Stranger Things is back just hours from now... why don't you care?
I’ve written in this newsletter this morning about my enthusiasm for Stranger Things. I first watched it as a media screener a few weeks before release and went wild for it, then was beyond pleased seeing the world embrace it as enthusiastically as I had.
And every season I eagerly press play on the new episodes. But I have to admit, that with the new season debuting just hours from the time I write this, I’m not super-excited about it.
It has been almost three and a half years since the last episode aired (July 1, 2022) and my memory of that episode is incredibly hazy. It has just been so long and so much has happened in my life… in all our lives… in those three years.
Emma Flint at Indiewire has a piece on the diminished enthusiasm for the return of Stranger Things, asking if the breaks between shows like this (inclusive of artificial mid-season breaks) is harming fan engagement with streaming series.
What the “Stranger Things” TV model has attempted is to slow the binge by staggering its release. It’s not alone in doing this — other Netflix hits like “Bridgerton” and “Wednesday” have also taken this route. Unfortunately, rather than keeping us fed for longer, the enforced gap and long breaks produce a significant decrease in engagement.
Although the Duffers claim that yearly TV shows offer “diminishing returns,” as per a recent Variety interview, we’re seeing those same reduced returns from the very shows the Duffers are defending. “Wednesday” Season 2 is a prime example: It’s one of the most popular Netflix shows, yet splitting the second season in half resulted in a 43 percent decrease in viewership by the time Vol. 2 aired. In just under a month, the fandom’s curiosity had abated.
I’ll be pressing play on the show tonight, quite likely scratching my head in confusion for the first half-hour or so.
News Desk
Eva Green is joining the cast of Wednesday as Aunt Ophelia. Read: Variety
Second round bids for Warner Bros Discovery are due Dec 1. Read: Deadline
Why did Apple TV pull upcoming French thriller The Hunt from release just weeks before it was set to debut (Dec 3)? Apparently it adapted a Douglas Fairbairn novel Shoot without Apple or production company Gaumont aware, without rights being cleared. Read: Deadline
If you are looking for a full list of International Emmy winners, you might want to read through this one at THR.
Alien: Earth & Fargo’s Noah Hawley will team with It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s Rob Mac on a TV series adaptation of hit video game Far Cry for Hulu. Mac will also star in the show. Read: Polygon
Former BritBox ANZ chief Moira Hogan as the new ITV exec for VP sales and distribution for APAC. Read: C21
The BBC has confirmed Project Ada, its plan to save at least £100M by reimagining its workforce. Read: Deadline
Trailer Park
The Scrubs revival show debuts Feb 25 on the US ABC network with all episodes available to stream on Hulu. It certainly looks and feels like Scrubs, alright. Please read into that comment whichever tone you feel is appropriate.
Joe Barton’s adaptation of Amadeus debuts on Sky Atlantic in the UK and here in Australia on BINGE Dec 21.
The Town debuts on Netflix Dec 11.
A group of cash-strapped friends find their morals and relationships tested when they stumble upon a stolen fortune in their hometown.
How To Ruin Love: The Lobola debuts on Netflix Dec 19.
That’s the newsletter for today.
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