End of Year Round-Up: My Favorite IndieWire Stories From 2017

It was my first full year at IndieWire (having joined in April 2016), and I'm proud to say the site is humming along nicely -- and ended the year with its most-read month (December) in IndieWire historu. I went through and selected some of my favorite stories fron 2017. Read 'em below.

‘The Sopranos’ Was Still One of 2017’s Most-Binged TV Shows, Even 10 Years After It Ended (Dec. 29)

Most-Watched Television Networks: Ranking 2017’s Winners and Losers (Dec. 28)

Top Rated Shows of 2017: Here’s How the Super Bowl, Oscars, ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘The Walking Dead’ Faced Off (Dec. 27)

Paul Reiser on Reviving ‘Mad About You’: ‘There’s Still Comedy To Be Mined’ (Dec. 26)

‘The Office’ Cast: Where Are They Now, And Their Odds of Joining The Reboot (Dec. 19)

‘The Office’ Revival In the Works at NBC; Here’s Who Might Be Back (Dec. 18)

‘Live PD’: Secrets Behind A&E’s Addictive Cop Show, and How It Almost Goes Off the Rails Each Week (Dec. 15)

‘House of Cards,’ ‘Transparent,’ ‘Today Show’ and More: A Complete Guide To TV Rocked By Sexual Harassment Scandals (Dec.7)

‘The Good Doctor’ Phenomenon: Creator David Shore Says He Couldn’t Have Made This Show a Decade Ago, But Now It’s A Hit (Nov. 6)

Ron Perlman Says His Presidential Run Is No Longer A Joke: ‘We’re In Danger of Ending Our Days’ — Turn It On Podcast (Oct. 20)

Jimmy Kimmel: Here’s What Fueled His Reluctant Transformation into the Nation’s Moral Conscience (Oct. 4)

The 20 Best TV Spin-off Series of All Time, Ranked (Sept. 27)

 

Chuck Lorre on Following Up ‘Mom’ With a Pot Comedy, and How Making a Single-Camera Comedy Is Torture (Sept. 6)

 

The 15 Greatest TV Presidents of All Time, Ranked (Aug. 22)

RuPaul Has a Powerful Message on Why The Bigots and Hate Groups Are Going to Lose — IndieWire’s Turn It On Podcast (Aug. 15)

 

How Netflix Has Ignited TV’s Talent War — and Network Fears — By Stealing Away Shonda Rhimes (Aug. 14)

 

As Disney Cuts Ties With Netflix, the Real Battle for Streaming Supremacy Begins (Aug. 8)

NBC Helped Create President Trump — and MSNBC Ratings Prove He’s Been Good for the Company (Aug. 4)

Matt Groening and ‘The Simpsons’ Producers on 30 Years, Beating ‘Gunsmoke’ and Taking On Trump — IndieWire’s Turn It On Podcast (July 26)

Amazon Has Great TV Shows. Now, About That Branding Problem (July 25)

The 20 Best HBO Series of All Time, Ranked (July 25)

 

‘Game of Thrones’: Where to Find The Real-Life Staircase to Dragonstone in Spain (July 17)

Danny Trejo on Weapons, Tacos, the Los Angeles Rams and Weird Looks from Parents — IndieWire’s Turn It On Podcast (July 12)

 

How Donald Trump and James Comey Destroyed the Way Film and TV Depict the FBI and CIA (June 29)

 

‘Power’: When Starz Began Targeting African-American Viewers, It Paid Off With More Ratings and Subscribers (June 23)

‘Star Wars’ and Lucasfilm Have Lost Their Sense of Humor, and Firing Lord and Miller is Only One Example (June 23)

How the Alex Jones Debacle Has Exposed NBC’s $18 Million Megyn Kelly Problem (June 16)

‘Twin Peaks’: When David Lynch Killed Showtime’s Marketing Campaign, Here’s How The Network Improvised (June 13)

The 25 Best TV Theme Songs of the 21st Century, Ranked (June 13)

Jim Carrey on The Perils of Standup Comedy In Our Outrage Culture — IndieWire’s Turn It On Podcast (June 7)

 

‘Transparent’ Star Jay Duplass on Why He Loves Acting More than Directing, and His Disgust for Superhero Movies (June 6)

 

Netflix and Bill Nye Aren’t Censoring His Old TV Show – Sorry, Conspiracy Theorists, Here’s What Really Happened (June 5)

 

