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17 articles
7 Things We Learned About the TV Industry in 2015
1 hour ago
1. There's No Such Thing as 'Too Much TV' Part of the problem with the "too much TV" discussion — started by John Landgraf at the summer TCAs when he claimed there were too many "good" original shows distracting fans from "great" shows — is how long it's gone on, so we'll keep this brief: "Good" and "great" are subjective terms, so — as appealing as they are to critics constantly trying to convince people to watch "The Americans" instead of "Empire" — one person's favorite show may be another person's least favorite show. And that's the beauty of having choices. Everyone doesn't have to watch the same thing. Each viewer can find what works and what is most vital to them at any given moment and watch it. What's wrong with that? Nothing. So even if we got sucked into the debate once or twice, let's all remember heading into 2016 that more original content means more choices (plus, »
- Ben Travers
The 3 Questions We Kept Asking About TV in 2015 (And How Actors and Producers Answered)
1 hour ago
The world of television in 2015 was a swirl of fascinating chaos, with an incredible diversity of new stories being told episode by episode, supported by an industry coping with incredible change. There were a lot of stories to be told in 2015, and, in order to get those stories, there were set visits, and the TCAs, and calls to England, and balancing cocktail party hors d'oeuvres in one hand and a recording device in the other. Read More: Indiewire's Top Stories of 2015 As Indiewire took advantage of every interview opportunity it could over the last 12 months to capture one of television's most intriguing years, there were plenty of things to be said. But there were also a couple of subjects we found ourselves bringing up over and over again with the people we spoke with. Below are just a few of their answers. "What are 'dramedies,' and how should awards shows handle them? »
- Liz Shannon Miller
Own Delivers Most-Watched Year in Network History, Giving Bet & TV One Competition
14 hours ago
Own: Oprah Winfrey Network closed out 2015 as its most-watched year in network history, achieving its 4th consecutive year of double-digit growth in total viewers in primetime (up 13% with 487,000 total viewers). 2015 was also the network's best year ever and fourth year of growth in the key W25-54 (Women 25-54) demo (up 10% vs. 2014). Own's W25-54 primetime average ranked #25 among ad-supported cable networks, up 4 spots vs. 2014. Own is the fastest growing top 25 ad-supported cable network in primetime among W25-54, and is one of only two ad-supported cable networks to have achieved double-digit growth in total viewers in each of the past four years. Additionally, Own was the #2 cable network in primetime among African American women. For 2015, Own was the #1 cable network for women and the #1 network on all of TV among African American women and total viewers on Tuesday nights. Popular Tuesday night series "The Haves and the Have Nots" and. »
- Tambay A. Obenson
Aaron Paul and Michelle Monaghan On 'The Path' to a Cult in First Look at Jason Katims' Hulu Drama
18 hours ago
Remember Aaron Paul? The two-time Emmy winner from "Breaking Bad" who's been killing it vocally on "BoJack Horseman" for the past two years? Of course you do. And everyone knows Michelle Monaghan from "True Detective" (Season 1!), not to mention "Gone Baby Gone" and "Mission Impossible III." What about Hugh Dancy, you know, the guy from a little show some people kind of liked called "Hannibal"(!!)? What if I were to tell you all three were starring in a new drama about a cult from the showrunner largely responsible for "Friday Night Lights'" brilliance? Well, if you haven't guessed it, that's exactly what I'm telling you right now. A trailer hasn't dropped yet, but there are some first look photos available above and below. Paul will play Eddie Lane, a convert to The Meyerist Movement who's suffering from a crisis of faith. Dancy's Cal Roberts is there to offer him salvation as the charismatic, »
- Ben Travers
Kicking Television: TV and the Death of the American Marriage
20 hours ago
The first episode of season two of Transparent begins with a wedding. “Kina Hora” opens with a long, uninterrupted shot of the Pfefferman clan, draped in expensive, virginal white vestments, opulent garb against an epic California coastal backdrop. The series, which is the anti-thesis of tradition in society and on television, chose to invite the viewer into its sophomore effort by indulging in the very essence of tradition. Despite the immaculate aesthetic of the event, the wedding and its participants and guests were ugly, and in such a depiction Transparent stood with the traditions of its medium in presenting marriage as a deeply flawed and false institution. Transparent explores the challenges of relationships. It beautifully examines how individuals construct, compromise, and conform in order to find happiness, or at least endure the journey. At the center of Transparent lie several marriages: the transitioned Maura and his ex Shelly; the...
