What sort of a name is 'Bari' Weiss anyway?
On Saturday June 14 of this year something incredible happened: I got Wordle in one word. I had spent years of my life playing that game every day with GHOST as my starter word.
Just like the strategy of hitting-on every woman at a bar, my word had to come up one day. I just didn’t expect it to take so long. But, something happened in the days that followed: I lost all interest in playing Wordle. I have instead moved on to the NYT’s Mini Crossword and am on a quest to play every game of that in the NYT archive.
Why mention this at all? Wordle is in development at NBC with Today anchor Savannah Guthrie set to host. She’s apparently a big fan of the game.
Making the show will be Universal Television Alternative Studio and Jimmy Fallon’s Electric Hot Dog company, alongside the NYT.
I don’t quite understand how this game, which is best played on the bus or toilet each morning is the making of a 30-60 minute TV game show, but TV has been guilty of worse in the past.
Read more: THR
Bari
I can’t say that I have a deep investment in the news story about Bari Weiss being appointed as an editor overseeing news at CBS.
My top-level thoughts:
I don’t understand how her website The Free Press was worth $150m.
As soon as Bari is busy doing other jobs, like, for example, working as editor-in-chief of CBS News, surely that value drops dramatically. David Ellison is really spending $150m to acquire Bari, which seems like a lot for any staff hire. Does she even know how to code for AI platforms?
Maybe this is her dream job, but I can’t imagine that this longtime opinion writer will get the same job satisfaction as her usual work entails.
If you aren’t really across this story, Variety has a good explainer on who Bari Weiss is and how she got to the heights she has climbed.
The only thing I find particularly interesting about any of this is that she apparently joined an editorial team meeting to introduce herself and to give a bit of a speech where at one point, in an effort to rally the team, she told them “Let’s do the f***ing news.”
That’s hilariously cringe. It brings me so much joy.
If “Let’s do the f***ing news” doesn’t become a punchline on every comedy chat show, podcast, and SNL this weekend, then I’ll be very disappointed.
Can I buy the phrase on a t-shirt yet?
News Desk
Sam Jaegar from The Handmaid’s Tale has joined season 2 of Bad Monkey. I’m not sure why this guy hasn’t quietly been turning up in a lot more shows. He’s pretty good and makes good TV talent. Read: Deadline
Game of Thrones prequel A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will dump the standard-style GoT opening titles and the fantasy elements of the franchise. Read: Dark Horizons
Bob Ross paintings are being auctioned off to raise money for US public television. Read: TV Newscheck
Don’t be surprised if you start seeing a lot more Ninja Warrior on your screens again in the next year or so with Banijay International picking up global rights to sell the show (outside of a few markets like the US). Read: Deadline
Better Call Saul co-creator/executive producer Peter Gould has a new FX series called Disinherited. Announced cast members include Alan Ruck and Evil star Katja Herbers. Every time an Evil cast member is cast in a new project that isn’t a revival of Evil, a fairy dies. Just so you know, Hollywood… Read: Deadline
Quality cinema fans will be keen to know that Saga Erotica: The Emmanuelle Collection is an 11-disc box set from Severin Films that presents four films from the Emmanuelle catalog presented restored in 4k and presented on 4k. Why does four films need 11 discs? Read: HD Report
HBO Max in Sydney, Australia is doing a screening of the first episode of IT: Welcome To Derry. Tix are available here and if you are looking for more info, you can read up about it at Mediaweek.
Netflix has given the greenlight to a reality competition show based on the board game Clue. Read: Variety
Of course, what has taken Netflix so long? The UK and Australia was doing Cluedo (that’s what the rest of the world calls the board game) back in the early 90s:
Trailer Park
The Witcher returns on Netflix Oct 30 for season 4.
Ballad of a Small Player debuts on Netflix Oct 29.
Amid the glittering casinos of Macau, a gambler running from his past - and his debts - becomes fascinated by an enigmatic woman at the baccarat table.
Dr Seuss’s The Sneetches debuts on Netflix Nov 3.
An unexpected friendship forms between two young Sneetches on an island surrounded by beaches in this sweet musical special set in the world of Seuss.
Bad Influencer debuts on Netflix Oct 31.
A single mother - and luxury bag counterfeiter - finds herself teaming up with a self-obsessed influencer to sell her bags and scrape her way out of debt.
That’s the newsletter for today.
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