Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Thursday, January 30th, 2025:
NETFLIX UNVEILS MORE ABOUT THEIR 2025 ORIGINAL TV SERIES, MOVIES, AND INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS SLATES
While the news was embargoed until various points on Thursday, on Wednesday Netflix presented its upcoming release slates (or at least, what they'll admit to now) in a series of presentations in various spots globally.
Since I'm not based in Los Angeles, I tend to fall off the radar for these events. Which is fine, but it made today a bit of a scramble. A lot of the news wasn't really that important (announcing something was coming "in the fall," for instance). But there were a number of titles announced for the first time, along with various photos and pieces of video.
I've been compiling everything throughout the day and while I haven't added every bit of media yet, these three lists are a pretty comprehensive look at what was announced:
* The 2025 Netflix Original Series Slate
* The 2025 Netflix Original Movie Slate
* The 2025 Netflix International Productions Slate
SPEAKING OF NEW PROGRAMMING SLATES
One service that I'm really trying to understand better is Amazon's ad-supported MX Player, which is massively popular platform in India. The service claims the app has been downloaded 1.4 billion times in India and over 250 million unique monthly users across mobile and Connected TVs. Along with local originals, the player also includes MX Vdesi content which includes Korean dramas, Mandarin titles and Turkish shows.
Amazon MX held a press event yesterday and rolled out their upcoming programming lineup. Head of Content Amogh Dusad unveiled a slate of over 100 new shows set to launch this year, including 40 Hindi originals.
India is a tough market for global streamers. It's heavily mobile-only the average revenue per user (ARPU) is extremely low, which makes it challenging for American-owned streamers to make inroads. This is an elegant way of getting around some of that and it's just one of the ways that the streaming business looks so very different outside the U.S.
WHY THERE ISN'T A DRIVING MUSIC TRACK ON 'THE PITT'
One of the other things happening today was that Warner Brothers held a press conference and set visit on the Warner lot for The Pitt and Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage.
While I wasn't able to attend in person, I was able to watch the two press conferences remotely and will have more to say about the event tomorrow, once I wade through my notes and the transcript.
But one comment that jumped out at me during The Pitt conversation came from executive producer R. Scott Gemmill, who was also an EP on E.R. from 1999 to 2007. He was asked about why the writers don’t rely on a soundtrack to jack up the intensity of a scene.
“I knew it could be done because I did at least one or two episodes of ER when I didn’t use any music, no score whatsoever. You just have to write it in a certain way, and trust that your scenes and your actors are going to be emotional. You’re going to get that from what you’re seeing, with not having to be told how to feel. Or you know, whether it’s a funny moment. I mean, trust me, I’ve had shows where I begged the composer to save a scene, to please make this better. But I think, if you’re honest, and because of what it is in the ER, there’s no music when you get bad news. Nobody’s in there with violins. That makes it more real. As soon as you put a score underneath it, it pushes you back in the chair. Now you’re watching something that not as real. I think having the lack of score has a huge impact on the reality of what you are trying to get.”
READER FEEDBACK
I am receiving a lot of messages and emails from readers, and I am going to try and highlight some of them on a regular basis:
(In reference to the story that Warner Bros. Discovery is shutting down Eurosport and moving a number of niche sports into the much more expensive TNT Sports package):
As a UK viewer of British and World Superbikes on Discovery+ this week has been a shit-show. The communities are in uproar and I'd love to see a graph of D+ subscription cancellations. Do these networks not understand it's so easy these days to hook up with unofficial sources of their content?
-- Nigel P
I don't think they care, to be honest. They are trying to generate more revenue and their approach seems to be that the viewers who want it bad enough will pay the increased prices. And the various sports organizations mostly agree with the move, because it potentially puts more money in their pockets.
(From a paid subscriber who cancelled her subscription):
I love your newsletter, but I can no longer support Substack. If you move elsewhere, I will follow.
-- Austen R.
I am sorry to see you go, but I appreciate your support.
I understand completely about Substack. To be honest, I explored moving, but given the size of the newsletter and the number of emails I send out, moving to someplace like Beehiv would likely cost me a couple of grand a month (at least), and that's a bit difficult for me to manage right now.
Regardless, I do appreciate you supporting the newsletter and if I do end up moving, I hope you'll find me.
On the other hand, I just received this message from someone who upgraded to a paid subscription:
"I am obsessed with TV (always have been) and I enjoy and appreciate your insights. However, what put me over the edge, was your honesty and truth-telling re: politics and how mass media TV journalism is spinelessly, dishonestly covering our increasing dystopian reality."
Thanks. I appreciate the support more than I can express and I realize my mix of more traditional TV coverage and opinion isn't for everyone. But I do appreciate when it resonates with readers and I believe I'm taking a unique approach to covering the industry.
ODDS AND SODS
* Here is a rundown of global TV news from today. This is a daily M-F newsletter I send out every morning and if you're interested, you can add it to your free or paid subscription on this settings page.
* The Jake and Logan Paul reality series Paul American premieres Thursday, March 27th.
* Season sixteen of The Real Housewives of Atlanta will premiere Sunday, March 9th on Bravo.
* Hulu has acquired exclusive U.S. rights to Let’s Start a Cult, an indie dark comedy co-written, executive produced by and starring top comic Stavros Halkias, which it will premiere on Tuesday, February 4th.
* The fourth and final season of The Righteous Gemstones will premiere Sunday, March 9th.
* The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl, a new concert special celebrating the legacy of its Academy Award-winning animated classic The Lion King, will premiere Friday, February 7th on Disney+.
* The free streamer Fawesome has unexpectedly premiered a pair of original series, Southern Food Truck Wars and Fawesome Family Game Show.
WHAT'S NEW TONIGHT AND TOMORROW
THURSDAY, JANUARY 30TH:
Elsbeth Spring Premiere (CBS)
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage Spring Premiere (CBS)
Ghosts Spring Premiere (CBS)
Matlock Spring Premiere (CBS)
Mermicorno: Starfall Series Premiere (Max)
Mo Season Premiere (Netflix)
Scamanda (ABC)
Teen Mom: The Next Chapter Season Premiere (MTV)
The Recruit Season Two Premiere (Netflix)
The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights Of The Apocalypse Season Two Premiere (Netflix)
You're Cordially Invited (Prime Video)
FRIDAY, JANUARY 31ST:
Ancient Aliens Season Premiere (History)
Dark Match (Shudder)
Fire Country Spring Premiere (CBS)
Guy’s Ultimate Family Cruise (Food)
Inside The 67th Annual Grammy Awards (CBS)
Lucca's World (Netflix)
New York Homicide Season Premiere (Oxygen)
Outback Opal Hunters Season Premiere (Discovery)
S.W.A.T. Spring Premiere (CBS)
The Eastern Gate Series Premiere (Max)
The Snow Girl Season Two Premiere (Netflix)
Tom Green: Country Series Premiere (Prime Video)
Vietnam: The War That Changed America (Apple TV+)
SEE YOU ON FRIDAY!