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- Mike Spry
The Passion(s) of Lola Kirke, the Year's Most Underappreciated Performer
30 December 2015 6:00 AM, PST
The surprising face of our penchant for combining love and work, with two blunt, importunate eyes and slightly pursed lips, nods off in seminar not long into "Mistress America." After waking her with a gentle hiss, a classmate (Matthew Shear) marvels at her moxie. "I like moxie," Barnard freshman Tracy Fishko (Lola Kirke) replies, and before we even encounter the film's molten core—the incandescent Greta Gerwig—another star is born. Despite her second billing, Kirke is in fact the motor of "Mistress America," the impressionable prism through which the film's creative impulses must pass. As Tracy, a loner with literary ambitions, befriends Brooke (Gerwig), her glamorous stepsister-to-be, she also begins to absorb Brooke's wounded narcissism and wild allure. Kirke's performance is, in this sense, a master class in the mirror effect: against Gerwig's comic bluster, she's as still as a summer pond, reflecting her counterpart's mercurial weather as it. »
- Matt Brennan
The Best Breakout TV Actors of 2015
29 December 2015 12:04 PM, PST
Shoukath Ansari - "Master of None" Some actors were born for their role. Shoukath Ansari had to have a kid before he could find his. Aziz Ansari's father was such a delightful presence on "Master of None," he's been making the circuit with his son to help promote the show. Let me rephrase that slightly: The "Parks and Recreation" actor who's sold out Madison Square Garden doing stand-up and wrote a national bestseller brought his dad along to help promote his new Netflix series. That's how good Shoukath Ansari is at playing Dev's dad on the show. In just a few scenes, he became as beloved as his superstar son. Congratulations to them both. Read More: 'Master of None' Creators Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang on Turning Dinner Conversation into Michelin Star TV Shiri Appleby - "UnREAL"Everyone knew Shiri Appleby before 2015. You just didn't know you knew her. »
- Liz Shannon Miller and Ben Travers
New Images From 'Daredevil' Season 2, Viewers Will "Second-Guess Themselves" About Rooting For Punisher
29 December 2015 8:19 AM, PST
Checks and balances seems to be an upcoming theme in the Marvel-verse. It will be the issue that winds up dividing Iron Man and Captain America in "Captain America: Civil War," and when "Daredevil" enters season two, the arrival of Jon Bernthal's viciously violent Punisher, who shows no hesitation in executing bad guys, will test the moral resolve of Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock. Read More: Netflix's 'Daredevil' Is An Awesome Achievement And Marvel's Most Graphic & Grounded Effort To Date “Viewers watching the show will be rooting for this guy with a gun but we’re also going to force people — the way we force Matt — to second-guess themselves,” showrunner Doug Petrie told EW. “Taking lethal justice into your own hands in America in 2015 is tricky s—t. We have not shied away from the rich complicated reality of Now. If you’ve got a gun and »
- Kevin Jagernauth
Gael García Bernal on What 'Mozart in the Jungle' Taught Him, and the Color and Scope of Season 2
29 December 2015 7:32 AM, PST
Gael García Bernal liked classical music before "Mozart in the Jungle," but he didn't know much about it. Two seasons later, that is no longer the case. The star of Amazon's Golden Globes-nominated comedy about life behind the scenes of a prominent New York City orchestra was excited to recommend composers and pieces when Indiewire sat down with him to learn more about the new season. Read More: 17 Snubs & Surprises from the 2016 Golden Globes TV Nominations Below, Bernal reveals what he prefers between acting one-on-one or being part of a larger ensemble, how proficient the cast has become in playing their respective instruments and what horizons — both geographical and musical — he'd like to see the show explore next. So I want to start off by asking how you came to this show. What was your intro into the world? I was just invited to it. And the way that I was invited to it, »
- Liz Shannon Miller
The 15 Netflix Original Series to be Excited About in 2016
29 December 2015 6:00 AM, PST
"Chelsea Does" What is it? "Chelsea Does" is a four-part Netflix Documentary Series featuring Chelsea Handler exploring four topics of personal and universal fascination: marriage, racism, Silicon Valley and drugs. With her unique voice and provocative point of view, Chelsea will be seen confronting the topics that connect humanity, having the hard conversations about things that are not easy to talk about, and calibrating and learning who she is along the way. [official synopsis via Netflix] I'll like it if I like... when "Chelsea Lately" took itself (somewhat) seriously. Why should I care? Chelsea Handler has always had a unique voice, and now she's putting purpose behind it. That's not to say helming "Chelsea Lately" or guest starring on "Web Therapy" and "This Means War" wasn't important work, but in her investigative docu-series "Chelsea Does," Handler is exploring difficult universal concepts...
