Too Much TV: dbdsskosn

Here’s everything you need to know about the world of television for Thursday, April 23rd, 2026:

THE DANGER OF BELIEVING THE THINGS THAT 'EVERYONE KNOWS' IS TRUE
People frequently ask me why I cover the topics I do and what I hope to accomplish with this newsletter.

I've thought a lot about those questions a lot in recent months, and I keep going

I'M NOT SAYING THE WASHINGTON PRESS ARE COWARDS....
There is a lot of conversation in journalism circles about Saturday's White House CorrespondentS Dinner and how journalists at the dinner should react if President Trump attacks the press, as some of his staff are suggesting he plans to do.

This paragraph in tonight's edition of the Status newsletter is infuriating to read:

"There are lots of discussions about it," one high-profile Washington journalist told me Thursday. "If he starts attacking us, I think it is a fair question as to what the appropriate response is. Obviously some people will want to walk out, but the question about such a thing is: does that not give him exactly what he wants, making us the opposition, not the Fourth Estate? Making us the story instead of the journalists covering the story? And, suggesting that we can dish it out but we can't take it? And so I don't think there is any easy answer."

I think the easy answer is that if the President attacks the press in an unfair fashion, then journalists should walk out. And then someone from the White House Correspondents' Association should go the microphone after the president finishes his remarks and remind everyone the purpose of the dinner is to celebrate the press and the first amendment. And that is too bad the president is unwilling to accept a press which functions as an independent voice and not a group of cowardly stenographers. But maybe that's just me.

I AM PRETTY SURE THIS IS NOT HOW A SPOILER ALERT WORKS



ODDS AND SODS
* Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav’s compensation tied to the company’s pending merger with Paramount was rejected in an overwhelming vote by shareholders early Thursday. While the vote to approve the merger with Paramount Skydance was easily approved, an impressive 82% of WBD shareholders approved the compensation plan. Although overwhelming, the shareholder vote is also non-binding.

* The Wrap is looking for a media editor to "own and anchor one of the most vital beats in entertainment. This is a high-impact role for a journalist who lives at the intersection of Media, Politics and Business — someone who can edit with authority, report with urgency and write with voice."

* Charli xcx’s tour mockumentary The Moment, in which she plays a fictionalized version of herself, will premiere Friday, May 29th on HBO Max.

NETFLIX BOARD RECOMMENDS 'NO' VOTE ON TWO 'ANTI-WOKE' PROPOSALS
Netflix shareholders are set to vote on a number of proposals during the upcoming annual meeting of the Netflix Board of Directors. Including two that focus on subjects that are of great interest to politically conservative groups and critics of the company:

The first proposal (proposal #5 on the agenda) asks for the issuance of an ESG ROI report. The proposal requests that the Board of Directors publish a report disclosing the extent to which the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investments identified in the 2024 ESG Report were authorized and are maintained based on Net Present Value (NPV) and Return on Investment (ROI) calculations.

A second proposal (proposal #6 on the agenda) asks for Netflix to issue a report on “Politicized Brand Misalignment.” That proposal argues the company has been damaged financially by its alleged focus on various “woke” ideas and character portrayals.

As I wrote in that piece, it's worth noting who put up these proposals:

The first proposal comes from the National Center for Public Policy Research, a self-described conservative think tank. The firm has launched a number of similar proposals at other companies, including a 2014 proposal to force Apple to “disclose the costs of its sustainability programs.” That proposal argued Apple’s decision to have all of its power come from green sources would lower shareholders' profits.

The second proposal is being introduced by Bower Research, a small company that advises many millions of dollars, including the $57 billion Texas Permanent School Fund. In recent years, Bower has filed a number of similar proposals at other companies, including a recent one at John Deere, which argued the company should conduct an evaluation and issue a report within the next year evaluating the risks of failing to allow faith-based business resource groups (BRGs)

The Netflix Board of Directors will hold its annual meeting on Thursday, June 4th.

TWEET OF THE DAY

WHAT'S COMING TONIGHT AND TOMORROW