producers are able to weave that into the personal growth of the Royal Family is pretty genius.

Hard to pick a favorite episode, but the coal pile collapse, the moon landing one and Charles at Wales are probably at the top.

Also didn't realize Prince Harry's new kid is going without a title (until the next succession) - for now he's he's just Archie Mountbatten-Windsor (which is the actual last name of the Royals - fun fact: it used to be Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, but was changed due to anti-German sentiment in 1917. In this case the family (Windsor) is named after the castle, not the other way around.

 

I think the Trump demographic sits firmly in the NCIS or SWAT or other network “action” shows.

 

Finally started Watchmen. It's a total mindfuck. I love it. And that Reznor/Ross soundtrack is killer.

 

Reznor has had quite the run as a musician. A Tony is probably his only serious impediment to an EGOT - He's already got the Oscar and Grammy (although strangely, it took until 2013 for his movie work, because Grammies be Grammying), and he could easily bang out an Emmy.

 

You know, Zelensky's "Servant of the People" is a pretty good show (on Netflix). It's kind of Head of the Class meets Dave meets House of Cards. But in the Ukraine.

Also - Season 3 of Glow is solid - I guess I don't know why they seemed to let some plot points drop without tying them off given it's on Netflix. And some of their "drama moments" aren't entirely earned, but you tend to forget it is set in the '80s (they kind of touch on cultural appropriation and MeeToo) but there are some great moments.

 

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