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- Ben Travers
A Bunch of New Images from Lifetime's Toni Braxton Biopic, 'Unbreak My Heart'
28 December 2015 6:15 PM, PST
Update 12/28/15: Lifetime has released a whole set of new images from its next Original Movie, "Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart," starring newcomer Lex Scott Davis ("The Exes"), which will premiere on Saturday, January 23 at 8pm Et/Pt. Check out the images above and below, and underneath them, you'll find all previous updates on the film, including its trailer: *** Update 12/17/15: Lifetime has dropped a first teaser-trailer for the upcoming film. Watch it below (underneath, you'll find all previous announcements on the project). "Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart," which stars newcomer Lex Scott Davis ("The Exes"), and will premiere on Saturday, January 23 at 8pm Et/Pt: ✨See the story of a legend in #UnbreakMyHeart coming in January.✨ https://t.co/4ZuDQm4Iu5 — Lifetime (@lifetimetv) December 15, 2015 *** Update 12/10/15: Here are 2 first-look photos from Lifetime's upcoming Toni Braxton telepic, "Unbreak My Heart,"...
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- Tambay A. Obenson
TV One Announces Premiere of LisaRaye McCoy's Directorial Debut Which Addresses Colorism (Watch Trailer)
28 December 2015 1:42 PM, PST
Yes, you read that right. Actress LisaRaye McCoy has joined the ranks of those calling the shots behind the camera, directing her first feature film, "Skinned," for the Atlanta-based production company Studio 11 Films. More accurately, McCoy co-directed the film with Avery O. Williams, who is a professor at Morehouse College, and who also wrote the film's script with co-producer Clarice Kulah. As hinted by the title, the film addresses colorism within the black community, and centers on a young woman named Jolie, "whose insecurities about her skin color, misconception about beauty, and search for romance causes her to bleach her skin beyond recognition in an attempt to capture the heart of the perfect suitor, leads to the detriment of her health." The story doesn’t end there, taking a more melodramatic turn when it "fast forwards to 15 years later, with Jolie, now a… model with a wonderful husband, who discovers »
- Sergio
The Most Disappointing TV Shows of 2015
28 December 2015 10:11 AM, PST
"American Horror Story: Hotel" Every year this happens. Every. damn. year. Every damn year we look at the amazing casting and the visual spectacle promised by "American Horror Story," and every damn year we say to ourselves, "Hmmm, maybe this year it won't just be outrageous plot beat after outrageous plot beat! Maybe it'll hold together as an actual story, with characters worthy of their actors!" And every damn year we end up being wrong about that. Just enough time for us to forget about this should pass, though, before the inevitable "American Horror Story: Brothel" or "American Horror Story: Food Truck" or "American Horror Story: TV Writers' Room" premieres in 2016. That's why we're leaving this note here for ourselves, as a reminder. Read More: Review: 'American Horror Story: Hotel' Makes a Mockery of David Fincher For Its Own Gain "The Art of More" If we were making a Worst of 2015 list, »
- Liz Shannon Miller and Ben Travers
Podcast: How (These) TV Critics Make Their Top 10 Lists
28 December 2015 8:33 AM, PST
