How late is too late? And is too late, just right?
I have this belief about Christmas trees. For the couple of weeks leading into Christmas, all of our focus is on Christmas. We’re organising time off work, we’re buying gifts, we’re planning Christmas dinners, there’s the gifts, etc etc etc.
Then, come Boxing Day, the last thing we want to think about is Christmas. It has been too much. We’re done. Get that tree outta my house.
The same goes for any big cultural event. Recently in Australia there was a huge amount of focus placed on the trial of Erin Patterson, the “Mushroom Lady” who was found guilty of murdering dinner guests eating her home cooked meal. All eyes were on the verdict and once that was done, so were we.
The last thing anyone wanted was more Mushroom Lady coverage.
Australian streamer Stan has a documentary debuting Sept 14: Revealed – Death Cap Murders. I look at it and think Stan should have had this ready to go for the verdict as a crass cash-in. But also… maybe two months is long enough to whet an appetite.
How late is too late? And is too late, just right? No. It is too late.
With the new Skydance team coming in, there is going to be a far greater integration between Pluto TV and Paramount+ with the free service used to draw viewers into a content funnel, driving them to the subscription platform.
Presumably, there’s a role for CBS to play a role in this ecosystem too. I suspect it is this thinking that led to the announced deal this morning with CBS original shows being made available on Pluto TV from September.
As per Variety:
Viewers will be able to watch Season 1 of “Matlock,” “Watson,” and “NCIS: Origins,” Season 2 of “Elsbeth,” Season 3 of “Fire Country,” and Season 4 of “Ghosts” on demand via Pluto TV, the free streamer announced Wednesday.
September just seems too late in the piece. Television history is littered with stories in years gone by of viewers discovering shows in repeats during the off-season and viewership swelling when new episodes debuted. In more recent, streaming times, we see viewers discovering shows on-demand on streaming platforms and viewership building season on season.
I don’t see the benefit in releasing last seasons episodes right before the new season begins. Surely audiences will then just take their time to get to the new episodes once they are finally able to finish the large volume of episodes from that show they just discovered?
It’s like that dumb (older) trend of using a DVD release of a season of a TV show as promotion ahead of the new season debuting on TV. All they did was train fans of the show to wait a year for the next seasons DVD release.
News Desk
John Malkovich will be a regular in Apple TV+’s Bad Monkey for season 2. Read: TV Insider
Denzel Washington says that he doesn’t watch movies anymore because he’s tired of them. Read: THR
Mireille Enos from The Killing is joining the cast of MGM+ show American Hostage opposite Jon Hamm. Read: Deadline
Elizabeth Banks will play Karen Read in a limited series from EP David E Kelley. Read: Variety
Producers Angie Fielder and Polly Staniford are winding down Australian production company Aquarius Films. Most recently it produced Mix Tape. Read: Mediaweek
Yesterday Aussie broadcaster Nine held its FY25 market announcement. If you want an analysis piece from me about it, take a gander at this over at Mediaweek.
Trailer Park
Okay… this is pretty fun-looking. Scouts Honor.
All Of You debuts on Apple TV+ Sept 26.
Best friends since college, Simon (Brett Goldstein) and Laura (Imogen Poots) drift apart when she takes a test that finds her soulmate despite years of unspoken feelings between them. Over the years, as their paths cross and diverge, neither can deny the feeling that they've missed out on a life together. Faced with the uncertainty of changing the course of their lives, are Simon and Laura willing to risk everything to experience the love that had been between them all along, or should they accept their fate? "All of You" explores whether one person can ever be your everything in this humorous and heart-wrenching romantic drama.
The Guest debuts on Netflix Sept 24.
A couple trying to save their marriage after an affair are thrown into turmoil when a mysterious woman from the wife's past shows up at their home.
That’s the newsletter for 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.
