Have we reached Peak TV? Is the much-applauded (second) Golden Age of TV coming to an end? And will it possibly be replaced with, as the critic Emily Nussbaum half-jokingly called it, “The Caramel Epoch”—an age of shows that are “perfect for a binge” and “suggestively diverse,” and that allow for “equal celebration of comedy, melodrama & varying genres”)?
Category: media
In The New Media Universe No TV Show Ever Really Gets Cancelled
“As we head into another season of inevitable cancellations, and possibly one or two announced series not even making it to air on the network that picked them up, producers should look on the bright side. In today’s media landscape, every TV death is an opportunity for a new beginning.”
David Simon Talks About His New Miniseries – About Housing Desegregation – With Sen. Cory Booker
“In the edited conversation that follows, Mr. Booker” – former mayor of Newark, now U.S. Senator from New Jersey – “and Mr. Simon traded ideas about cities as America’s future, where not just the economy and creative capital but also equality and justice need to be worked out.”
Are Horror Movies Inherently Sexist? If They Are, Can They Be Changed?
“Horror films, particularly those about masked men wielding blades and taking out unsuspecting innocents one by one, often have a roster of stereotypical female victims. … Reporting for Talking Movies, Nada Tawfik talks to several women film-makers who believe that a different approach to horror is possible.” (video)
Why This Movie Now? Planning Release Dates
“Behind every release date is a carefully calibrated, often agonized selection process that one distributor described as ‘a lot of logical thought and pure unicorn dust.'”
NPR Has An Amazing Opportunity To Remake Radio. Will It Take It?
People, for instance, who believe NPR is well positioned to grab the reins and figure out a way to package the entire podcast universe in a way like Spotify has for music or Amazon for streaming TV. Those people shouldn’t hold their breaths.
Issa Rae Killed It On YouTube, But TV Isn’t Working Out As Well (Yet?)
“A number of networks and production companies expressed interest in adapting ‘Awkward Black Girl’ for prime-time TV. To Rae’s disappointment, most wanted to completely rework the show. Rae recalls a phone conversation with a network executive who wanted to make it into a pan-racial franchise operation, starting with ‘Awkward Indian Boy.’ Another suggested Rae recast the lead with a lighter-skinned actress with long, straight hair — in essence, the exact opposite of Rae. She turned down the offers.”
Is Binge-Viewing Going Out Of Style?
Hulu’s head of content: “With all of our new originals, we will release episodes weekly. … We want to give viewers the opportunity to discover their favorite shows every week. Like you, we value the shared experience and the joy of the watercooler that is television.”
Long-Form Television Like ‘Breaking Bad’ And ‘The Wire’ Is Boring And Ruining Everything
“Soon, everything else in your life – theatre-going, museum visits, eating, breathing – has vanished in your commitment to seven more hours of following the ins and outs of petty crime in Baltimore or the adulterous lives of slow-emoting ad men in 60s New York.”
The Marketing Company That Knows How To Sell Movies In China
“Film companies pay for outdoor banners and signs, advertise online, team up with local promotional partners and, increasingly, call a company with enormous reach that few people outside of China have ever heard of: Mtime.”