Come along, dear readers, and peak behind the curtain of Indiewire. On this week's Very Good TV Podcast hosted by Indiewire TV Editor Liz Shannon Miller and TV Critic Ben Travers, the two members of Indiewire's prestigious TV Team have been both incredibly brave and awfully lazy in letting you listen in to their debate over which television shows were the best of 2015. That's right. The recording below is the actual deliberation of how Miller and Travers created their Top 10 List of 2015. Read More: 'Saturday Night Live' Review: Tina Fey and Amy Poehler End the Year With Lots of Good Cheer In the 41st episode of the podcast, you'll hear why some shows made the cut and others didn't, get an inside look at the intricate, painstaking process of making a Top 10 list, and finally receive the much-needed answers to questions like, "Why isn't 'Better Call Saul' on here? »
- Indiewire
Byron Allen's Entertainment Studios TV Networks Will Now Be Carried By At&T Subsidiaries (Directv, Etc)
28 December 2015 8:32 AM, PST
At&T today announced an agreement entered by its subsidiaries Directv, LLC and At&T Services, Inc. with Entertainment Studios to carry the portfolio of Entertainment Studios' seven 24/7, High Definition television networks. Beginning today, Directv will add Comedy.TV and Justice Central.TV. At&T Services U-verse platform will carry Comedy.TV, Recipe.TV, Es.TV, MyDestination.TV, Cars TV, Pets TV and will continue to carry "Justice Central." Founded by Byron Allen in 1993, Entertainment Studios is a fully integrated global media production and distribution company with 7 HD networks, dozens of first-run syndicated shows, over 5,000 hours of HD programming, a film distribution company, a podcast network, and more to come. At&T also very recently inked a similar distribution deal with Sean Combs' Revolt TV network.
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- Tambay A. Obenson
Watch: Massive 21-Minute Featurette Gets You Ready For The Return Of 'The X-Files'
28 December 2015 8:02 AM, PST
The early months of 2016 may seem like a time warp with "Zoolander" returning to cinemas, the spiritual sequel to "Dazed & Confused" arriving, and the six-part limited revival of "The X-Files." In the case of the latter, there may be those of a certain age who have no idea who Mulder or Scully are. But Fox is making sure everyone is prepared by reintroducing David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, their characters, and the belief that the truth is out there. Read More: Watch: First Teaser For The Return Of Mulder & Scully To 'The X-Files' While exact plot details are still being kept secret in Area 51, the six-episodes won't just be a single narrative, with some stand-alone shows, and others that serve the larger series. “We want to satisfy the mythology of it, and then there’s going to be stand-alones and of those stand-alones there’s going to be »
- Kevin Jagernauth
The Feature-Length Film May Be Dying, But This Filmmaker Has Found a New Calling
28 December 2015 6:00 AM, PST
For more than two decades, Caveh Zahedi has been exploring his neuroses and desires in awkward, provocative detail. From his first feature "A Little Stiff" through 2005's "I Am a Sex Addict," the film diarist has proved to be an amusingly off-beat guide to his own life. That tendency may very well reach its apotheosis with "The Show About the Show," the irreverent meta web series that Zahedi launched this fall on the Brooklyn-based cable TV and digital network Bric TV. Read More: Why Comedian Chris Gethard, Public Access Alumni, Thinks Talk Shows Are All About the Games Now As the title implies, "The Show About the Show" remains within the confines of its meta premise, tracking its wayward protagonist as he pitches the program to a baffled Bric executive named Aziz (portrayed with a hilarious deadpan by filmmaker Dustin Defa). Zahedi's ensuing adventure finds him shooting a sex scene »
- Eric Kohn
17 articles