The Mystery of Why Top TV Producers Shonda Rhimes, Greg Berlanti and Chuck Lorre Haven’t Won an Emmy (May 30)

 

These Are the 100 Most-Watched TV Shows of the 2016-17 Season: Winners and Losers (May 26)

 

‘The Bachelorette’ Rachel Lindsay Gets Grilled By Comedian Paul Scheer And Tells All — IndieWire’s Turn It On Podcast (May 24)

Jon Stewart and HBO Made The Right Call to Kill Their Animated Cable News Parody, and Here’s Why (May 24)

 

Women Leads on TV Decline As Networks Discover White Dudes in Crisis (May 19)

 

‘Downward Dog’ Creator Shares His Diary on How This Unlikely Show Ever Got Made (May 16)

Network Pilot Season: Why Someone Needs to Kill This Outdated Practice For Good (May 16)

‘Last Man Standing’ Wasn’t Canceled Because Tim Allen Is Conservative, So Stop Whining (May 16)

‘American Gods’ Producers and Stars on How A Nudity Gender Equality Mandate Led to So Much Penis — IndieWire’s Turn It On Podcast (May 12)

 

Alex Jones Is Too Crazy For TV: Why Shows Can’t Pull Off Conspiracy-Theorist Characters (April 21)

Bill O’Reilly Is Out at Fox News, But Don’t Congratulate the Network For Finally Taking a Stand (April 19)

 

‘Tales from the Crypt,’ David Chase Miniseries, ‘MTV Unplugged’ and More: A Status Check on Shows in TV Purgatory (April 14)

‘Deadliest Catch’ Faces Its Own Extinction As Climate Change Rapidly Warms Ocean Waters (April 10)

Trevor Noah Isn’t Angry with Donald Trump, and That’s Why Millennials Are Flocking to ‘The Daily Show’ (April 4)

 

‘Black-ish,’ ‘Insecure,’ and Others Aren’t Just ‘Black Shows,’ As Nielsen Study Proves (March 17)

 

Jimmy Kimmel Producers Reveal Oscars Secrets – What You Didn’t Know Happened Behind the Scenes (Feb. 27)

‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ Ratings Surge Has Suddenly Made Late Night Competitive Again (Feb. 18)

The Politics of Funny: Comedians Grapple with Their Approach After The Gloom of Trump’s Inauguration (Feb. 2)

Sterling K. Brown and Brian Tyree Henry: Breakthrough Stars’ Friendship Began Over a Pair of Beard Clippers (Jan. 16)

Joel McHale’s ‘The IT Crowd,’ Scott Baio’s ‘Rewind,’ and More TV Cancellations Before Their Premiere (Jan. 5)

KCRW's The Spin-Off: Sterling K. Brown & Brian Tyree Henry on Their Breakout Year

On the latest edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, I sat down with two best friends who also just happened to have the breakout year of their careers: "The People vs. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story"/"This Is Us" star Sterling K. Brown, and "Atlanta" star Bryan Tyree Henry.

Actors Sterling K. Brown and Brian Tyree Henry first met a decade ago in New York, when they were both playing drag queens in a play by Tarell Alvin McCraney. Since then, they've been friends and cheerleaders of each other's careers.

This past year was huge for both of them. Broadway alum Henry landed the part of Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles on Donald Glover's FX show Atlanta. He also had a role on HBO's Vice Principals. Previously known for his work on Supernatural and Army Wives, Brown won an Emmy for his portrayal of Chris Darden on FX's ‘The People vs. O.J. Simpson' and currently plays Randall Pearson on NBC's new hit family drama This Is Us.

In this episode of The Spin-off, recorded on the eve of the Golden Globes (where both of their shows were nominated), Henry and Brown join Michael Schneider for a candid conversation about what 2016 has meant for them, both in terms of their careers, as well as their approach to life overall. They talk about their enduring friendship, why their support for each other has meant so much, occasionally auditioning for the same role (like Darden!) and what they view as the role of an artist under a Trump presidency.

Listen below!

End of Year Roundup: My Favorite IndieWire TV Stories from 2016

It was quite a year -- not only did the whole world seem to go crazy, but I personally had a big change: My move to IndieWire as executive editor! To look back on my first year at the site (which also just experienced its first year owned by Penske Media), I went through and selected some of my favorite stories fron 2016. Read 'em below.



