#i'm not used to cable tv times of release

[cannibalistic-vampirefag]

WHAT DO YOU MEEEEAN BOTH 9-1-1 AND 9-1-1 LONE STAR SEASON PREMIER WERE THIS WEEK. AND I JUST FOUND OUT

[marshallpupfan]

More Movie Thoughts Again...

It's been a few months since The Mighty Movie released to theaters. Currently, we know a third movie is on its way, and it's due to release in 2026. What we don't know, however, is... well, anything else about it. We still don't even know yet which pup it'll focus on, or if it even will at all. We know the year, just nothing else.

If the story does focus on a single pup again, much like The Movie and The Mighty Movie before it, then the question is... which one will they go with? If you ask the fans, the answer seems to be quite obvious. Just take a look at the above poll from the PAW Patrol Wiki.

And even this poll on Reddit, too. Rocky's the most popular on the PAW Patrol subreddit, yet Marshall still won by over twice the votes. It seems fans really, really want to see the spotted pup in the spotlight this time around... which may even lead to him finally getting some sort of backstory. Of course, what we want isn't always what we get, but it's possible the folks at Spin Master, Brunker, or whoever with influence might be aware of this.

As many of you know, despite my mixed feelings about the theatrical films, I am rooting for Marshall to helm the third movie. After season 7 and 9 of the TV series were so bad to him (season 8 wasn't exactly great to him at times, either), I really want to see something propel him back into the spotlight. Becoming the star of the next theatrical film will undoubtedly accomplish this, as even Skye has seen an increase of attention since The Mighty Movie hit theaters. Assuming the third movie is about him and it turns out good, I've no doubt the same will happen to Marshall, too. And, if we're lucky, the TV series will finally go back to using him more again, instead of calling someone with her helicopter to save a kid from a tree as her harness cable magically passes through a bunch of branches to do this, instead of calling the firefighter pup with his ladder like they should've.

However, I have some reservations here. I've talked in the past about how I feel the theatrical films haven't handled Marshall all that well, my "caused vs. because" argument with the way they portrayed his clumsiness, and the fact that he's rarely involved in comedic moments because of Brunker's obvious preference for Rubble. Even if Marshall's the focus on the plot, I don't know if these things will be any different.

This is just a theory, so it may be far from the truth, but... I have a bad feeling that Brunker may not like or care about Marshall. I hope I'm wrong, but due to the way he's portrayed in these theatrical films, the fact both movies continuously refuse to give him his elevator wipeout running gag, among other reasons, I just can't shake this belief. And the thing is, I've noticed over the years that when a writer doesn't like or care about a character, they often try to change them... drastically, at times. It's not uncommon at all, really. And if any of this is true, then I fear what this means when/if Brunker tries to write an entire film around the pup. It's possible he may act completely different, or portray his clumsiness as the result of some devastating event in his past. Marshall's a silly pup who always means well but sometimes trips over his own paws, but Brunker might try to change the meaning behind that. And should the film become popular and these newfound characteristics spill over into the TV series, well... I honestly dread the thought.

Then again, this might happen anyway, no matter who the focus is. You see, a few months ago, I was chatting with someone on the PAW Patrol Wiki who said their favorite pup is Skye. When The Mighty Movie got brought up, they admitted to me how they felt Skye was really out of character during it... not to mention, they were also quite disappointed to see the film ditch her unique Mighty tornado & wings, in favor of a cape and simply turning her into a Superman clone. The thing is, if Marshall, Rocky, Zuma, or whoever turns out to be the focus next, will the same happen to them, regardless of how Brunker feels about these characters? Did he dislike Skye, or did he just write her in a way he believed was good? Is that Skye fan in the minority? Am *I* in the minority with any of this?

...I don't know. Do you? Does anyone know?

