As a child of the 80s I was repeatedly exposed to The Harlem Globetrotters through their animated TV show, appearances on other cartoons, and that time they visited Gilligans Island for an exhibition game.
But it is now 2022 and outside of appearances by Flight Time and Big Easy on The Amazing Race, TV has been a Globetrotter desert. Until now.
Starting october 1 Harlem Globetrotters: Play it Forward will be a new Saturday morning weekly show on NBC hosted by Craig Robinson.
It will showcase the players’ talents and their connections to local communities, including volunteer initiatives and fundraising. The Globetrotters also previously participated in efforts such as anti-bullying campaign T.E.A.M. Up and Hoops for the Troops.
I'm whistling Sweet Georgia Brown already.
Disney adds dimensions
When Disney+ viewers stream the new Brie Larson short film Remembering, they will be invited to download a dedicated augmented reality app (sorry, for iOS users only) which will bring the short film to life in viewers living rooms.
This is a test product to gauge viewer interest. If the response is favourable, expect to see a whole lot more experiments like this from the house of mouse.
The Streamable
Meanwhile at the parks...
Disney's extended reality ambitions may not begin and end with AR experiences. Disney chief Bob Chapek has said that they may be looking to bring Disney ride experiences to virtual reality, servicing the "the 90% of people that will never ever be able to get to a Disney Park.”
Ian Hamilton
The future of Succession
How many more seasons will Succession run for? It is a show that doesn't want to wear out its welcome. But here's series star Brian Cox with some [catty] thoughts on the matter:
We don’t want it to overstay its welcome, like [Showtime’s] Billions; that’s past its sell-by date. That will not happen with our show.
Tom Tapp
- Paramount is considering shuttering the US Showtime app and integrating the shows into Paramount+. Read: Deadline
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the newly-announced sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It'll be out May 12, 2023. Read: Dark Horizons
- RIP Breathless director Jean-Luc Godard. Read: NYT
- The Fonz reckons Barry will conclude with its fourth season. Read: Variety
- YouTube's payments to the music industry passed $6 billion in the past financial year. Read: Variety
- NBC is believed to be set to announce this week a return for the Golden Globes in time for its 80th anniversary. Why is the awards coming back? Well, simply, it drives a lot of revenue around Hollywoodland. Read: The LA Times
- On Monday UK cinemas will cease regular screenings, but will screen the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Food and drink sales will be suspended, but bottled water provided. Read: Screendaily
- Sky cut jokes about Queen Elizabeth II from the UK broadcast of John Oliver's Last Week Tonight. Read: THR
- UK viewership of The Crown skyrocketed 800% on Netflix. Read: Variety
- Seven has signed a 5-year deal to broadcast the Logie Awards. This is the Australian TV industry and local cocaine dealers night of nights. Read: Variety
The Playlist debuts on Netflix Oct 13.
The School For Good and Evil debuts on Netflix Oct 19.
A Friend of The Family debuts Oct 6 on Peacock.
Nintendo has announced Pikmin 4 will be released in 2023.
No Emmys wrap from me today. I only watched a bit of them - the first time in maybe 30+ years that I didn't watch. But everyone who was expected to win won. Except maybe Only Murders in The Building, which surprised me a bit. Anyway, more newsletter tomorrow.