‘Generation KKK’: Why A&E is Considering Rebranding Their Show After Post-Trump Era Backlash

Director James Burrows on How Grant Tinker – and His MTM Hit Factory – Changed Television

‘Parks and Recreation’ Producer Mike Schur Explains How His Show Called the Cubs’ World Series Win

Why the Entertainment Weekly Partnership Made Me Quit the Critics’ Choice Awards

Pivot TV Shuts Down: Why Participant Media’s Millennial Cable Network Couldn’t Survive

‘Surviving Compton’: Michel’le Tells Her Story, Even If Dr. Dre Doesn’t Like It

David E. Kelley Has Given Up on the Broadcast Networks, Partly Because His Last Show ‘Wasn’t Very Good’

Jimmy Kimmel Interview: The Emmy Host on Pickle-gate, ‘Stranger Things’ and His Future at ABC

Greg Berlanti Interview: How TV’s Superhero Guru is Managing Crossovers, ‘Supergirl’s Move and New Inspirations

Millennials Are Slowly Killing the DVR — Which Could Go The Way of the VCR

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton Are Making it Hard for the Networks to Launch Fall TV

‘Making A Murderer’ Season 2: Filmmakers Discuss New Lawyer That Could Set Steven Avery Free

TV’s Remake King on Applying ‘Hawaii Five-O’ Lessons to ‘MacGyver’

Conan O’Brien on Why He’s Happy to Return to Comic-Con This Week While Everyone Else Gets Political

Big Stars Love TV So Much, They’re Even Hosting Game Shows Now

Lorne Michaels on ‘SNL’s’ Future, Seth Meyers’ Partisanship, Recruiting Larry David and Not Apologizing for Trump

Spielberg, Bruckheimer & More: Why Some of TV’s Biggest Producers Have Gone Indie

‘Fuller House’ Ratings Shocker: Bigger Audience Than Even ‘The Walking Dead’

Generation Clash: Networks Strike Back at Millennials

HBO in Transition: What to Expect As Programming Boss Michael Lombardo Exits

‘MacGyver,’ Matt LeBlanc & ‘Chicago’ Everything: 7 Reasons the Networks Are Acting Like Networks Again

Ten Ways to Figure Out Which TV Shows Will Be Renewed or Canceled

R.I.P. Prince: MTV Bosses Past and Present on Their Relationship with the Purple One

KCRW's The Spin-Off: "The Carmichael Show's" Jerrod Carmichael Breaks New Ground

On the latest edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, Joe and I talk to "The Carmichael Show's" Jerrod Carmichael about his groundbreaking show:

For a minute there, the world didn't know if The Carmichael Show would live to see another season. Jerrod Carmichael, the creator and star of the show, tells us what was behind the delay of the announcement of Season 3, and why he wasn't happy with NBC's initial offer of 10 episodes. The show will indeed come back, and while we don't know the date yet, there will be 13 episodes, which is the number Carmichael was hoping for.

Carmichael takes us through the rigorous schedule of shooting live -- each episode gets performed twice in front an audience, and shares why he elected to go the old school route of having a comedy on a broadcast network instead of going to Amazon or Netflix.

The Carmichael Show has grabbed attention for its fearlessness in addressing tricky topics -- everything from depression to pornography addiction to current issues from the headlines like Bill Cosby and Donald Trump. Carmichael tells us why he wants to go there, and how a multi-cam sitcom can sometimes be the perfect medium for breaking down a complicated issue.

Listen below!

KCRW's The Spin-Off: Recapping the Broadcast Network 2016 Upfronts

On the latest edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, Joe and I are joined by the Hollywood Reporter's Dan Fienberg to talk about the network upfronts:

The network television upfronts are an annual ritual in New York where the broadcast networks present new and upcoming shows to advertisers. Even though the TV landscape is changing, the broadcasts networks are still by far the biggest game in town, and this year's upfronts were predicted to do about $9 billion worth of business.

In this episode, we share what looks like the high and low points of the coming TV season and if networks giving up some of their cable envy and embracing being big and broad is a good thing.

Then, Spin-off host Joe Adalian recently published a long read that's a look inside the business of "Peak TV." The landscape is growing in a way we haven't seen in years, which means it's easier to find work, but harder to get really rich, since the money is being more spread around.

We also talk about Michael Lombardo's recent departure from HBO and what it means for the cable network that's been struggling in the drama department recently. But don't freak out -- the network still rules comedy and has overcome drama dry spells before.

Listen below!