As usual, all I can do is wait and hope for the best. Should Marshall be the focus, I really, really, really, hope that Brunker takes his time with understanding the character, learns the way he acts and behaves, and comes up with something that's both good and not out of character. I also hope that, should we get a backstory for Marshall, it's not another "and then they almost died" plot, just like Skye, Chase, and even Surly's backstory from Brunker's The Nut Job 2. I want Marshall's history to stand out and truly be something good, not just... more of the same we've already seen. And if Brunker does insist on changing the character, I hope it's nothing extreme. In all fairness, change isn't always a bad thing, when its done right.

As I often say... only time will tell.

[archoneddzs15]

Nintendo Game Cube - Sonic Mega Collection

Title: Sonic Mega Collection / ソニック メガコレクション

Developer/Publisher: Sega (Sonic Team) / VR-1 Japan

Release date: 19 December 2002

Catalogue Code: DOL-GSOJ-JPN

Genre: Compilation / Variety

You know of the first four Sonic games already - good platformers. These are presented in mostly their original form, except for a few graphical modifications. These do not affect the overall experience, and die-hard fans should not be put off. Sonic Spinball is a slightly mediocre game - imagine the pinball areas in the Casino Night levels of Sonic 2, with the difficulty upped and the gameplay quality lowered - this one's an acquired taste (I personally hated it as much as that Dinoland game from Wolfteam).

Mean Bean Machine is excellent - this is just Puyo Puyo with a Western twist, and the Sonic license slapped on to make it sell. Flicky may be off-putting due to the dated graphics (I'm not kidding - I played it 2 times on my Mega CD already) but is an addictive game which originally started back in the arcades in 1984. Ristar is the best game on the disc, but you probably didn't know that this was there. Do you know why? Because in Sega's infinite wisdom, the company has chosen to lock it out until you start every other game 50 times. Personally, I think that the people putting the disc together thought they were funny.

One HUGE scar on the surface of this pretty little optical disc - NO SONIC CD: the best 16-bit Sonic game ever (IMO) has been sadly not included in the compilation due to hardware emulation difficulties (the game was on the Mega CD; a port of the 1996 PC version would be included in Sonic Gems Collection). Knuckles' Chaotix (32X) is also missing, and while I miss it, I don't see this as a huge problem.

Visually, the games still look great. Of course, they have technically aged, with the possible exception of Ristar - its use of the Genesis hardware and its extreme colorfulness make it too hard to criticize. (Make sure you're using the RGB cable, or if you live in North America, the next best thing, is S-Video - or Component if you can afford it!) The audio's also hard to fault. Some of the menu songs on Spinball are so grating you'll wanna put your TV on mute (thanks a lot, GEMS sound driver!). But the catchy songs of the other games (Chemical Plant in Sonic 2, anyone? Starlight Zone in the original?) are still good after all those years.

Oh, and the Japanese disc also includes The Ooze and Comix Zone. I liked Comix Zone's music. Despite using GEMS, the music is strangely awesome.

Along with these classic games, Sonic Mega Collection has some extras up its sleeve. Remember the lovely Sonic CD anime intro which we also got to see in Sonic Jam on the Saturn? Well, you probably would, if that game was on this disc. On the Mega CD, the frame rate was poor, the video size was tiny, and the colors were nasty. But it was a stunning intro. The PC version of Sonic CD lets fans see the intro in its proper colors. Squashed into a tiny window and badly resized (read: pixilated!) Sonic Jam came closer, but Sonic Mega Collection finally lets us see the intro (and ending sequence) in broadcast quality, full screen, full speed. The sequence was animated by Toei Animation, who I believe is also to blame for "Digimon", and is stunning. This version has the American music "Sonic, You Can Do Anything" dubbed over the original Japanese rap song, but in all honesty, I prefer the American version as far as the one in this disc is concerned.

It's not perfect though. A graphical smoothing option on the emulator would have been nice like is available on PC emulators. The rest of the movies are cop-outs. Rather than giving us the selection of TV commercials on Sonic Jam, Sega has decided to give us advertisements for current and upcoming games. Oh, and a really bad "History of Sonic" video, nowhere near as good as Sonic Jam's museum section. There are also lots of comic cover scans, some of which are nice, but because these are the American Archie comics, some are painful too.

