KCRW's The Spin-Off: The Year in TV, and Debating the Usefulness of TCA Press Tour

On the latest edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, Joe and I were joined by Variety's Oriana Schwindt, and we discussed the big TV stories of the year -- plus previewed the upcoming Television Critics Association press tour:

Earlier this month, four out of the five broadcast networks (ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox) announced they would not be holding executive panels at January's upcoming Television Critics Association press tour. Fox later backtracked and said they would be there after all. The Spin-off crew discusses the utility of the TCA press tours in the age of Twitter, and whether it matters that outlets like Netflix and Amazon are skipping it all together.

Then, we dive into the sliding ratings of this season of The Walking Dead, as well as other shows that experienced a year-end dip. Finally, a year-end Download where we look ahead to 2017, give a shout-out to some of our favorite holiday episodes from across the decades, and pour one out for the TV moms and dads we lost this year, including Growing Pains' Alan Thicke.

Listen below!

KCRW's The Spin-Off: Comic-Con, TCA and Always Be Marketing (LISTEN!)

On the latest edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, Joe and I were joined by TV Guide Magazine's Marisa Roffman, and we talked about the just-finished Comic-Con and the upcoming Television Critics Association press tour:

Michael Schneider and Marisa Roffman have been to Comic-Con many times before, but this year managed to elicit some moments of actual emotion and surprise, including when it was announced that it would be the final season for Vampire Diaries, and when we learned Rihanna would be cast in a crucial role for the final season of Bates Motel.

Compared to last year, Roffman says it felt like there was more news to actually announce, but scheduling issues still prove problematic for the ever-growing fest.

In terms of what's coming up at the Television Critics Association, there are high hopes for HBO's Westworld, but over at the broadcast networks, the fall pilots have not inspired much confidence.

And Joe Adalian breaks down a recent article he wrote about how TV marketers are having to be more creative and more relentless when promoting their shows, due to the continuing evolution of the way people watch television.

Plus, summer TV! What's working? Game shows. What's not? Everything else.

Listen below!

KCRW's The Spin-Off: Recapping the TV Critics Association Press Tour, and Looking Ahead at 2016

On the latest edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, Joe and I chat with Diane Gordon about TCA and what to expect in 2016 inside the TV biz:

At this winter's TCA gathering , there's been talk on perennial topics like diversity and women in front of and behind the camera. But there's also been a focus on how people watch television and how those methods are rapidly evolving.

One surprising moment came during NBC's presentation when they revealed numbers from some of Netflix's biggest shows.

The stats showed that millions of people are watching these shows, but some were confused when NBC focused on the 18-49 demo, when Netflix doesn't even deal with demos because they have no ads.

We also talk about what can be learned from the Netflix sensation Making a Murderer. The docu-series shows that content doesn't have to be overproduced and that people actually are patient enough to watch a long, thought-provoking story if it's well told.

Listen below!

KCRW's THE SPIN-OFF: Press Tour Roundup, and Is There Really Too Much TV? (LISTEN NOW!)

On the latest edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, Joe and I are joined by The Surf Report's Diane Gordon:

The TCA press tour used to look a lot different, with the broadcast networks spending three days each promoting virtually everything on their schedules. But as the broadcast networks pull back, the number of networks have grown, and especially as more digital players have gotten into the game, the schedule has ballooned to accommodate everyone. We do our best to break it all down and give you the most pertinent points from this year's gathering.

Remember the good ol' days of 2013? That's when a little show called House of Cards premiered on Netflix.

And now, just two years later, Netflix is looking at 36 original shows. Netflix was actually one of the first presentations at TCA this year, and Ted Sarandos -- a name not very many people knew not very long ago -- emphasized just how much the company is in it to win it. They've got A-list talent and production budgets to make buzz-worthy and critically acclaimed shows.

Other digital outlets like Hulu and Amazon made presentations as well, and everyone is stepping up their original content game.

If it seems like there's officially "too much TV," you're not alone in your thinking. During FX's day on the stage, John Landgraf, the head of the network, gave a talk that resonated with a lot of people. He pointed out the the current TV glut is not sustainable. In the future there has to be some kind of slowing in the rate of increase of new shows.

Listen below!

KCRW's THE SPIN-OFF: January 2015 Edition (Listen Now!)

