Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Tuesday, July 16th, 2024:
GREETINGS FROM PASADENA
Tonight's newsletter is running a bit late. I'd like to blame some magical work experience but the truth is that I got back to my room after the final PBS panel wrapped up and I fell asleep across the bed. Tomorrow is a set visit day at Paramount Studios, but it begins early with Emmy coverage. The shuttle to the studio will leave the hotel at 7:00 am and I have a red-eye flight heading back to Minnesota at just before midnight tomorrow night. So...it will be quite the send-off to this abbreviated tour.
I've been working on a page that will link to all of my coverage from the TCA tour - photos, news stories, video, press releases, etc. I hope to have that up and live sometime Friday. It's more content than I realized - probably 60+ pieces over the seven-day period.
DAY TWO OF PBS
Tuesday was day two TCA stint by PBS and the programming was heavy into politics and current events. Which is my personal sweet spot. Here is a bit of what went on, with official loglines:
Big Cats 24/7 (Wednesday, September 18th)
In this six-part series, a team of local and international wildlife filmmakers uses the latest technology to follow a group of African big cats in Botswana's awe-inspiring Okavango Delta, day and night for six months, revealing their lives like never before.
Leonardo Di Vinci (Monday & Tuesday, November 18th and 19th)
LEONARDO DA VINCI, Ken Burns’s first non-American subject, explores the life and work of the 15th century polymath Leonardo da Vinci. The film looks at how the artist influenced and inspired future generations, and it finds in his soaring imagination and profound intellect the foundation for a conversation we are still having today: what our relationship is with nature and what it means to be human. Set against the rich and dynamic backdrop of Renaissance Italy, at a time of skepticism and freethinking, regional war and religious upheaval, LEONARDO DA VINCI brings the artist’s towering achievements to life through his prolific personal notebooks, primary and secondary accounts of his life, and on-camera interviews with modern scholars, artists, engineers, inventors, and admirers.
Frontline: China, The U.S. & The Rise Of Xi Jinping (Tuesday, October 18th)
FRONTLINE investigates the state of U.S.-China relations, the key turning points as the two countries have grown apart, and the high stakes for the U.S., China and the world.
POV: Who's Afraid Of Nathan Law? (Monday, September 23rd)
At 21, he was a leader of Hong Kong's Umbrella Revolution. By 23, he became Hong Kong's youngest elected lawmaker. At 26, he was Most Wanted under the National Security Law. “Who’s Afraid of Nathan Law?” offers a close look at the city's most famous dissident to uncover what happens to freedom when an authoritarian power goes unchecked.
Voces: American Historia: The Untold Story Of Latinos (Fridays, beginning September 27th)
Actor and playwright John Leguizamo’s work preparing for his 2018 Broadway show, “Latin History for Morons,” produced an obsession with reading and researching the history of the Americas. His frustration over the whitewashing of American history, coupled with his nature as a curious student of the world, resulted in “American Historia.” In this three-part series, Leguizamo travels throughout Mexico and the U.S. to shed light on both the known and lesser-known Latino stories.
Counting The Vote: A Firing Line Special With Margaret Hoover (Tuesday, August 27th)
In this one-hour documentary, Margaret Hoover embarks on a journey to explore voting systems across the United States. She examines methods to increase voter confidence and sheds light on states that face challenges in their vote count processes as the 2024 election approaches.
Hotel Portofino Season Three (Sundays, beginning July 28th)
Set on the Italian coast during the 1920s, this series follows the story of Bella Ainsworth, the daughter of a wealthy industrialist who has moved to the breathtakingly beautiful seaside town of Portofino with dreams of opening a quintessentially British hotel. The period drama leans into the long-established literary tradition of comic and idiosyncratic British travelers abroad and their various adventures, while exploring the liberating influence of Italy’s enchanting culture, climate, and cuisine on these more reserved foreign guests. But the show is also occasionally laced with darker themes and more serious storylines, which is understandable as it is set against the historical backdrop of the rise of fascism in Mussolini's Italy.
American Experience: Wilmington 1898: An American Coup (Tuesday, November 12th)
Discover the little-known story of the deadly 1898 race massacre and coup d’état in Wilmington, North Carolina, when white supremacists overthrew the multi-racial government of the state’s largest city through a campaign of violence and intimidation that destroyed Black political and economic power and imposed white control. The film combines the story of the coup with an examination of present-day efforts to seek the truth about this intentionally buried history.
American Masters And Voces: Julia Alvarez: A Life Reimagined (Tuesday, September 17th)
Explore the life and career of Julia Alvarez, one of the most influential Latina writers of her generation. Since bursting onto the American literary scene in 1991 with her autobiographical novel, “How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents,” the widely acclaimed book that sold 250,000 copies, followed by “In the Time of the Butterflies” (1994), which raised global awareness about three sisters assassinated by Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo, Alvarez has blazed a trail for Latina authors to break into the literary mainstream. One of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful writers, Alvarez’s work spans multiple genres and audiences, including three books of nonfiction, three collections of poetry, 11 books for children and young adults, and seven literary novels.
Great Performances: Patsy Cline: Walkin' After Midnight (Friday, November 22nd)
With her music transcending generations, country music legend Patsy Cline was a crossover trailblazer in her genre, paving the way for artists who followed in her footsteps. Featuring commentary from fellow artists and those who knew Patsy Cline, the star-studded concert filmed from the Ryman Auditorium celebrating her life, legacy and music includes performances by Annie Bosko, Ashley McBryde, Beverly D'Angelo, Crystal Gayle, Grace Potter, Home Free, The Isaacs, Kellie Pickler, Kristin Chenoweth, Mandy Barnett, Mickey Guyton, Natalie Grant, Rita Wilson, Pam Tillis, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Reyna Roberts, Tami Neilson, Tiera Kennedy, Tigirlily Gold, Wynonna and more. Music legend Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline’s husband Charlie Dick, and other personal friends also share anecdotes about her life and music.
