Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Wednesday, February 14th, 2024

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Wednesday, February 14th, 2024.

NBCU DAY AT THE WINTER TCAS
Today was NBCUniversal day at the TCAs and to be honest, it was a bit of a mixed bag for me.

* The panel I was most interested in was one on the 2024 Winter Olympics, with Executive Producer and President of Olympics Production Molly Solomon, swimming analyst Rowdy Gaines and "special guest" Snoop Dogg. But much of the panel involved Solomon interviewing Gaines and Mr. Dogg. And while critics were able to get a few questions in (I asked one about the role of social media in driving younger viewers to the linear TV and streaming products), not much of substance came out of the panel.

And there is a lot of interest to discuss, from NBCU's approach to broadcasting and streaming the games to more micro issues such as the challenges of promoting your broadcasts on globally social media platforms while dealing with the restrictions of the difficulties of only having the media rights to a small portion of the global audience.

I'm hoping I'll get the opportunity to speak more with executives as we move towards the Summer Olympics. There are a lot of fascinating issues to unpack here and I don't think they receive enough attention.

* There was a panel for the new comedy Extended Family, which is a show that is packed with an experienced cast - Jon Cryer, Donald Faison, Abigail Spencer - and a very experienced creator/showrunner in Mike O'Malley. There is potential in the series, but it still feels more like a collection of ideas and actors people think might work, rather than a show which has actually jelled. 

That being said, the cast is delightful and I'd love to see the show find its creative groove.

* The day ended with a cocktail party hosted by NBCU which brought in a number of cast from various scripted and unscripted shows. To be honest, this isn't my favorite way to interview people. It's loud and hectic and my preference is to have a few uninterrupted minutes to have an actual conversation with people.

It's also a challenge because often the better-known names are being shepherded through the party by publicists, who make sure they end up talking primarily to reporters at the biggest outlets. Which is fine with me, because I really enjoy speaking to the unexpected guests. I had some fun moments with people like Jon Cryer, Donald Faison and Terry Crews. But I think my favorite moment was speaking with someone who was the guest of one of the contestants from the upcoming Peacock reality series Love Undercover. It's basically a show about a group of well-known soccer players looking for love and it's not a show I would normally be interested in covering. But after talking to the guest - and then later the contestant - I'm interested in seeing what it looks like. And I think that's what these events are most useful for from my perspective. Not getting an "interview" but having the opportunity to discover unexpected shows and moments.

* Tomorrow is the final day of the Winter TCAs, with The CW doing a morning full of panels. I'll talk more about this tomorrow, but if you haven't looked at the network's programming recently, you're missing out. Son Of A Critch can most accurately be described as the "Canadian Wonder Years." And scripted dramas such as Wild Cards and Sight Unseen are the type of breezy detective shows that viewers complain the networks don't make anymore. 

The CW proves that the networks are making those shows. They're just increasingly doing it in Canada (which is where all these shows were produced).

ODDS AND SODS
* I reviewed the new Apple TV+ special Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home Franklin, which is delightful.

* Someone has created an all-Lego version of The Great British Bake-Off and I have never wanted anything more than this.

* Here is a photo gallery of images from the set visit to Bob Hearts Abishola.

* Molly Shannon is joining the cast of Only Murders in The Building for its fourth season. I am by nature a skeptical man, but a fourth season of this series seems creatively risky.

* The fifth and final season of Star Trek: Discovery will debut on Paramount+ April 4th. I've absolutely loved this series and am interested to see how this epic story wraps up.

* Peacock announced four new programs: a James Wan-produced techno-thriller starring Simu Liu, a limited series entitled All Her Fault, Mr. Throwback, a new series starring Adam Pally & Steph Curry helmed by Happy Endings creator David Caspe, and the true crime series Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy.

WHAT'S NEW TONIGHT AND TOMORROW

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH:
* A Soweto Love Story (Netflix)
* Ghost Adventures: Screening Room Season Premiere (Discovery)
* Good Morning, Verônica Season Three Premiere (Netflix)
* Love Is Blind (Netflix)
* Players (Netflix)
* Resident Alien Season Premiere (Syfy)
* Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures Season Premiere (Disney+)
* The Heartbreak Agency (Netflix)
* The New Look Series Premiere (Apple TV+)
* The Sidemen Story (Netflix)

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH:
* Blue Bloods Season Premiere (CBS)
* Comedy Chaos Series Premiere (Netflix)
* Einstein And The Bomb (Netflix)
* Fire Country Season Premiere (CBS)
* Life & Beth Series Premiere (Hulu)
* Kevin Hart's Muscle Car Crew (The Roku Channel)
* Rhythm + Flow Italy Series Premiere (Netflix)
* River (Asian Crush)
* Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin (Apple TV+)
* SWAT Season Premiere (CBS)
* The Abyss (Netflix)
* The Grand Tour: Sand Job (Prime Video)
* The Dynasty: New England Patriots (Apple TV+)
* The Proof Is Out There Season Premiere (History)
* This Is Me....Now: A Love Story (Prime Video)
* Totally Funny Animals Series Premiere (The CW)
* Totally Funny Kids Series Premiere (The CW)

SEE YOU ON THURSDAY!