Final Upfronts Wrap-Up: Priyanka Chopra, Mariah Carey, James Corden and Nicki Minaj Take Over New York

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Another week in New York for the annual network upfronts -- when the big dogs pimp their new TV wares to advertisers -- ended over a week ago. And as I wrote for Indiewire, the big story of the year was broadcast networks acting, well, like broadcast networks again.

It feels like a rather antiquated practice, yet the broadcast networks still pull in around $9 billion annually -- so it's still a pretty big deal. We don't obsess about the schedules quite as much as we used to, but it's still a fun part of the pomp and circumstance. The networks still put on a show for advertisers -- including Adult Swim's annual late-night Wednesday event, which this year featured Nicki Minaj (above). More highlights from the week:


James Corden does a "Hamilton" parody at the CBS upfront.


Priyanka Chopra opens the ABC upfront.


CBS gives us a sneak peek of the new "Star Trek" series' logo.


Fitz and the Tantrums performs at The CW upfront.


Mariah Carey makes a grand entrance at the NBC upfront.


Kiefer Sutherland introduces his new series "Designated Survivor" at the ABC upfront.


ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey introduces Jimmy Kimmel.


Fox jabs at CBS, notes that "Gotham's" new villain was "Lex Moonves."


NBC Universal stars at the upfront pose behind Kate McKinnon (as Ellen DeGeneres), parodying Ellen's Oscar selfie.


At the Fox upfront, Homer Simpson reminds us that "The Simpsons" will hit an astounding 600 episodes next year.


The "Downward Dog" looms over ABC stars.


"Hamilton" was hot this upfront. Jimmy Fallon did his own parody as well.


Rachel Bloom and Gina Rodriguez on stage at the CW upfront.


Stephen Colbert at Carnegie Hall for CBS' upfront.


The cast of "Empire" performs at Fox's upfront.


The cast of "The Big Bang Theory" offer up "Star Trek" suggestions to new CBS Entertainment president Glenn Geller.


"Supergirl" star Melissa Benoist hits The CW stage with stars of "Arrow," "The Flash" and "DC's Legends of Tomorrow."

THE SPIN-OFF: "The Late Late Show with James Corden" Executive Producer on Carpool Karaoke and Conquering the U.S. in Year One

On the latest edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, Joe and I chat with "The Late Late Show with James Corden" executive producer Ben Winston about the late-night show's tremendous first year:

Ben Winston's career in television can be traced back to one specific moment when his sister pushed him to take an unpaid, far-away TV internship over a cushy sports management job.

Now the executive producer of The Late, Late Show with James Corden on CBS, Winston takes us through his career, from first meeting Corden years ago to directing a documentary to working with One Direction and Simon Cowell.

He also reflects on the first year of The Late, Late Show, tells us why YouTube numbers matter for a late night show, and gives us his dream list of future Carpool Karaoke singers (which, sadly, included Prince).

Listen below!

Remembering "It's Garry Shandling's Show"

R.I.P. Garry Shandling. Back in 1997 I wrote a tribute to his great 1980s series "It's Garry Shandling's Show" for my job at the time, the weekly TV trade Electronic Media. We named the series one of the "10 Shows That Made Cable," and it's easy to forget now how landmark it was.

From Electronic Media, July 21, 1997, here's my story, written in the style of the show's self-referential theme song:

This is the story about "It's Garry Shandling's Show."

This is the article that mentions how "Garry Shandling" became one of the first network-quality sitcoms on cable, helping establish a new outlet for creative talent and spur original series development for cable outlets.

This piece also notes that "Garry Shandling" became the first cable show to make the transition to network television, when Fox picked up reruns of the Showtime series in 1988.

This paragraph describes how "Garry Shandling" originally landed at Showtime. The show had originally been developed for primetime, but was rejected by all three (at the time) broadcast networks.

"They thought it was too unusual for primetime TV," said Brad Grey, who executive produced the show, in the fifth paragraph of this story. "[Showtime] was a very comfortable environment, we had total creative freedom. We got to do something rather bold compared to what was on the networks."

Here's the obligatory show description: "It's Garry Shandling's Show," which debuted in the fall of 1986 on Showtime, starred Mr. Shandling as a fictional version of himself--a successful comic with several neuroses.

The show parodied the sitcom format, with Mr. Shandling opening each show by speaking to the camera and regularly pausing from the action to make an observation or interact with the studio audience.

