Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Friday, August 22nd, 2025:
PRODUCTION NOTES
I have been doing this newsletter for around four years and I have never missed multiple newsletters in one week until now. I don't even take vacations away from the newsletter aside from over the Christmas/New Year's week and yes, I am aware that fact is more of a cry for help than something I should brag about. But some difficult dental surgery knocked me down hard this past week and I was out of commission for multiple days. Although on the upside, I did hear a dentist tell me something I never thought I would hear: "the problem is that your tongue is too large for your mouth." And no, I am not exactly sure what that means.
So thank you for your patience. Hopefully, the worst is behind me.
I REALLY HATE BEING BEAT WITH A SCOOP
You may recall that about two weeks ago, I published a blind item in frustration after spending days unsuccessfully attempting to nail down a story. I was 90 percent sure I had it right. But I could not get the confirmation I felt I needed to publish the story:
While I didn't identify the site at the time, I was referencing the acquisition of TV Line by Static Media, which was apparently finalized several weeks ago. The story was broken by Oliver Darcy tonight in his Status newsletter, then quickly followed by a piece in PMC-owned outlet Variety. I'm not sure which frustrated me more - that Oliver was able to confirm the story when I couldn't or that PMC didn't feel it necessary to acknowledge the sale until his piece posted.
The sale of TV Line is a the latest in a string of moves by PMC that suggest either a retrenchment at the company or on ongoing need to reduce spending. In the past eighteen months, PMC has laid off a number of people across its titles, sold the Austin TV Festival (ATX) back to its founders and also sold BGR (aka Boy Genius Report) to Static Media. There are also ongoing suggestions from sources I've spoken to that PMC might also be shopping IndieWire around to several companies who had unsuccessfully bid for TV Line.
PMC is a privately-held company and there is no way to know what the company's bottom line might look like. But the online news business across the board has suffered from slumping ad revenue and rapidly declining search engine traffic. And while PMC has insisted in the past that its live events business has "never been healthier," people I have spoken to recently on the studio side report that there is less money available for these events across the industry. At the same time that PMC is facing increased competition from digital rivals such as The Ankler and Puck.
As always, if you have anything to share about this story, you can reach out confidentially to me at
THAT TIME WHEN MY HOMETOWN GOT MAD AT MADONNA
This really isn't a TV story, although the movie "A League Of Their Own" is a TV staple. But I couldn't resist a story that featured my hometown of Evansville, Indiana.
Part of the film was shot in Evansville, because it was the location of Bosse Field, the third-oldest professional baseball stadium in the United States, behind only Wrigley Field and Fenway Park. The stars of the movie were in town for weeks and when Madonna was quoted in TV Guide complaining the town was a lot like Prague, it sparked a bit of hometown pride and even a few protests:
"Entertainment Tonight" ended up doing a segment on Madonna and Evansville. Arsenio Hall, whose late-night TV show had millions of viewers, had Madonna and Rosie O'Donnell on and asked how they liked Indiana.
O'Donnell joked that Madonna was planning on buying a house in Evansville. Hall followed up and asked about the protest, to which Madonna replied, "They thought I threw shade on them." She shrugged and said, "What are you gonna do? They only had one drag bar there!"
The article is a fun look at what passed for a viral moment in the pre-internet era and the current issue of Evansville Magazine also has an interview with the article's writer, whose grandfather was the first Black member of the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation board.
TWEET OF THE DAY
SOMETHING I AM SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING
The wonderful music-oriented newsletter On Repeat Records is doing an event I think could be fun and I am curious as to whether any of you would be interested in doing a similar thing for television:
Below is my boilerplate explanation of these discussions and the value you’ll get from joining us. Under that are both the record being discussed and the meeting login details.
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Don’t know the record? Doesn’t matter.
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Not comfortable speaking in public? Me either. And you don’t have to if you don’t want to. Heck, you don’t even have to turn your camera on. It’s a safe space, but you control what you share.
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Ultimately, you’re part of the community; we want you to be a part of this, too.
So check out the “rules” below, and then plan to dial in.
What is this?
For new readers (hi everyone!), we host an online discussion every month.
Here’s how it works:
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A writer (more on that in a second) picks a record to discuss and writes a brief piece about their choice and the meeting details.
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At the meeting, they discuss why they picked it, offer a bit of a backstory/context, and whatever else they’d like to share.
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Everyone else on the call can share their own “hot take,” related story, or anything else you think is relevant.
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At the end of the meeting, the next month’s writer volunteers (or is chosen), and the process repeats itself.
NOTE FOR INTROVERTS: If you’d prefer to sit in and listen, that is 110% okay. Keep your video off…stay muted…it’s up to you. It’s a safe place; you can participate as much/as little as you’d like.
I think this could be a fun idea and in an ideal world, I'd like to have some guest hosts talk about their favorite show. Because honestly, this is more about hearing other people's point of view than mine.
So what do you think? Comment below or send me an email at
ODDS AND SODS
* If you need more proof that being "cancelled" is not a thing in Hollywood, a new season of English Teacher is on the way.
* Netflix has nabbed the streaming rights to 2026 World Baseball Classic tournament in Japan. The event is owned by MLB and operated jointly by the league and the MLB Players Association.
* Season twenty-nine of ABC's The View will premiere Monday, September 8th.
* Netflix has released its guidelines for using generative AI in content production.
* Deadline is reporting that Netflix has canceled The Waterfront after one season.
WHAT'S COMING TOMORROW
TUESDAY, AUGUST 26TH:
Emma And Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey - A Diane Sawyer Special (ABC)
Love Thy Nader Series Premiere (Freeform)
Playing Nice (Britbox)
Ruby Red Handed: Stealing America’s Most Famous Pair Of Shoes (Hulu)
With Love, Meghan Season Two Premiere (Netflix)
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27TH:
Court Cam Season Premiere (A&E)
Fantasy Football Ruined Our Lives (Netflix)
Katrina: Come Hell and High Water (Netflix)
Planet Single: Greek Adventure (Netflix)
Shipwreck Hunters Australia (Disney+)
The Terminal List: Dark Wolf Series Premiere (Prime Video)
SEE YOU ON TUESDAY NIGHT!