DISNEY'S KID CRISIS
The Disney Channel plummeted from a top-10 network with nearly 2 million average daily primetime viewers in 2014 to No. 80 with 132,000 viewers in 2023. In April, Nielsen estimated, kids 2 to 11 watched three times as much YouTube as Disney+ content. This Business Insider piece does a nice job of framing the challenges facing the network:
It's a trend that parents like Nick Macknight, a streaming media executive who lives in Dallas, knows firsthand. He used to try to get his daughters, ages 2 and 4, to watch his favorite Disney movies from childhood over top YouTube shows like "Kids Diana Show." "I tried desperately because I love 'The Lion King' and 'Aladdin,' but they will just say, 'I'd rather watch something on YouTube,'" he said.
GLOBAL TV
During last year's Hollywood strikes, I wrote about win or lose, the broadcast networks were in the process of shifting production out of the United States. It was going to be gradual and obviously some shows were going to be made in the U.S. despite the cost difference. But that the change was coming and that was going to impact the overall amount of work available in Hollywood.
A couple of things were announced this week that point in that direction. The first is a new deal in which Fox Entertainment and Australia’s Foxtel are teaming to co-produce scripted series for the US and international markets. The shows will be made in Australia by Fox Entertainment Studios and include talent from both countries. That move is made possible not only because of the production cost difference in the two countries, but because of a recently increased production rebate in Australia, especially for productions with a significant local Australian component.
The other is news that the upcoming high profile Paramount+ series NCIS: Tony & Ziva will be shot in Europe. And while I suspect part of the calculation was that their story was at least partly one set in Europe, it's also a way for the streamer to save a lot of production money. And it matters to the broadcast side of the business because I will be shocked if the series doesn't end up eventually also airing on CBS. Especially if NCIS: Origins struggles in the ratings.
MORE LAYOFFS AT WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY
According to press reports today, Warner Bros. Discovery is in the process of laying off around 1,000 employees worldwide, focused heavily on business affairs and marketing. I'm sure it's a coincidence that the announcement comes as the company prepares to release Q2 earnings results the first week of August.
In typical Zaslav fashion, the company seems to have leaked the decision to one of the Penske-owned trades in an effort to get ahead of the news cycle. That also meant that many people in those divisions learned of the layoffs by reading it on a news site. Stay classy, WBD!
FOX UNVEILS FALL 2024 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE
Here is a rundown of the new fall primetime schedule, which Fox announced today:
Sunday, September 8th (Immediately Following FOX NFL Doubleheader):
8:00-8:30 PM Universal Basic Guys (Series Premiere, Live in all time zones)
8:30-9:00 PM Bob’s Burgers (All-New Episode, Live in all time zones)
Sunday, September 22nd (Immediately Following FOX NFL Doubleheader):
8:00-9:00 PM Rescue: HI-Surf (Series Premiere, live in all time zones)
Monday, September 23rd
8:00-9:00 PM 9-1-1: Lonestar (Season 5 Premiere)
Tuesday, September 24th
8:00-9:30 PM Murder in a Small Town (Special 90-minute Series Premiere)
Wednesday, September 25th
8:00-9:00 PM The Masked Singer (Season 12 Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM The Floor (Season 2 Premiere)
Thursday, September 26th
8:00-9:00 PM Hell’s Kitchen (Season 23 Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM Crime Scene Kitchen (Season 3 Premiere)
Sunday, September 29th
8:00-8:30 PM The Simpsons (Season 36 Premiere)
9:00-9:30 PM Bob’s Burgers (Season 15 Premiere)
9:30-10:00 PM Krapopolis (Season 2 Premiere)
Tuesday, October 1st
8:00-9:00 PM Accused (Season 2 Premiere)
ODDS AND SODS
* Warner Bros Discovery is reporting its second quarter 2024 results on Wednesday, August 7th.
* Great American Media has ordered a second season of the series County Rescue.
* The AP's Robert Bandendieck has a really interesting piece on the growing popularity of Turkish television.
WHAT'S NEW TONIGHT AND TOMORROW
TUESDAY, JULY 16TH:
* Catfish: The TV Show Season Nine Finale (MTV)
* Chad Daniels: Empty Nester (Netflix)
* Dark Side Of The 90s Season Premiere (Vice)
* Homicide Los Angeles Series Premiere (Netflix)
* Judge Steve Harvey Season Premiere (ABC)
* Mafia Spies (Paramount+)
* PBS News Special: Republican National Convention (PBS)
* The Fortress Series Premiere (Viaplay)
* The Yara Gambirasio Case: Beyond Reasonable Doubt (Netflix)
* Welcome To Plathville Season Premiere (TLC)
WEDNESDAY, JULY 17TH:
* Big Brother Season Premiere (CBS)
* PBS News Special: Republican National Convention (PBS)
* Sengoku Youko (Crunchyroll)
* Simone Biles Rising (Netflix)
* The Acolyte Season One Finale (Disney+)
* The Ark Season Premiere (Syfy)
* The Green Glove Gang (Netflix)
* T・P Bon (Netflix)
* 24 Hours In Police Custody Season Premiere (Britbox)
* UnPrisoned Season Two Premiere (Hulu)
* Wild Wild Space (HBO)
SEE YOU ON WEDNESDAY