KCRW's The Spin-Off: Drama Problems at HBO, Which New Shows Will Score Emmy Noms?

On the latest edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, Joe and I were joined by TVLine's Vlada Gelman, and we touched on some hot TV topics of the moment:

HBO has a problem with dramas--or lack thereof. Game of Thrones is still a massive hit, but that’s the only show the network has going for it right now, and it just wrapped up a sixth season.

Earlier in the year, HBO announced they’d renew Vinyl for a second season, even though the initial numbers were not great and critics’ reviews were mixed. But since then, there’s been a changing of the guard at HBO and we just learned a second season is now a no-go.

They’ve got the highly anticipated Westworld debuting in the fall, but that production has been plagued with problems and the premiere pushed back multiple times. However, HBO has endured dry spells before, and they’ve still having great success with comedies like Silicon Valley and Veep.

And on the Emmy front, the first nominating window has officially closed, so we’re waiting to see who made the list of nominees.

The Television Academy is known for nominating perennial favorites, and in the drama category this year, there’s not a ton of opportunity for new shows to break through. Lots of people would like to see The Americans or Mr. Robot to be recognized, but there may not be room for both.

The best comedy actress category is another one filled to the brim with opportunity. The question remains as to how far the Academy is willing to reach outside the tried and true.

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MIKE ON KCRW: Murdoch Drama, Game of Thrones Drama and Netflix Drama

On this Monday's edition of The Business, Kim Masters and I bantered about several topics including:

- In a much-admired smooth plan of succession, Rupert Murdoch will pass control of his media empire on to his two sons.
- Netflix is paying $30 million for the new Brad Pitt movie War Machine. While the streaming outlet has invested in original movies before, this move represents their largest payment and serious move towards making prestigious, potentially award-worthy films.
- Disney is out about $140 million after director Brad Bird had a rare flop with Tomorrowland. It's a loss Disney can certainly afford, but some movie-lovers are worried this misstep will move them away from "original" movies and make them depend even more on reliable franchises.

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On last Thursday's Hollywood Breakdown, Kim Masters and I talked all about the Rupert Murdoch succession plan at 21st Century Fox:

The Murdochs are showing the world how to set up a succession plan. In what seems like a seamless transition, Rupert Murdoch has said he will hand the reins of 21st Century Fox to his son James. Both James and Murdoch's other son Lachlan have long worked in their father's businesses. And while James Murdoch's career may have been marred at one point by the phone hacking scandal in Britain, he's now become a seasoned and respected media executive. In other news with the reorganization, Chase Carey will step down from his role as CEO at Fox and work as an adviser to the company.

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On Monday's Press Play with Madeleine Brand, Slate's June Thomas and I discussed:

For those of you still smarting from the Game of Thrones finale last night, perhaps the new season of Orange Is the New Black will work as a salve? We talk about how HBO’s historical fiction/fantasy series ended its latest round of episodes, and more in our weekly television segment.

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MIKE ON RADIO: Return of "Thrones," Yahoo! TV and Replacing Letterman

On Monday's edition of KCRW's Press Play with Madeleine Brand, we discussed HBO's hot streak (led by those amazing "Game of Thrones" ratings), plus all the intrigue surrounding who will replace David Letterman on CBS, and whether Yahoo! TV's move into original streaming content has a shot at success.

Listen below! My spot starts at 16 minutes in.

MIKE ON RADIO: Discussing TV Deaths, the HIMYM Finale and More on KCRW's "Press Play"

On this Tuesday's KCRW "Press Play" TV roundup, I spoke with host Madeleine Brand about a whole slew of different TV hot topics. My portion starts at 16 minutes in.

First, a synopsis of this week's visit: "In our regular TV roundup, we review the week on the small screen. We start today with the sitcom How I Met Your Mother, which finally delivered on the promise of its title last night after more than 200 episodes. We also discuss the season four finale of The Walking Dead, which drew a staggering 15.7 million viewers. And season four of HBO’s Game of Thrones premieres Sunday. We talk about the show’s penchant for killing off major characters."

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