Overall, Sonic Mega Collection is worth picking up, considering how many titles you're getting on one disc. The fact that Sonic CD isn't included is a huge kick in the stones, but considering Ristar is here (albeit in a nearly impossible-to-unlock form), as well as other classic Sonic games, movies, and illustrations, it's hard not to recommend.

[starfragment1979]

My Facebook memories reminded me that today is Coming Out Day, and I was a little surprised to see no mentions of it on Tumblr unless I go searching for it, but maybe the assumption on Tumblr is just that we're all queer here and so we don't have to say it, ha ha, or maybe it's just that coming out isn't as big of a deal as it used to be. But I thought I'd tell a little story anyway.

I first realized I was queer when I was 15, in 1994, which itself is a funny little story. I grew up in a very tiny, very rural midwestern village that had absolutely nothing going on, but there was a little street fair one weekend in the summer, so of course I went to it because there was nothing else to do. So summer of 1994, I'm at that street fair, and I look at the time and realize it's after 8 p.m. and I start hurrying home, not because of any curfew, but because I wanted to watch X Files. And as I'm hurrying home, I'm trying to figure out why I left this once-a-year event to go watch an X Files rerun that wasn't even one of my favorite episodes. But then I get home and turn on the TV and there is a life size Dana Scully in front of me and I realize all at once, Ooohhh, I have a crush on Gillian Anderson.

(But, I mean, can you blame me?)

For historical context, for you young'uns out there, 1994 was before Ellen DeGeneres came out (1997), before Jill Sobule released the song “I Kissed a Girl” (1995). I guess Melissa Etheridge was out (1993), but the news hadn't reached my little village because I only remember the other kids at school talking about it (with disgust) much later. We had only the most basic of basic cable and the only time I had internet access was when we got an AOL free trial CD in the mail AND I could convince my dad that I wouldn't go over the allotted 10 hours a month this time, and I sure as hell wasn't about to look up gay shit on the family computer anyway.

So I had no queer role models, good or bad, in any form of media, and all I knew about queerness was my own, brand-new feelings and the knowledge of stereotypes. I knew no queer people in real life and the only time queerness was ever referenced by anyone anywhere was to make some crude joke. And at school, I was already getting called a dyke and getting shoulder-checked in the hallway or having my bra strap snapped, etc., so the idea of ever coming out seemed literally suicidal.

So I just assumed I never would. Not only because I couldn't fathom telling people and dealing with the consequences, but also because... what would be the point? Because what were the chances I would meet another queer woman at any point (I assumed queerness must be incredibly rare) and then what would be the chances that we'd be interested in each other? And even if by some miracle that did happen... we'd have to keep it a secret, we'd have to pretend to be roommates, we'd never meet each other's families or go on dates in public, and that was just too unfair to contemplate. But that was the world I lived in, and so I assumed I would just never explore that part of myself.

Things did evolve a bit through the rest of the nineties, and one big turning point for me personally came the following year. The next summer I got to go to my first big concert (Lollapalooza '95) and earlier that year I had read in a Rolling Stone article that Patty Schemel, the drummer for the band Hole, was a lesbian. So I was excited to see them in concert because I was a fan of the band, but also I stared at Ms. Schemel in awe because... she just looked like a punk rocker. Like I had these ideas in my head about what a lesbian was “supposed to” look like, and she wasn't it. Patty Schemel was my first introduction to the idea that queerness could look any way you wanted it to, that it didn't have to fit the stereotypes.

Look at this bad ass:

And even still, it took me until 1997 and after I had left for college to admit to myself in my own private diary that I was queer (at that was only after learning that another musician I loved, Michael Stipe of REM, was queer), and until 2000 to admit it to strangers on the internet, then 2001 to real life people, including my parents (my mom cried, so... there's that). And there were so so so many years where it took courage and the right frame of mind to be willing to leave the house wearing an itty bitty little rainbow beaded necklace because I wasn't sure what kind of reaction I would get from strangers.