It's the January edition of our monthly TV podcast on KCRW, The Spin-Off! This month, Joe and I are joined by THR's Lacey Rose, and we recorded it all together in a hotel room at Pasadena's Langham Huntington Hotel! Here's what we discuss:

Coming to you from the home of the winter TCA gathering, we take a look at big news out of the conference so far. Last year at this time, ABC looked like they might be in trouble, but their investment in diversity on their shows has really paid off. And cable network AMC has a big year ahead as they say goodbye to Mad Men, and hello to Breaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul.

We also take a minute to reflect on this year's Golden Globes winners in the TV categories. Amazon's Transparent and Showtime's The Affair both had big nights, while HBO's True Detective got totally snubbed, to the surprise of many. And newcomer Gina Rodriguez was recognized for her role in the CW's Jane the Virgin. Do the results actually say anything about the direction the industry is heading, or are all bets off when it comes to the Globes?

Then we zero in on one network that's seen a lot of change over the past year. Fox has new leadership and their vision for the network is starting to become clear. The network is off to a strong start in 2015 with their hip-hop soap opera Empire.

Finally we go around the horn for our Download segment and share the stories or shows that are top of mind this month.

Listen by clicking below!

MIKE ON KCRW: Golden Globes and the TV Critics Press Tour

Another busy week at KCRW. On this Monday's edition of The Business, Kim Masters and I bantered about several topics including:

- The Golden Globes are a few days away. What used to be a smaller awards show has become a must-attend affair.
- The Television Critics Association holds its semi-annual gathering. The big topic so far: what to do about cord cutters.
- Just a few weeks ago, Sony was on the brink of disaster and the jobs of the studio's top executives seriously at risk. But as of right now, it looks like Amy Pascal and Michael Lynton will be able to hang on to their positions.

Listen by clicking below:



Or here:





On last Thursday's Hollywood Breakdown, Kim Masters and I talked all about the Television Critics Association press tour, happening now in Pasadena:

Twice a year the Television Critics Association gathers to hear presentations from network heads and showrunners of upcoming programs. This winter's gathering is just getting started, but so far the big topic is the continued unbundling of cable and the ever increasing options for over the top streaming services, which networks are hoping appeal to millennials who aren't interested in a cable subscription. HBO and CBS announced standalone streaming services last year, and this week, Dish Network announced a $20 a month streaming service called Sling TV. The big difference with Sling is that their over the top bundle will include ESPN, the sports network frequently cited as the reason for hanging on to cable.

Listen below:





On Monday's Press Play with Madeleine Brand, I called in from the TCA to talk more about the press tour, plus the Golden Globes:

Last night’s Golden Globes ceremony is getting so-so reviews today. Many people say they were more staid, a.k.a. boring, than usual. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, who were showered with praise for their previous hosting stints, weren’t on the stage as much this time around. We hash out the highlights and lowlights, and preview what the networks are cooking up this year in our weekly TV segment.

Listen below:

KCRW's THE SPIN-OFF: July Post-TCA Edition (Listen Now!)

KCRW's monthly TV podcast The Spin-Off is back for our July edition! This month, Joe and I welcome guest Diane Gordon (who took the pic above) to chat about the hot TV topics of the month. The highlights:

The summer session of the 2014 Television Critics Association press tour has just wrapped up. Some of the big announcements to come out of the event? South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone inked a deal with Hulu, and the FX show Fargo will get a second season. But two women really stole the show: Cristela Alonzo of ABC’s Cristela and Gina Rodrigues from CW’s Jane the Virgin both captivated audiences with personal stories of their showbiz journeys. Plus, Amazon presents some big, dramatic original programming plans, whereas Microsoft calls it quits in that department.

Emmy nominations have been announced, and after the initial reactions to snubs and scores, many are still puzzled by how a show like Nurse Jackie ends up in the comedy category or how True Detective is NOT a miniseries.

Kevin Reilly left Fox Broadcasting at the end of May, and the company has finally announced their new leadership plan. Dana Walden and Gary Newman, CEOs of 20th Century Fox TV will also now head Fox Broadcasting, bringing the studio the network under the same leadership umbrella.

End of show Downloads:

Joe: Sunday nights have become a delight thanks to John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight.

