Hollywood loves you, baby! But only while your show is on TV.
ABW is back to its regular daily schedule. Monday through Friday, with the bonus Always Be Streaming newsletter for subscribers at the end of the week.
I had planned to start the year with some hot takes that would likely see me quickly cancelled.
Sorry gang, but my “Every Top 25 TV shows of the century/millennium article you’ve seen in recent weeks is trash unless they acknowledge Louie” article just isn’t going to see the light of day. But maybe with this paragraph, I just wrote it.
On with the new year!
Hollywood is a dream factory… when you’re at the height of popularity
Being a fan of The Pitt, I’ll always take a moment to read an article of substance about the show. With the series coming back for season 2 at the end of this week (it is still great… I’ll have thoughts on it in the newsletter later in the coming days), the New York Times has a really good behind the scenes look/profile of star Noah Wyle.
This section jumped out at me as it speaks to just how cold an industry can be.
For a TV gig, “ER” wasn’t bad. In the show’s first five seasons, Wyle was nominated for five Emmys for outstanding supporting actor. Although he didn’t win, it seemed like only a matter of time. A film career, too, seemed like a given. “It seems inevitable that Mr. Wyle will get the kind of seductive movie offers that his co-star Mr. Clooney, the next Batman, has received,” Bill Carter wrote in The New York Times in 1996.
But he didn’t. And when “ER” ended, it really ended. Wyle remembers going back to Warner Bros., three weeks after the show finally wrapped, to audition for a Clint Eastwood film. He drove to the same gate he always did — but the guard wouldn’t let him in. When Wyle eventually managed to talk his way through, he stopped at Stage 11, for old times’ sake, to visit the ER set. It was gone. The crew had already torn it apart.
To be fair, the guard probably shouldn’t be letting someone not on staff into the studio. But, it does serve as an interesting metaphor for how Wyle’s career played out post ER. The NYT article talks about how a few years ago with bills piling up and no work, Wyle was looking at selling his baseball card collection.
UK TV woes
On Boxing Day with a quiet hour or so to myself, I did a little bit of digital tourism and checked out some Christmas eve television live from the UK. My tourism was pretty short-lived as I was struck by just how little there was worth watching.
Apparently, I wasn’t really alone in that sentiment with viewership down on the BBC at Christmas this year. This, as per the Daily Mail:
Viewing figures were almost two thirds lower at their peak this December 25, with almost 4.6 million people tuning in to watch King Charles III’s annual Christmas message.
This marked a near eight million fewer viewers than those who huddled round the television set for the corporation’s long-awaited Gavin and Stacey special in 2024.
While 12.5 million watched the Christmas reunion, ten million also sat down for the corporation’s showing of Wallace & Gromit on the same day, and both exceeded 20 million when views on catch-up were added.
None of the top ten shows came close to last year’s successes, with second-placed The Scarecrow’s Wedding getting 4.3 million views and Strictly Come Dancing at third with 4.2 million.
Call the Midwife came in at fourth with 3.4 million watches, while first-time entry Amandaland beat out the residents of Albert Square for seventh place with three million.
It speaks to the waning influence of broadcasters, hampered by declining budgets and a lower cultural cache.
This, from an interesting article at the Financial Times about the “slow death of Britain’s TV channels”:
Netflix’s Christmas programming will be dominated by new instalments of smash-hit series Stranger Things and Emily in Paris. The UK’s domestic broadcasters however will be anchored by festive special editions of decades-old light entertainment shows.
It’s a stark illustration of the gulf in resources. The US streamer, currently fighting with US rivals over its proposed $83bn takeover of Warner Bros, already has an annual budget several times larger than the BBC’s — and no obligations around universal reach, local content and breadth of coverage in the UK.
The impact of their financial might is already being felt. In 2024, BBC services were still the most watched by UK viewers, according to Barb data, but YouTube had a bigger audience than ITV and more people watched Netflix than Channel 4.
YouTube’s growing audience now matches the terrestrial viewing of the BBC — a shift that is only going one way. Smart television sets have blurred the lines further, with 42 per cent of in-home YouTube viewing happening on TV sets in 2024, up from 34 per cent in 2023.
News Desk
House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal has confirmed the show will end with its fourth season. Read: Dark Horizons
Avatar: Fire and Ash has passed the $1b mark at the global box office. This is what cultural engagement looks like, in commercial terms. Read: THR
Steve Zahn says that he was never a contender for the lead role in Breaking Bad and that Bryan Cranston is a liar. Read: THR
Tyra Banks says that she wants her ice cream brand SMiZE & DREAM to be her legacy. I had it once and have never felt compelled to go back. It’s over-priced and only slightly better than average. Read: Complex
An interesting read (on an otherwise very quiet day) is Ben Harris-Roxas on his efforts to create a list of solarpunk movies. These are films with an interest in social and ecological improvement that depict brighter tomorrows. Check out the article at his site.
The Foxtel Go app seems to have vanished from the Apple App Store since Jan 1. Tip off on that one by way of ABW friend and supporter Anthony Eales
Trailer Park
The Muppet Show returns for a one-off special (that will become a series if viewership is good) Feb 4.
It's The Muppet Show! Kermit, Miss Piggy and the beloved Muppet gang are back with a brand-new special event. Music, comedy, and a whole lot of chaos is bound to ensue when The Muppets once again take the stage of the original Muppet Theatre with their very special guest, Sabrina Carpenter!
Wonder Man debuts on Disney+ Jan 27.
Hollywood actor Simon Williams is thrust into the world of superheroes as he gets powers of his own, and becomes the new superhero Wonder Man.
Red Eye season 2 is now streaming on Hulu.
Finding Harmony is coming soon to Prime Video.
From the forests of Guyana to sustainable communities in India, King Charles III demonstrates why it has never been more urgent to prioritise a sustainable future as we work to protect and restore our planet.
That’s the newsletter for the today.
Consider becoming a paid supporter of Always Be Watching.
Connect with Dan on Bluesky. Connect with Dan on Letterboxd. Connect with Dan on Linkedin. Email Dan @ alwaysbewatching.com or just reply to this email.
