Is Spider-Noir one TV show or two?
Also:
Usually the ABW newsletter ends each edition with a section called ‘Trailer Park,’ which has all of the new TV show and streaming film trailers.
Usually I would have just dropped in the Prime Video trailer for the new Nicholas Cage 1930s era live-action Spider-Man show. But, there’s something very specific I want to talk about regarding Spider-Noir.
But first, here’s the synopsis:
Spider-Noir tells the story of Ben Reilly (Nicolas Cage), a seasoned, down on his luck private investigator in 1930s New York, who is forced to grapple with his past life, following a deeply personal tragedy, as the city's one and only superhero.
And here’s the trailer:
The show will also stream in glorious black and white, so here is the trailer for that version of the show:
…. wait, did I just mention there are two versions of the show?
Now, this isn’t a surprise. We knew there were two versions coming. But, after watching both versions of the trailer, I was left with a thought: This is a disaster for streaming ratings measurement.
I can’t see how this can be considered as anything other than two different shows. When you log into Prime Video on May 25 to watch it, there will likely be two tiles side-by-side, giving you the choice of which version of the show you want to see. When measurement companies like Luminate and Nielsen publish their respective Top TV charts each week, that surely means viewership will be split.
And look, maybe both firms decide to bundle them together in the same way that they will combine metrics for a TV show streaming on two or more platforms at the same time, but should they? They look very different.
The trailers for the show both look magnificent. It’s a fantastic-looking show in colour, but somehow I think it looks even better in black and white.
It’s the most unique-looking superhero adaptation we have seen in years, which really says something considering how familiar we all are with the look and feel of both superhero dramas and crime noir detective pastiches.
For those unfamiliar with Spider-Noir, this is a version of Spider-Man that has been on the fringes of Spider-Man comics and movies for almost two decades now.
The Spider-Man Noir character technically debuted in a comic, Spider-Man Noir #1 in 2009, but was popularised in the very good 2010 video game Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions. That game then served as the inspiration for the 2014 Spider-Verse comics, which then inspired the Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse animated film (which had Nicholas Cage hired to voice Spider-Noir).
We have a new James Rockford
In what is actually pretty good casting, David Boreanaz will play James Rockford in the pilot for a reboot of The Rockford Files.
I’d have preferred Jeffrey Dean Morgan or Josh Holloway in the lead, but failing the casting of either of those guys, I can live with Boreanaz.
From Deadline:
As expected, Rockford was a sought-after role. While broadcast pilots typically go through up to half-dozen offers for the leads until someone engages, there were only two offers in the case of The Rockford Files. Both got interest and led to negotiations, with the reason the first did not pan out being logistical, tied to the series’ filming location, I hear.
While The Rockford Files is set in Los Angeles, the pilot will shoot in Atlanta with additional filming in Los Angeles. It has not been determined where production on the potential series would be based should the pilot gets picked up; it’s possible that the show applies for a California tax credit.
A fun fact about David Boreanaz, and one that would have made TV executives very comfortable with casting Boreanaz as the lead of the new show… David Boreanaz has an unbroken 25 year run as the lead actor in a TV series (between 1999 and 2024).
Angel: 1999-2004
Bones: 2005-2017
SEAL Team: 2017-2024
And, of course, prior to Angel he was a break-out star in the earliest seasons of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer where he was a main cast member from 1997-1999 before being given his own spin-off.
News Desk
Expect multiple crossovers between CBS dramas FBI and CIA. Read: Deadline
Aussie streamer Binge has commissioned 6 x 30-min documentary series Shannon Bennett: Pressure Cooker, it’ll follow the chef as he attempts to open a world class fine dining restaurant in Byron Bay. Read: IF
RIP US daytime talk shows. With the end of The Kelly Clarkson Show and Sherri, TV networks will just replace the timeslots with local news. The viewership doesn’t justify the cost of these types of shows anymore. Read: Variety
As its Prime Video presents: International Originals showcase held in London, the company talked up its desire to be “the preferred destination for anime content globally.” Read: Deadline
Jason Clarke is set to star alongside the already-announced Sydney Sweeney and Noah Centineo in the live-action Gundam film from Legendary and maybe Netflix. Read: Deadline
Proving that Amazon’s Masters of The Universe reboot is faithful to the original, Mattel has announced the official move tie-in toy line. As all fans will tell you, the movie is really only a secondary concern next to selling toys. Check them out: Bleeding Cool
YouTube is launching an appe on the Apple Vision Pro. Read: The Verge
The Wizard of Oz production made for the Las Vegas Sphere made $290 million in ticket revenue in 2025. Read: The Wrap
BBC Studios has announced Go Jetters Go, a Singapore-set spin-off of the animated franchise. Read: FormatBiz
Trump's multi-billion dollar lawsuit against the BBC has been scheduled to go to trial in February 2027. Read: BBC
Netflix will layoff several dozen staff from its product division with impacted roles focused on middle management and admin divisions. They represent less than 1% of the 6000-employee division. Read: Deadline
Trailer Park
Shoresy returns for season 5 on Hulu Feb 21.
The MAHA-friendly The Plastic Detox debuts on Netflix March 16. To be fair, I’m actually pretty concerned about this too.
What are microplastics doing to our health? The dangers of using plastics have an unprecedented health toll on fertility, puberty, and much more. This documentary follows the research of Dr. Swan and other experts in the field, covering the impact on human development and showing how we can take matters into our own hands.
Formula 1: Drive To Survive returns for season 8 on Netflix Feb 27.
Academy Award nominated short film The Singers debuts on Netflix Feb 13.
Wild Rose debuts on ALLBLK March 12.
Omarion portrays "Roosevelt" aka "Rose," a charismatic hitman with a conscience who comes from a family of assassins... that also happen to run a non-profit organization.
That Night debuts on Netflix March 13.
When a young, naïve single mother gets embroiled in a murder during an island getaway, her sisters rush to help. But they only make things worse.
That’s the newsletter for the today.
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