I'm just stunned sometimes by how much the world has changed. Like I'm not that old, but I'm old enough to have seen what feels like a seismic, cosmic shift in representation and acceptance both in media and in society at large. Obviously there's still a lot of work to be done and things are imperfect and conservatives/fascists are trying hard to undo all the progress there's been over the past thirty years. But Like the simple fact that there are queer celebrities and queer characters in mainstream media, or that same sex marriage is not only legalized but also not really a big deal any more, or the fact that I can make a public post like this without panicking about who might see it... My scared and anxious and ashamed 15 year old self would have found that unfathomable.

My identity has shifted a lot over my lifetime (which is its own long story) and that is one of the reasons I like the word queer so much, because it lets me be my ambiguous, containing-multitudes self without having to fret about meeting the standards of some label, although if I had to parse it out I would say that right now I'm pansexual and non-binary.

So happy Coming Out Day to those who celebrate. I am queer AF.

[lyra-kane]

Guys, so "watch me" will be released in April...and do you know what's in April? Aaron warner birthday! (I know it's unrelated since the book is 15 April and his birthday is the 24th) but I imagined this scenario at 3 am:

*Aaron warner celebrating his 30th birthday with juliette, dog and probably his kids.The whole family is sitting around the table with a cake at the center singing "Happy Birthday" Aaron was about to blow his candles before kenji suddenly bursts into the door screaming* :"GUYS WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY" *He pause taking a breath*

*Aaron glares at him annoyed from the interruption*: what is he doing here love?.. Did you invite him?

Juliette :um no i-

Kenji :GUYS ITS URGENT ITS-

*Aaron interrupts him before he can finish his sentence staring at him with an uninterested look*: kenji.. you knock every day at our house for the lamest reason claiming it's urgent...yesterday it was because you knew that we ordered pizza and you wanted us to share..the day before because your tv cable wasn't working and you wanted to watch tangled with the kids,...just because you're our neighbor and julliette's best friend ,it doesn't mean you're always welcome.. I didn't put a welcome doormat on my front door on purpose! ..I'm sick of this-

Kenji:HEY I DON'T DO THAT-... I- okay... WELL MAYBE I DO BUT THIS TIME ITS IT'S ACTUALLY REALLY URGENT

Aaron: I doubt-

Juliette: Aaron let him speak I think he actually mean it this time

Aaron *sighs*: fine you have one minute before I kick you out

Kenji *take a deep breath*: OKAY SO YOUR BROTHER JAMES WENT TO THE ARK ISLAND ALONE.. AND NOW WE LEARNED FROM SAM THAT'S HE'S LOCKED IN PRISON THERE !

Juliette:HE WHATTTTT?

Aaron *silent processing what he heard* :.....

Kenji: .......

Aaron:I can never have a normal birthday without a disaster happening? can't I..?

Kenji:....

Juliette:....

Lmao, I doubt that this would actually happen, but it was a funny idea

[mayasdeluca]

🚨 S19 S7 Ratings 🚨

Like Danielle mentioned in her podcast interview with Tommy that was released today, ratings for Season 7 of Station 19 are going to be crucial on whether or not the show will get picked up by another network (or ABC changes their mind but I think this is unlikely regardless of how well Station 19 does in the 10pm slot because they put it there for a reason.) I really don't think we will get any type of answer regarding a possible pickup until Season 7 airs at this point.

If you're in the US it's crucial that you watch live on cable every week at 10 pm and DVR the episode so that you can watch it multiple times throughout the week. The 24-72 hour period is most important when doing this. Spread the word, have it on multiple tvs, ask anyone you know to put on ABC at 10 pm every Thursday. Every little bit helps.