Diane: Hulu’s Hotwives of Orlando is a pitch-perfect parody of Bravo’s Real Housewives.

Mike: Time Warner rebuffs an offer from Rupert Murdoch, but Fox’s purchase of the coveted media conglomerate seems inevitable.

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MIKE ON RADIO: Talking Rupert Murdoch on "The Business" and the TCA Press Tour on "Press Play"

On last week's episode of KCRW's The Business, Kim Masters and I once again discussed the top entertainment news stories of the week:

- Time Warner rebuffs Murdoch’s $80 billion offer...for now
- Restructuring at Fox post-Kevin Reilly
- Microsoft gives up on original programming

Listen below!



MEANWHILE, I was also on Press Play with Madeleine Brand last Monday discussing the headlines coming out of the Television Critics Association Press Tour, with an emphasis on Fox's new series "Utopia":

This fall, a new civilization will be born. And cameras will be rolling the whole time. The Fox network’s newest reality TV show is called “Utopia”, and the network says it’s a social experiment. We talk about that, plus the latest news coming out of the Television Critics Association press event.

Listen by clicking on the image below:

MIKE ON RADIO: Bantering Emmys on "The Business" and TV Press Tour on "Press Play"

On this week's issue of KCRW's The Business, I was back with host Kim Masters to banter the week's headlines -- including a lengthy discussion about Emmy campaigning and Emmy nominations, as well as dissecting Christopher Nolan’s thoughts on the future of film. The banter takes place at the start of the show; listen above.



Also, on Monday I checked in with KCRW's "Press Play with Madeleine Brand" to give them the lowdown on the Television Critics Association Press Tour. Among the hot topics: Amazon's impressive arrival at the event. Listen to the show above.

One Last Drink at MacLaren's: On The Set Of "How I Met Your Mother"

We've been fans and viewers of CBS' "How I Met Your Mother" from the very beginning. So when the Television Critics Association press tour featured a last call visit to the show's set -- and one last panel with cast members Neil Patrick Harris, Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Alyson Hannigan, Cobie Smulders and newcomer Cristin Milioti ("the mom"). But yes, the real treat was actually having a beer on the show's MacLaren's bar set -- and sitting in the booth where the characters are normally parked. I joined my friend Leslie (above) as series creators Craig Thomas and Carter Bays stood over us.

By the way, here's a quick trip down memory lane: The time I moderated a HIMYM panel in 2009.  Also: Here are Carter and Craig on the Writers Strike picket line in 2007.

"How I Met Your Mother" airs its final episode on Monday, March 31 at 8 p.m. with a one-hour series capper.

A few more shots from the set:

Benedict Cumberbatch Causes a Stir at TCA Press Tour

I've been attending the Television Critics Assn. press tour since 1996, and I can't remember ever seeing so much frenzy over a PBS press conference as there was for Monday's Masterpiece panel on "Sherlock." The reason? An appearance by Benedict Cumberbatch. The actor has been here before, but his star has really taken off. So much so that a well-behaved and calm crowd of fans (mostly young girls, who happened to be out of school because of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday) gathered outside the Langham Huntington Hotel to catch a glimpse -- and perhaps a photo and signature -- of Cumberbatch.

Shamelessly looking to stir Twitter into a frenzy, we all also Tweeted up a storm during the press conference and made sure to chronicle Cumberbatch's visit with the fans:

MIKE ON RADIO: On KCRW's The Business, Discussing TV Critics Press Tour

On this week's edition of KCRW's "The Business," I called in from the Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena to give an update on the Television Critics Association press tour. Pilot season -- which we also discussed on this month's The Spin-Off -- was the hot topic. Listen to the "banter" segment that kicks off the show:

THE SPIN-OFF: Listen to the January Edition of KCRW's Monthly TV Podcast

Joe, AJ and I are back -- live from the Television Critics Association press tour! -- with the January edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off! Topics this month:

What Are the TCAs?: The purpose of the TCA's, as they're known, is for broadcast and cable channels to promote their new shows. But do they really mean anything in the era of Twitter?

Wherefore Pilot Season?: What's the value of this business model -- something the cable channels reject-- as some networks (namely, Fox) start to change their approach?

Duck Dynasty Drama: Now that the dust has settled and the show returns to the air, what happened? Should AMC have handled it differently? Was the public backlash emblematic of the "outrage industry" in the media now?

