Here's a look at the Top 5 TV news stories this week!
It was the story of the week (or at least tied with the House of Representatives shenanigans) that was primarily a sports story but also a TV story. As I'm sure everyone knows by now, Monday Night Football was suspended when the scary situation of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin passing out on the field and having to be given CPR to resuscitate him. The good news is that Hamlin is continuing to improve though he remains in critical condition. And the attention started to turn to what to do about the game. The NFL announced on Thursday night that the game, which was only in the first quarter when it was suspended, will not resume. The playoff seeding will be based on win percentage while certain circumstances may warrant the AFC Championship Game being played on a neutral site. I was critical of the initial handling by the NFL with how long it took to cancel the game for the night. But I do think they have made the right moves since. This is an unprecedented situation and there was no perfect solution. This seems like the least disruptive way forward while acknowledging potential inequities.
The HBO Max disease of cancelling shows that are already in the can seems to be spreading. AMC Networks announced that it will not be airing the second season of the Courtney B. Vance drama 61st Street even though all eight episodes were already filmed. They also announced that they will not be going forward with Tatiana Maslany series Invitation to a Bonfire even though that series also has episodes in the can. The reason these networks keep doing this is for tax break reasons, but it is certainly not good for the creative community to film entire seasons or movies only to have them never see the light of day. I really hope this trend stops soon but I worry it will get worse.
It was a pretty slow first week back from the holidays as far as TV news goes so I guess this will do for #3. Saturday Night Live has announced its first couple hosts and musical guests of 2023. Many speculated that Jennifer Coolidge might be one of them but it will be her White Lotus co-star Aubrey Plaza hosting on January 21 with musical guest Sam Smith. They will be followed by Michael B. Jordan on January 28 with musical guest Lil Baby. These will be hosting debuts for both Plaza and Jordan and they will usher in the post-Cecily Strong era after Strong departed in December with a last minute announcement (but in development plan). SNL has not been great this season but I'm excited to see Plaza and Jordan!
#4 - R.I.P. BARBARA WALTERS
This wasn't a story from this week but it was perhaps the biggest TV news story during this blog's holiday break. Legendary newswoman Barbara Walters passed away on December 30 at the age of 93. She was a trailblazer in every sense of the word with a career that lasted over 60 years. She was a beloved morning show host, the first female to anchor a primetime news program and a renowned interviewer who talked to the biggest world leaders and celebrities of her era. Her Barbara Walters Specials that aired before the Oscars were a major TV event for a time. The end of her career saw her create and co-host The View which was a water cooler show for much of her time with the show. It's not a stretch to put her up with Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow as the most important journalists in American history.
#5 - SCRIPTED PREMIERES THIS WEEK
Here's a look at this week's premieres!
Today: Starz has the second season premiere of BMF, which was last seen in Fall 2021. Like many Starz shows, it struggled to break through to the mainstream conversation.
Sunday: FOX has the series premiere of Alert. It will get a preview behind FOX's NFL coverage before settling into its Monday 9pm slot. The series marks Scott Caan's return to TV after Hawaii Five-0 and is centered on the Philadelphia Missing Persons Unit. Like many one named procedurals before it, it seems like it will be pretty forgettable but we'll see.
Monday: Hulu has the premiere of animated comedy Koala Man, which includes Hugh Jackman and Sarah Snook among its voice cast. Hulu has been a spot for adult animation so this could fit in well there.
Thursday: HBO Max has the series premiere of Velma, the adult animated comedy based on the Scooby Doo character. In this incarnation, Velma is voiced by Mindy Kaling and the voice cast also includes Glenn Howerton and Constance Wu. This show has seemingly been in development forever and will maybe be trying to grab the crowd that watches some DC shows on HBO Max even though it's not a DC show itself.
My pick for the week:
Ugh, this is not an exciting week for me. I don't really watch animated shows and have no interest in BMF so I'll go with Alert by default. But it sounds and looks pretty generic to me. I'll probably give it a shot but I don't see myself sticking with it.
Check back next week for a new week of blog posts!
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