Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Friday, May 31st, 2024:
PRODUCTION NOTES
In Friday's newsletter, I mentioned a few of the behind-the-scenes changes coming to AllYourScreens.com and also to this newsletter.
One more change is that beginning today, through the end of the day on June 15th, a kind donor has agreed to match 100% of all the subscription money that comes in. It's a very kind offer and I appreciate the support. So if upgrading to a paid subscription has been something you have been considering, this would be a great time to do so.
And by the way, of you would like to purchase multiple subscriptions for the office, four or more subscriptions are discounted to $25 per subscription.
HOW BRISBANE CITY COUNCIL HAS FAILED TO CAPITALIZE ON 'BLUEY' TOURISM
Dan Barrett lives in Australia and his Always Be Watching newsletter is one of my go-to sources for tracking the TV and streaming scene in that country. He wrote a piece today about the fact that the globally popular Bluey show often uses real-world reference points for locations on the show, which has led fans of the show to track down and visit some of the real-life spots:
Turtleboy is one of those “if you know, you know” pop culture figures. But the short of it is: There’s an episode of Bluey where the little sister Bingo finds a toy turtle in the park. She names it Turtleboy and wants to take it home. Her dad says no because it doesn’t belong to her, but she revisits the toy regularly for the next few weeks. What she doesn’t know is that there is another kid also playing with the toy when she isn’t at the park.
Why don’t you take it home? It’s because, as the episode teaches “It’s not the done thing.”
In real life, some lovely person has purchased a Turtleboy toy and placed it in the park for kids to discover and play with. It lives in a plastic box and there are instructions to put it back when done.
But as Barrett notes, for some reason the Brisbane City Council has failed to do anything to encourage these connections and in fact has sometimes made the discovery process for fans much harder:
It would be inexpensive to put up a sign in these locations explaining its connection to the show or to create an online Bluey trail map of locations. It’s the sort of thing that would drive interest from tourists, while also getting locals out and about in the community.
Instead, BCC removed the barbeque from Benjamina Place Park (a key element in the episode). Good work, guys.
AND IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE FRENCH PERSPECTIVE....
Another favorite international industry Substack is Netflix & Chiffres, which focuses on the French and sometimes European TV and streaming industry. It is written in French, but thanks to Google translate, that isn't an issue.
Today's newsletter took data from last week's release of viewing numbers by Netflix and parsed it in an unusual way. It attempted to measure the long tail of viewing, by breaking out which English-language films were grabbing the most engagement years after their release. You'll want to read the entire post in order to get a full explanation of how the Netflix data was used, but it's a really fascinating breakdown:
It's really enlightening to see some of the surprising titles that still nab significant viewer numbers years after they have been released. And then there are the underrate films (like Spectral in the graphic below), which were never huge hits, but continue to be discovered by audiences. By the way, Spectral is a tightly-wound action film that deserves a look if you haven't seen it:
I DON'T USUALLY LIKE TO COMPARE MY WORK TO SOMEONE ELSE'S
But in this case....I just noticed the Variety piece From ‘The Crown’ to ‘Franklin,’ How France Has Become TV’s New Sought-After Backdrop, which is posted in their awards section. But the weird thing is that - despite the headline - the article doesn't actually explain why so many productions end up in France. It's primarily a rundown of recent projects that have filmed there, with this sorta-explanation of France's popularity with filmmakers:
France has never had trouble getting people to fall in love with its many pleasures: the Eiffel Tower, the Palace of Versailles, the Louvre, and the island majesty of Mont Saint-Michel. It sells itself, which is probably why it is such a sought-after backdrop for television series.
But in the last year, France has been shown even more love than usual, as more than half a dozen shows, all vying for Emmy attention this season, explored the country through the ages. And no, this wasn’t some elaborate promotion for the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
From the 1600s to the modern day to a post-zombie apocalypse future, no cultural stone went unturned on TV this year, giving viewers even more reason to book their next (hopefully zombie-free) vacation.
Contrast that take with the piece on productions in France that I posted late last month, which focused on the business reasons why the country had gained popularity:
Currently, France offers a Tax Rate For International Production (TRIP), which rebates up to 30% of the eligible production spend up to a cap of $33,000,000. The rate increases an additional 10% when VFX expenses spent on French soil surpass $2.2 million.
France's national film organization - CNC - has been spearheading a France 2030 project entitled "The Great Image Factory" which plans to spend as much as $280 million to double the country's available surface area of sound sets and quadruple the surface area of backlots by 2030.
Another factor in the growth of France film and television production industry is a side effect of the UK's departure from the European Union. Brexit made it more expensive to move back and forth into the UK from Europe, so more productions are staying in Europe and using local sets to stand-in for the UK.
I think there is a perception that the Hollywood trades offer a more in-depth and nuanced take on the industry. And I can tell you from personal experience, that is often not the case.
ODDS AND SODS
* The CW has picked up All American for a 13-episode seventh season, which will premiere next year. It has also picked up an eleventh season of Penn & Teller: Fool Us as well as a fourth season of The Chosen.
* The new-ish Jennifer Lopez sci-fi action thriller Atlas was roundly derided by critics. But I don't care what they say, I thought the film was a lot of fun.
* Netflix has ordered a second season of Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar.
* Here is a first video look at "Burger Dog," one of the new Bluey minisodes premiering on July 3rd.
WHAT'S NEW TONIGHT AND TOMORROW
MONDAY, JUNE 3RD:
American Ninja Warriors Season Premiere (NBC)
Battle On The Beach Season Premiere (HGTV)
Below Deck Mediterranean Season Premiere (Netflix)
Deadly Influence: The Social Media Murders (Investigation Discovery)
Erased: WW2's Heroes Of Color (NatGeo)
Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up (Lifetime)
Holy Marvels With Dennis Quaid Series Premiere (History)
Name That Tune Season Premiere (Fox)
The Real Red Tails (NatGeo)
Unexpected Season Premiere (TLC)
Who The (Bleep) Did I Marry? Season Premiere (Investigation Discovery)
TUESDAY, JUNE 4TH:
Clipped Series Premiere (FX)
Jo Koy: Live From Brooklyn (Netflix)
Let The Canary Sing (Paramount+)
Marlon Wayans: Good Grief (Prime Video)
The Acolyte Series Premiere (Disney+)
The Eagle Series Premiere (MHz Choice)
30 For 30: I'm Just Here For The Riot (ESPN)
Who Killed WCW? (Vice)
SEE YOU ON TUESDAY!