Quick turnaround television (AKA the good ol’ days)
A regular topic of conversation (certainly in this newsletter) is that TV lost some of its spark when it entered the prestige TV era brought upon by cable TV in the 2000s and accelerated by streamers in the 2010s. I’m talking about that frustration of TV shows not coming back every year, sometimes with 2-3 year gaps between seasons.
One element of TV that I always appreciated, which made it distinct from film, is that the old-school fast turnaround production cycle of television meant that TV was often far more reflective of the culture of the moment. It could react in near-realtime to trends and news. Film, however, needed to stand beyond that with multi-year periods between green-light to release.
I was taken with this paragraph in an Indiewire interview with DEVO’s Mark Mothersbaugh. He has been scoring TV shows and movies for years, with his latest work heard in the new Hoppers Pixar film.
He’s talking about the months between getting the assignment in film and turning in the final recordings, versus his early career experience:
It’s a far cry from Mothersbaugh’s days scoring “Pee Wee’s Playhouse,” when he would get a tape of an episode on Monday, write the music on Tuesday, record it on Wednesday, and send it to the producers on Thursday — just in time for them to put the music into the episode on Friday and then air it Saturday morning. “That was really exciting,” Mothersbaugh said of the accelerated process, which was much faster than what he was used to with Devo, spending several months out of the year writing and recording one album. “That’s what got me hooked on composing.”
The good ol’ days.
News Desk
The Traitors and The Celebrity Traitors has been renewed by the BBC in a three-year deal, keeping the show on through 2030. Read: C21
To no surprise at all, CBS has given a season 2 renewal to Yellowstone spin-off Marshals. Read: Deadline
Bluey’s Big Play - The Stage Show is finally getting a US release, starting March 16 on Disney+. It’s a live recording of a stage show and is pretty good – it has been watched endlessly by the 4 year-old future publisher of ABW. The really terrible Bluey Minisodes are also getting a release in the US on May 20. Read: thefutoncritic
Aaron Pierre will take his John Stewart character from upcoming HBO show Lanterns and appear in the Superman film Man of Tomorrow. Read: The Wrap
Finneas O’Connell will score season 2 of Beef. Read: THR
Martha Stewart and José Andrés’ cooking show Yes Chef has been cancelled by NBC after one season. Read: Deadline
A Family Guy spin-off focused on Stewie and his adventures at daycare has been given a two-season order by Fox. The premise, with Stewie and his daycare friends having adventures in space has a strong Fantastic Max vibe to it. Read: THR
Netflix has a series based on Frida Kahlo in development. Read: Deadline
A Black Mirror graphic novel based on the fan favourite episode San Junipero launched at the London Book Fair yesterday. Read: Kickstarter
Jada Pinkett Smith will return in the A Different World sequel series on Netflix. Read: Deadline
Trailer Park
Big Mistakes debuts on Netflix April 9.
Blackmailed into working for gangsters, two deeply incapable siblings become the most disorganized duo in organized crime.
Malcolm In The Middle: Life’s Still Unfair debuts on Hulu April 10.
Thrash debuts on Netflix April 10. I don’t believe this is connected to the Under Paris Cinematic Universe (UPCU).
When a catastrophic hurricane slams a coastal town, stranded residents must survive rapidly rising waters swarming with ravenous sharks.
18th Rose debuts on Netflix April 9.
What happens when a girl with a plan meets a boy with a dream?
The Ramparts of Ice debuts on Netflix April 2.
Weighed down by memories she can't shake, high schooler Koyuki Hikawa keeps everyone at arm's length - until three schoolmates draw her out of her shell.
That’s the newsletter for the today.
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