This article will now surmise that cross-pollination has become common between cable and broadcast TV, such as "Politically Incorrect's" move to ABC, in part because "Garry Shandling" forced executives to notice what was being done on cable.

"Cable has flourished since then, it's another venue to distribute half-hour TV," Mr. Grey said.

This article's almost done, but to wrap things up: These days, Mr. Shandling stars in the critical hit "Larry Sanders" on HBO, while other cable networks such as USA Network and Turner Network Television, and even niche channels like MTV and Nickelodeon, produce much original programming.

Still, "There hasn't been a cable or pay-TV series that's had the same level of success financially in the back-end as primetime," Mr. Grey said. "For that reason, some of the major studios shy away from it because the money hasn't proven to be there yet."

--Michael Schneider

KCRW's The Spin-Off: ABC Shakeup, Pilot Season and More

On the latest edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, Joe, Lesley Goldberg and I focus on what's up at ABC, and what's trending this pilot season:

There's been a shakeup at ABC. It was no secret that Paul Lee and his boss Ben Sherwood didn't always see eye to eye, but no one expected an ouster in the middle of pilot season. Lee did have some misses during his tenure, but on balance, he'll be remembered as a strong network president with a bold creative vision and an ability to truly increase diversity on ABC's shows.

His replacement is Channing Dungey, the former head of drama at ABC, and now the first African American to head a major broadcast network. She's known for her strong relationship with showrunner superstar Shonda Rhimes.

And to the dismay of many, pilot season does indeed still exist, and this year, among the 87 new pilots hoping to get series pickups, the family comedy is king. On the drama side, legal and crime thrillers are proving popular following the success of shows like The Jinx and Making a Murderer.

Listen below!

KCRW's The Spin-Off: Steve Harvey on Cosby, #OscarsSoWhite, His TV Empire... And Yes, Miss Universe

On the latest special edition of KCRW's The Spin-Off, listen to my chat with Steve Harvey at last month's NATPE convention in Miami. We talked about Bill Cosby, #OscarsSoWhite, "Family Feud," his career... and yes, that Miss Universe moment:

After Steve Harvey accidentally named the wrong winner at this year’s Miss Universe pageant, it’s all anybody’s been wanting to talk to him about.

In this conversation with Michael Schneider, Harvey says he was devastated by the mistake, but still, in terms of mess-ups he’s made in his life, this one “ain’t even in the top 20.” The Miss Universe mix-up just happened to be the most public.

Harvey reflects on his decades-long career in the industry, the racism he’s experienced, and how his faith keeps him strong, even in the face of death threats following the Miss Universe pageant.

Listen below!

MIKE ON RADIO: Talking Underappreciated TV with Kevin & Bean

Kevin & Bean asked me to call in to today's show to talk about underrated TV -- the shows that the critics love, but not a lot of people are watching. Listen to the K&B podcast below:



Here are some of the shows we talked about:

The Carmichael Show (NBC)
The Americans (FX)
American Crime (ABC)
Catastrophe (Amazon)
You’re the Worst (FXX)
Angie Tribeca (TBS)
The 100 (The CW)
Playing House (USA)
Halt and Catch Fire (AMC)

Behind the Scenes at Friday's "Grease Live!" Dress Rehearsal

Sunday night, "Grease" is the time, is the place, is the motion. I'll go ahead and add that "Grease" will be the way we are feeling.

Fox's heavily promoted "Grease Live!" is worth the hype. I was there on Friday at the Warner Bros. lot as the show's cast and crew went through the first of two dress rehearsals, before going live on Sunday evening. The massive production takes place over three soundstages, plus outdoors on the Warner Bros. lot. (Yes, it's happening even with the rain.) The logistics of pulling this off is pretty amazing. The casting is spot-on, and the classic songs are all there -- plus a few new ones. You'll get an idea of the scope of the production from the opening number, when Jessie J sings "Grease" while walking through the various stages and heading outside.

We weren't allowed to take photos during the actual rehearsal, but here are some snaps I got before the Friday dry run began:


Wendell Pierce is Coach Calhoun


Didi Conn, the "Grease" constant, is back!


Football players


Sizing up the Rydell gym/auditorium's basketball hoop


Rydell High, re-created on a Warner Bros. soundstage


The Pink Ladies' lunch table


Join the Rydell pep squad!


Gym shoes only


Preparing the National Bandstand scenes



Scene of the dance


The outdoor carnival


Site of the big finale

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!