Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Monday, March 18th, 2024

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Monday, March 18th, 2024.

MR. BEAST SIGNS DEAL WITH PRIME VIDEO
YouTube star MrBeast has struck a deal with Amazon MGM to produce a massive reality TV competition game show, and the description sounds a lot like a more expensive take on his famous YouTube challenge videos:

“Beast Games” will consist of 1,000 contestants competing for a $5 million cash prize, the largest single prize that’s ever been offered on television or streaming. Donaldson will host and executive produce the show, which will be available in 240 countries and territories.

I have no idea how this series will be received, although if I was being forced to hazard a guess, I'd argue the biggest impediment in this idea is that differences between the skillset needed for a successful YouTube career and one in traditional media is somewhat similar to the challenges actors faced a hundred years ago when they were forced to shift from silent movies to talkies. Some actors could make the transition, but it wasn't a given.

And while I appreciate the success of Mr. Beast's YouTube format, I am not entirely convinced his hyper-active dead-eyed approach will work in a longer, more expanded format. But given the reported cost of the deal - around $100 million for global rights - it makes sense for both Mr. Beast and Prime Video to experiment with the idea.

It's been funny to see the wide range of takes from the trades and other industry analysts about this deal today. Most people in the traditional TV world are familiar with what Mr. Beast does, but they don't quite understand the business of being a success on YouTube.

Some analysts have wondered out loud why Mr. Beast would consider doing traditional media given the success of his YouTube videos. But MrBeast, a.k.a. Jimmy Donaldson, has said in interviews that he is not sure how long he can keep up that success and that he has a sense that YouTube success is a young man's game. This deal gives him the opportunity to try a new platform, while still retaining creative control. He also plans to continue to release YouTube videos while doing the Amazon series.

And then there are those who basically just dismiss his success, which is a real mistake. Mr. Beast's YouTube videos aren't my thing, but what I admire about him is that he focuses as much on the business of video-making as he does on the production side. Everything from the best-performing thumbnail to the most minute editing choices. He's a smart guy and there aren't a great number of people on the traditional TV industry who are as intimate with the details of their business as Mr. Beast is with his.

ONE LAST THOUGHT ABOUT 'QUIET ON SET'
I've spent a lot of time talking about the new doc Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV in recent days. Including doing a junket tour of radio morning shows this morning in which I spoke with 27 different stations in a bit over five hours. So I now have an appreciation for what actors go through on their junkets. Let's just say that when it comes to quality, there was a wide range of questions over the course of the experience.

One question I was frequently asked was why so many people have declined to comment on their experiences  - positive or negative - with Dan Schneider. I think the comments below speak to that question much better than I can. They come from writer/producer/showrunner Amy Berg, who has worked on a wide range of TV shows, including Counterpart, Warrior Nun, Jack Ryan, The Alienist, Da Vinci's Demons, Person of Interest, Eureka, Leverage, and The 4400.



OKAY, THIS IS THE LAST THOUGHT TODAY ABOUT 'QUIET ON SET'
Drake Bell's extended interview in which he describes the abuse he suffered from Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck airs tonight. So Bell decided to release a new single called "I Kind Of Relate." 

In the video's description, Bell explains "This song was inspired by my past and now that my story is being told I felt the time was right to share it."

The video certainly doesn't dodge his story, given that it opens with a young actor being led by the hand into a Hollywood-type trailer by an older man. You can watch the entire video here.

I was a bit torn watching the video. The song is a super catchy piece of Beatles-influenced power pop. But the video feels more like part of Bell's therapy than anything else. As he sings, he walks through a procession of scenes recounting low points in his life: a car crash, drug addiction, losing his house in a bankruptcy and finally Bell grabs a guitar and plays on a recreation of the bedroom set from Drake & Josh before walking through a door and off the set as the song fades.

Bell is a talented guy, albeit someone who has had his own series of examples of inappropriate behavior. But after watching his full interview on Quiet On Set, I have a better sense of the demons he's been battling. That doesn't excuse some of his actions. But I suppose I am more willing to give him some slack now that I have more context about the abuse he was subjected to while on Drake & Josh.

NOW IF WE ONLY KNEW THE NAME OF THE NEWSLETTER
It takes a lot to make me laugh out loud. But I did so when I read the final paragraph in The Hollywood Reporter story "Who Is The SEAL Team Staffer At The Center Of Stephen Miller's War On Hollywood Diversity?"



I truly appreciate the mention. And the Penske Media trade outlets in general really dislike linking to outside sites, so I'm fine without a link. Even though the piece links to various Twitter comments used in the piece. But the passive-aggressive vagueness of "Television newsletter writer," without even mentioning the name of the newsletter was a bit amusing. 

So reading what I just wrote, I suppose my thanks for the mention could also be described as "passive-aggressive?" Oh, this is so confusing....

ODDS AND SODS
* Starz has announced that Chrissy Metz, Jaime Ray Newman, Katie Lowes, and George Ferrier have joined as series regulars in its upcoming drama series The Hunting Wives, alongside previously announced Malin Åkerman, Brittany Snow, Dermot Mulroney, and Evan Jonigkeit. Production on the series has already started in Charlotte, North Carolina.

* E! has announced the premiere of OMG Fashun, a show the network describes as a "cutting edge design competition series." Hosted by Julia Fox, the show "inspires pioneering fashion disruptors to upend traditional style convention, break the rules and redefine cool." Most notably, one of the show's judges is Traitors and Married To Medicine star Phaedra Parks. OMG Fashun premieres Monday, May 6th. 

* Star Wars: The Acolyte will debut on Disney+ June 4th.

* Primetimer's Hunter Ingram argues that now - more than ever - television needs an accurate depiction of modern journalism. And shows such as Girls On The Bus don't help things.

* It's not television related, but I found this really fascinating: Graham Parker explains why he probably isn't coming to your town.

TWEET OF THE DAY


WHAT'S NEW TONIGHT AND TOMORROW

MONDAY, MARCH 18TH:
* An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame And The Weight Loss Revolution (ABC)
* Photographer Series Premiere (NatGeo)
* Stormy (Peacock)
* Young Royals: Forever (Netflix)

TUESDAY, MARCH 19TH:
* Brian Simpson: Live From The Mothership (Netflix)
* Dinner Party Diaries With José Andrés (Freevee)
* Forever Queens (Netflix)
* Physical: 100 Season Premiere (Netflix)
* The Valley Series Premiere (Bravo)

SEE YOU ON TUESDAY!