If you're not in the US, a member of the fandom has figured out a way for you to contribute to the ratings if you choose to do so. Before anyone says anything, it does cost money. This is just a suggestion and if you're willing and able to. I'm not telling anyone how to spend their money but I know a lot of international fans have been wondering if there was a way to help impact the ratings so I wanted to pass that message along and spread the word.

Safe VPNs can be found in this thread here. Watching on Hulu live/ABC live is the key here so that you are part of the ABC ratings. If you are someone who stays up and tries to find a link to watch live anyway, this is worth looking into if you're wiling and able and want to be contributing to the rating numbers.

If your country has Hulu/Disney+ in general, streaming numbers are also important so if you aren't watching live and the episode is available the day after, make sure you're watching the episode as many times as you can throughout the week. These are the streaming numbers that Station 19 lacks, especially internationally because of the lack of accessibility.

Basically, as many legal ways as you can find to watch the show, do it. We need to try and make sure that there isn't a huge dip in the ratings due to the time slot change that ABC disrespectfully put on the show. If we can keep the ratings close to the same as what they were at the 8 pm slot and continue to make noise, that will be huge and like Danielle said, hard for people to ignore. Let's do it!

[faraway-sunshine]

Since we're talking about computers, I'll ask something bigger: what would be your DREAM tech setup? Like, if you could have any setup in your room (including computer, TV, any other gadgets or whatever), what would you want and how would you want it to look? No sci-fi stuff obviously, lol

I'm fairly up to date with computer and console stuff, a bit less with the rest, but this was fun for me to figure out:

First, TV. One of those ones that's big, but not so big that it takes four people to carry it out of the apartment, stacked on top of a cabinet that can house the other devices below it without being too much of a mess.

VCR because we have a lot of tapes and the video stores are still nearly all tapes, but maybe something that reads DVDs for when they surpass them. I mean, CDs replaced cassette music for ages, DVDs are surely going to replace movie tapes. I'm not sold enough to buy a DVD player for real but hey, dream setup, got to be prepared in case.

One of those TiVo digital recording devices they started making last year. A friend of mine at school has it and he says it's great because he doesn't have to keep buying tapes.

Oh, and a cable box, which I'm pretty sure you need for the TiVo. With the package we have now that has most of the entertainment channels.

Nintendo 64, and if games are allowed, Ocarina of Time and Pokémon Snap.

Seeing as this is Dream Setup and money doesn't seem to be an issue, a PlayStation would also be cool so I can try Final Fantasy out. Come to think of it, they're releasing the PlayStation 2 this month, so maybe I should say that? But would Final Fantasy be ready to go for PS2 on launch? I'm not sure.

All the cables so I can set up the consoles, VCR, cable box, TiVo, and possible DVD player underneath with the wires bundled up neatly in order to make swapping them out easy. Honestly that's the biggest change I'd enjoy immediately from the current setup; the back of the TV right now is a mess, and if I want to dig out the Genesis for instance it's a bit of a chore.

Honestly my current PC and monitor is pretty good so I'd stick with that, or maybe wait for that new operating system Quo hinted at for computer. The only other thing I could ask for would be something that can play those music files I download from Napster onto that's portable (or something that can burn CDs for my Discman). There's some devices that do that I think but it hasn't caught on much yet. It would be cool if it did as that way I could have all my music on me all the time instead of having to choose between discs.

I hope this doesn't come across as me seeming greedy. I'm lucky to have what I have and I'm using my computer and Gameboy more than anything these days anyway when I'm not doing homework or some sort of practice (although I have started watching some TV there's only one new episode every week and that's like half an hour or so and I can watch while playing). I'm just trying to dream big for this ask.

(Monday 9th October, 2000, 6:29 AM)

[chernobog13]

Ron Ely as Tarzan, and his chimp co-star Cheeta. Though they look like best friends, Ely suffered several bites from the little guy during the course of their two years working together.

For kids in the mid-to-late 1960s, Ron Ely WAS Tarzan.

