We start today’s newsletter with something that I think is an outstanding idea…
Credit to the team at LG who are releasing a TV in South Korea for elderly users who struggle with the functionality of smart TVs.
The company reports that it plans to bring the Easy TV brand to international markets, but there’s no timeline yet.
This report from The Verge also says that LG are simplifying the TV remote, which can only be a good thing as, having used my parents LG, I’ve always found the standard remote to be a bit awkward and clumsy to navigate. And, now that I type that, it occurs to me that the user interface on LG TVs can really be described in the same way.
Regardless, I am a strong believer that a lot more needs to be done to create greater accessibility for older people - especially as we ask them to embrace technologies that they’re not comfortable with.
The LG Easy TV features a simplified home screen with a larger font and a smaller selection of apps that cater to seniors. The TV offers picture and sound adjustments tailored to older users with enhanced brightness and voice quality and a built-in camera for making video calls with family. It can also be programmed with pop-ups that remind users to take medications or simply water the plants.
Respect wood
There’s a book released next week on the making of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Obviously, I would never ever recommend you take time out of your TV viewing time to read a book. But a book about television? Well, that’s something entirely different.
No Lessons Learned, which is credited to HBO and Lorraine Ali (who knew a TV brand could write…) is out on Sept 30. And, in typical fashion, it will be delayed here in Australia, released on Oct 21.
THR today has this promotional extract:
LAURA STREICHER (CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER): Some of Curb’s story arcs were reliant on specific guest stars signing on for the season but were written before Larry approached them about it. Mel Brooks for The Producers season. Lin-Manuel Miranda for the Fatwa/Hamilton arc. Even Jerry, Julia, Jason and Michael for the Seinfeld reunion. And I would say to him, “Larry, you’ve written a couple episodes now. Maybe it’s time to make the calls and ask if they want to do it?” But he’d never worry about it, he’d just keep writing, and, when the time came to finally ask, somehow it always worked out for him … Clearly Larry David is the king of manifestation. I mean, imagine writing a whole season and them being like, “I don’t think so, Larry.” What would we have done?
DAVID: I don’t remember having to talk to the cast about it beyond one or two conversations. It wasn’t a big deal. Jerry was onboard immediately, and so once we had Jerry, then getting the others wasn’t that hard.
JERRY SEINFELD: I did think it was a good idea because I knew that doing a conventional network-type reunion show was never going to be appropriate for us. So being on Larry’s show was a perfect way to do it.
JASON ALEXANDER (GEORGE COSTANZA): Initially I had concerns that a reunion show wouldn’t be a good thing to do, or a fun thing to do. We hadn’t worked as a group in 10 years. So we’re all 10 years older. So the first thing I’m thinking is, what was barely charming on characters in their thirties and forties may be completely devoid of charm in their forties and fifties, and that may be a mistake. Would we be able to resurrect that sense of ensemble play that we had so effortlessly on our show? But then also just the pure technicality of, it’s hard enough to improvise a scene when it’s two people, but when you’ve got six people?! “My turn, no, my turn..” I thought this was a daunting task that could show us as being less than we were. But the experience was glorious; the ensemble feeling that we had, the affection that we had for each other, it was immediate. And walking back onto those exact replicas of our sets was like a time tunnel. It was just astonishing.
News Desk
Lucy Liu will star in the Peacock series Superfakes, which is from Beef creator Alice Ju and produced by Josh and Benny Safdie for A24. Read: THR
Claire Lewis writes for Polygon on the five things she hated and the five she loved about Alien: Earth.
An adaptation of animated film Surfs Up is in the works at Sony. Read: Deadline
Nominations for the 2025 International Emmys are out today. Read: THR
I think it is always beneficial to pay attention to anything Mae Martin says and does (but, like, don’t be too creepy with that attention). She has a new Netflix show called Wayward, which she is promoting with this really interesting Radio Times interview.
Peter Friedlander, who just left Netflix as Head of US and Canada Scripted Series, will replace Vernon Sanders at Amazon MGM Studios as the new Head of Global TV. Read: Deadline
Amazon will pay US$2.5b to settle an FTC lawsuit over accusations the tech giant was duping customers into signing up for Prime subscriptions which users were later impeded from cancelling. Read: THR
Avatar: Fire & Ash Trailer Park
New readers to this newsletter may be unaware that Always Be Watching is also covertly an Avatar fan magazine. Today we have a new trailer for what promises to be the greatest cinema experience since around December 2022.
Trailer Park
Nobody Wants This returns for season 2 Oct 23 on Netflix.
A House of Dynamite debuts on Netflix Oct 24.
From Academy Award winning director Kathryn Bigelow comes A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE. When a single, unattributed missile is launched at the United States, a race begins to determine who is responsible and how to respond.
Starring Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos, Moses Ingram, Jonah Hauer-King, Greta Lee, and Jason Clarke.
9-1-1 Nashville debuts on the US ABC Oct 9.
War Dawgz debuts on BET+ Oct 16.
In the film, after the United States is attacked by a foreign invasion force, a group of central Los Angeles citizens must protect their neighborhood from both occupation and annihilation.
In Your Dreams debuts on Netflix Nov 14.
Red Alert…. a TV show I am not convinced anyone wants to see… but people will morbidly press play on… debuts Oct 7 on Paramount+.
The four-part series reveals the real stories of ordinary people turned heroes, portraying the largest and deadliest massacre in Israel’s history, when more than 1,200 concert-goers, families and individuals near the Gaza border were murdered and 250 kidnapped.
HaHa You Clowns debuts on Adult Swim Oct 19.
Created by Joe Cappa, “Haha, You Clowns” is an unexpected new series from Adult Swim that celebrates wholesome family programming. Join the Campbell boys, three doting teenagers and their tenderhearted dad, as they live, laugh, love their way into your living rooms. They’re big dudes with big feelings who are learning to navigate life in the wake of their mother’s death, sensing her presence in everyday adventures.
Stiller & Meara: Nothing is Lost debuts on Apple TV+ Oct 24.
Ben Stiller tells the story of his parents, comedy icons Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, exploring their impact both on popular culture and at home, where the lines between creativity, family, life and art often blurred. In the process, Stiller turns the camera on himself and his family to examine Jerry and Anne’s enormous influence on their lives, and the generational lessons we all can learn from those we love.
The Chosen Adventures debuts on Prime Video Oct 17. Eh, it looks better than Veggie Tales…
The Chosen Adventures follows nine-year-old Abby and her best friend Joshua as they navigate life in the ancient city of Capernaum. When the children encounter a wise craftsman and teacher, Jesus of Nazareth, he changes the way they see the world. And did we mention that she has a talking sheep?
That’s the newsletter for today.
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War Dawgs just looks silly. I’m sure it’ll be a hit 😆