Day: January 11, 2020

News and Quick Comments

North America has its TV moment … eventually

PASADENA, Cal. – As North America gets ready for its close-up, it has bad and good news. Both involve the BBC unit that makes lush nature films:
– The bad news: The continent will no longer provide the opening of “Seven Worlds, One Planet” (shown here), which debuts Saturday (Jan. 18) on four cable channels. It series had planned to open with North America, but now switched to Australia, due to its current wildfire crisis
.– And the good: In 2024 – yes, four years from now – it will be part of an epic series. Paul Telegdy, chairman of NBC (which will share it with BBC) promised “an amazing piece of entertainment.” Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 11, 2020
Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Jan. 13: It’s championship time

1) Football, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN and ESPN2. By logic, Clemson should be comfy here. It’s in the national championship game for the fourth time in five years. It’s won twice in the past three years and is fresh from a come-from-behind win over powerhouse Ohio State. But this is in the New Orleans Superdome, almost home turf for top-ranked Louisiana State. Facing Oklahoma, Heisman-winner Joe Burrow (show here) tied a bowl record with seven touchdown passes – all in the first half; LSU won, 63-28. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 11, 2020
Stories

FX prepares its big Hulu push

PASADENA, Cal. – John Landgraf will quickly admit there are too many TV shows.
As head of the FX cable networks, he has his staff count them. “There were 532 scripted (series and mini-series) last year,” he told the Television Critics Association. “That’s a 7 percent gain vs. 2018. And given that the streaming wars are now at hand, we expect (it) will increase.”
So what FX is doing now is … well, adding several new shows and a new streaming service.
Or, actually, a new hub on an existing streamer. “FX on Hulu” debuts March 2; it will soon have two mini-series (“Mrs. America,” shown here, and “Devs”) that are only on Hulu, plus shows on both FX and Hulu. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / January 11, 2020