Ely was the star of the 57-episode Tarzan TV series that ran two seasons, from 1966 to 1968, and then in near continual syndication for several years afterward.

The television series was executive produced by Sy Weintraub, who had been producing the Tarzan films since 1958. Weintraub was responsible for replacing the monosyllabic persona of Tarzan, made popular by the Johnny Weissmuller films of the 1930s and40s, with the educated, well-spoken character from Edgar Rice Burroughs' novels. True Trazan fans were delighted with this move, and I'm sure Burroughs himself would have been as well had he lived to see it (he died in 1950).

Tarzan about to demonstrate his vine swinging skills.

Weintraub also filmed his Tarzan movies on location, as opposed to in a studio with stock jungle footage. This made for some spectacular scenes, but it was rough on both the crew and his Tarzan actors: Gordon Scott, Jock Mahoney, and Mike Henry.

When he decided to make the Tarzan television series, Weintraub wanted Henry to continue in the role. However, Henry had made 3 Tarzan films back-to-back in 1965 and was physically exhausted. Thus the TV role eventually was awarded to Ely.

Like the Mike Henry films, the TV series was filmed in Brazil (first four episodes) and Mexico (the remainder of the series). This explains why the scenery, while lush and exotic, sometimes doesn't quite gel with images we'd seen of the African wilderness. It also explains why many of the extras appeared Latin as opposed to African.

Ely insisted on doing his own stunts for the series, a decision later on he would come to regret. He suffered more than two dozen serious injuries, which included two broken shoulders, lion bites, and several bites from his co-star, Cheeta the chimp. Allan Sherman, in an issue of the Tarzan comic book when it was published by DC, wrote an article and chart detailing all the injuries Ely incurred in the two years of production. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find the article to include here.

The one thing Ely could not do: the famous Tarzan yell. The production ended up using a recording of Johnny Weissmuller's version of the yell.

Ely's other co-star in the series was Jai, an orphaned boy (played by Manuel Padilla, Jr). Jai took the place of Boy, Tarzan's son from the Weissmuller films, and gave the ape man someone to protect and/or rescue every episode.

Manuel Padilla, Jr. as Jai, Tarzan's companion throughout the TV series, with Ron Ely as Tarzan.

As in Weintraub's films, the character of Jane was not present. Weintraub preferred a Tarzan who was a lone adventurer. The TV Tarzan was not a globetrotter like his film counterpart; his adventures were limited to a fictional African country.

The Tarzan series had several high profile guest stars including, believe it or not, Diana Ross and The Supremes: Cindy Birdsong, Mary Wilson, and Diana Ross as a trio of nuns.

The series got off to an uneven start, as the location shooting took longer than anticipated. Early episodes show signs of hasty, almost haphazard editing as they were assembled at a breakneck speed to meet NBC network's broadcasting schedule. Luckily, the production eventually found its footing, and things smoothed out quickly.

For a brief time Tarzan's TV adventures took over the cover spot on the Tarzan of the Apes comic book.

Warners Brothers has released the series on DVD back in 2012 and 2013. To my knowledge (which, admittedly, is faulty) it is not currently streaming or available on any cable channels.

[matthewmadrigal]

Look, Abuela, I'm on TV now! - Mirabel

I recently posted about Encanto on Japanese TV recently and now it aired on Disney Channel US for Thanksgiving a few minutes ago......

Well, we have seen Encanto broadcast on TV networks worldwide the last few weeks, of course starting on ABC last October for The Wonderful World Of Disney's Disney100 celebration (where Once Upon A Studio had its broadcast premiere) as well on Freeform the same month and just last week it was on Japan's most famous TV movie block Friday Roadshow where it generated loads of reactions over there (because cable and streaming is not that popular there, and before the TV broadcast an insta moot from japan told me that Encanto was not as popular there as they focus more on Frozen and other princess films) and now for Thanksgiving over on Disney Channel US. Who knows, maybe for Christmas it may air on UK Freeview TV on BBC One, as the BBC has a tradition of airing Disney movies at Christmas time, one year i think it was last year when Mary Poppins Returns was on BBC One. I do hope it comes to the BBC next month since its two years since Encanto was theatrically released.