Listen via streaming links below!

Sean "Diddy" Combs Wants to Bring A New Year's Eve Ball Drop to Los Angeles

Sean "Diddy" Combs met with reporters on Friday morning to tout Revolt, his new music-centric cable channel run by former KROQ program director and MTV executive Andy Schuon. (Above, yes, that's me on the far right as part of a press gaggle with Diddy. This is from his Instagram site.)

Revolt has already taken over the TV studio space operated by TV Guide Network at the Hollywood and Highland complex. Diddy touted the live nature of much of Revolt's programming, with some of that content coming straight from Hollywood and Highland. That's why he hopes to bring big events there -- including a version of New York's New Year's Eve ball drop in Times Square. It's too soon to do it this year, but Diddy hopes to launch such an event as 2014 turns into 2015.

Los Angeles has always struggled to come up with a major New Year's Eve event; the city's Millennium celebration in 2000 was famously derided as lackluster. And of course, we all remember last year's Jamie Kennedy-led New Year's Eve disaster on KDOC.

As for Revolt, the channel already has distribution on Time Warner Cable (including in Los Angeles) and Comcast (which is funding the channel, which came out of Comcast's promise when it acquired NBCUniversal to launch more minority-led channels) around the country. The channel, which launches in October, has around 25 million homes lined up so far. DirecTV and Dish deals are still in negotiations.

Diddy is putting a chunk of his own fortune into the channel -- which he compares to CNN and ESPN for music -- as well. He's also realistic that the channel, geared toward a Millennial audience, will have a bumpy start.

"This is the hardest challenge I've ever had to meet," says Combs, who says he'd now like to be the "next Steve Jobs." "It gets to the point where it's so crazy and there's so much pressure it feels like it could break you. I'm learning new things and new words, technology I didn't even realize. It's so inspiring."

He adds: "I'm going to let the work prove itself. You're watching a more mature and evolved me as a promoter. I'm going to be doing smarter things like this, with the industry, and not overpromise anything. I'm not doing anything ratings-based for the first two or three years. I'm going to be building my credibility. I'm playing chess, not checkers. That's what I've evolved as a businessman and you'll see it in this venture."

Greetings from the TV Critics Press Tour: Sarah Palin, Crystal the Monkey and Downton Abbey

Sending my regards from the Beverly Hilton's International Ballroom, where I've been holed up for a week covering the TV Critics Association press tour. It's popular to whine about the press tour, but even 16 years in, I still enjoy it. The opportunity to meet up with executives and producers is valuable, and it's still a great chance to hear a show's actors and writers justify their new program.

And then... there are the surreal moments, like Sarah Palin showing up at an NBC party (above). Palin was there to support hubby Todd, a participant on NBC's new reality show "Stars Earn Stripes." At the same party, Crystal the Monkey (star of NBC's new sitcom "Animal Practice") made friends with the crowd.



Another perk: PBS held a "Downton Abbey" event, in which guests were invited, and gave us a first look at season 3. Above, Maria gets cozy with Mr. Bates (Brendan Coyle).



Another surreal moment: The cast of this fall's "Dancing with the Stars" all-star version. OK, there have been way too many Palins at this summer's TCA.



"You betcha!"

Playing Jon to Erik Estrada's Ponch (PHOTO)

The TV Critics Association press tour had just begun at the Beverly Hilton, yet I already have a candidate for fave moment. Above, at Univision's first-ever TV Critics press tour session... it's me and Erik Estrada! Thumbs up, America!

Covering the TV Critics Press Tour: Some Things Never Change

July 1997: After a New York Times Magazine profile painted an extensive, unflattering profile of young ABC Entertainment president Jamie Tarses, rumors swirled that the exec was about to be fired. So when ABC's portion of the TV Critics Assn. press tour rolled around, reporters pounced (above). That's the back of my head in the lower left.



July 2010: After ABC Entertainment Group president Steve McPherson left the network in a cloud of controversy, ABC Family topper Paul Lee (above) was named, just days before the TV Critics Assn. press tour, to take over the job. So when ABC's portion of the press tour rolled around, reporters pounced (above). That's the back of my head in the lower left.

The more things change... the more they don't.

(Pic of the Paul Lee scrum by Hunter Walker.)