A bit on Colbert. And if you are going to stream one show this weekend, make it the Eric Bana one.
My last Always Be Watching email aged strangely. Just an hour or two after hitting send on a short piece talking about the future of Jon Stewart at The Daily Show and Stephen Colbert at The Late Show, CBS went ahead and cancelled The Late Show.
It isn’t Stephen Colbert leaving The Late Show - it is the show being outright cancelled.
CBS says the show is being cancelled because the economics don’t work for them anymore.
Media watchers are convinced it was political, with Trump critic Stephen Colbert sacrificed so that the Paramount/Skydance deal could go through.
My thinking is that we can probably take CBS/Paramount at its word. A contraction in the US broadcast late night landscape was coming. We all knew it. The economics don’t make sense. The late night chat show doesn’t make sense anymore in a world of social video and extensive podcast interviews.
The vibe on this isn’t great. But, I can’t get past the idea that if Colbert was a sacrifice, they wouldn’t have him seeing out his contract. The Late Show would get itself a new host (complete with a smaller, cheaper studio than the financial drain The Ed Sullivan Theatre demands).
Worth a quick read is this from Matt Belloni, who cites a $40m annual loss on The Late Show each year:
Linear ratings are down everywhere, of course, and as the Times reported, the network late-night shows took in $439 million combined in ad revenue in 2018. By last year, though, that figure had dropped by 50 percent. Measure that against the more than $100 million per season it costs to produce Late Show. By contrast, the CBS primetime and daytime dayparts are still profitable, and that programming is supported by robust license fees for streaming and other off-network viewing. Late Show, with its topical humor and celebrity interviews pegged to specific projects, has struggled on Paramount+. And of the three network late-night shows, Late Show has by far the smallest digital footprint on YouTube and other platforms.
Yeah, the optics aren’t great. But CBS has been getting out of late night for some time. It dumped The Late Late Show (the one hosted by the awful James Corden). It tried the cheaper After Midnight for two seasons before that got wound down a few months ago. Ending The Late Show feels like it was inevitable on the current trajectory.
What was CBS supposed to do?
And now, on with the usual Friday afternoon Always Be Streaming guide…
In terms of new TV worth watching this weekend, unless you are a big Star Trek fan, the only real TV event is new Netflix drama Untamed.
It stars Eric Bana as a national parks agent in Yosemite investigating the murder of a young woman. You won’t believe when I tell you that he discovers that the case is connected to one from his past.
The show is perfectly okay and elevated by both a very good cast (which includes Sam Neil… FYI, they are both playing American), along with incredible natural parks behind them in most scenes. I assume it was filmed in Yosemite, but to be honest, I didn’t want to look it up for fear of ruining the movie magic of such things.
While most of the show is a little too by-the-numbers, that excellent cast really comes in benefit when you hit episode 5. The show is co-written by Mark L Smith (The Revenant) and his daughter Elle Smith. Episode 5 in itself isn’t a reason to press play on the show, but it really is great watching a show where there’s no padding to pump up an episode count. It’s 6 episodes in total and there’s an emotional and narrative build through the whole thing.
So, not wholly fresh-feeling, but it is very satisfying.
Returning TV
The Summer I Turned Pretty (s03), Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (s03), Community Squad (s02)
New TV
Untamed - Netflix
Stars: Eric Bana, Sam Neill, Rosemarie DeWitt, Lily Santiago
In the vast expanse of Yosemite National Park, a woman's death draws a federal agent into lawless terrain, where nature obeys no rules but its own.
Catalog - Netflix
Stars: Mohamed Farrag, Tara Emad, Khaled Kamal
A recently widowed workaholic clumsily navigates life with his kids, guided by his late wife's online tips. Can he ace this crash course in parenthood?
Delirium - Netflix
Stars: Juan Pablo Raba, Paola Turbay, Juan Pablo Urrego
When his wife Agustina falls into delirium, a professor delves into her dark past to piece together her story and uncover the cause of her madness.
Low Life - Disney+
Stars: Ryu Seung-ryong, Yang Se-jong, Im Soo-jung
A fisherman as he discovers a treasure lost for generations at the bottom of the ocean. Taking a small part of it home for himself.
The Institute - MGM+ (US) | Stan (AUS)
Stars: Ben Barnes, Mary-Louise Parker
When 12-year-old genius Luke Ellis is kidnapped, he awakens at The Institute, a facility full of children who possess unusual abilities.
Bookish - U & Alibi
Stars: Mark Gatiss; Polly Walker; Daniel Mays; Joely Richardson
Gabriel Book, proprietor of an antiquarian bookshop, relies on his vast collection to unravel baffling cases. He nurtures a group of lovable yet troubled individuals, providing informal protection and guidance.
New Movies
Almost Family - Netflix
Stars: Leandro Hassum
A Brazilian dad meets his match in his daughter's Argentine in-laws — where a trip to Bariloche spirals into a comedy of local pride and competition.
That’s the TV listings newsletter for this week.
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