The recent TV airings of Encanto reminded me of a post someone made over on X claiming that the encanto fandom was "expired" simply because Disney has no clear announcements on future encanto media (a sequel and/or a Disney+ series) and some say the hype died down. But somehow I do believe that as Abuela Alma said, "THE MIRACLE IS STRONG!" It is evident in the US Disney Parks, and apparently Encanto broadcasts on networks and cable may also rekindle memories of early 2022 and remind us that Mirabel is still so sweet and also how wholesome Encanto is as a movie... Maybe when someone sees it on TV soon maybe it will bring an encanto fan back to the time when talking about Bruno was the hottest thing on the planet.

(Screengrabs of the Disney Channel US airing of Encanto via TheTVApp for your attention)

[gacmediadaily]

Wonderful news! Great American Family officially announces the Christmas movie, A Wreathmaker Christmas, starring Kristin Wollett, from the Great American Family series, County Rescue and Casey Elliott, from the musical group GENTRI and the Great American Family movies Retreat to Paradise, Destined At Christmas, Destined 2: Christmas Once More.

Press Release:

GREAT AMERICAN FAMILY 

ANNOUNCES ORIGINAL WORLD PREMIERE MOVIE,

A WREATHMAKER CHRISTMAS,

STARRING KRISTIN WOLLETT AND CASEY ELLIOTT

PART OF GREAT AMERICAN CHRISTMAS 2024 NEW YORK, NY – August 8, 2024 — Great American Family, a leader in the production of high-quality, Original Christmas movies, announced production has wrapped on A Wreathmaker Christmas, a World Premiere Original Movie, starring Kristin Wollett (“County Rescue”) and Casey Elliott (Destined At Christmas, Destined 2: Christmas Once More), which premieres during GREAT AMERICAN CHRISTMAS 2024. Kristin Wollett, co-star of the popular new series, “County Rescue,” is also the author of novel The Reel Thing which publishes Fall 2025.

In A Wreathmaker Christmas, Rebecca (Wollett), a wreathmaker rushing to get her holiday orders finished in time for Christmas, slips on icy steps, injuring her arm. Rebecca’s next-door neighbor, Jason (Elliott), takes her to the hospital and as days go by, Jason begins to sacrifice time at his family’s bakery to help Rebecca with her wreathmaking. This creates questions within his family that Rebecca may be taking advantage of Jason’s kindness and potentially at the expense of the bakery’s busiest time of year. When Rebecca overhears the conversation, she retreats and refuses Jason’s offers of help only to discover she misses his presence, his friendship…or is it something more?

PHOTO: Courtesy of Great American Media 2024

ABOUT GREAT AMERICAN FAMILY

As the flagship linear TV network of Great American Media, Great American Family is America’s premiere destination for quality family-friendly programming, featuring original Christmas movies, rom-coms and classic series that celebrate faith, family and country. Founded in 2021, Great American Family is home to year-round seasonal celebrations the whole family can enjoy together, including Great American Christmas, the network’s signature franchise featuring holiday themed movies and specials. Great American Family is available in 50 million households via cable and satellite providers; visit https://www.greatamericanfamily.com/channel-finder/ or text FAMILY to 877-999-1225 to find your local channel.

********************

My Quick Take:

This sounds like such a sweet, cozy Christmas romantic comedy. I've liked both Casey and Kristin in their previous work for GAF, so I'm excited to see this! What do you all think?

Every time I hear more details of another Christmas movie from Great American Family, I get more and more excited for this upcoming holiday season!

[thenightling]

Happy 30th anniversary to The Halloween Tree TV movie!

If you've never seen Ray Bradbury's The Halloween Tree it is really underrated.

The Halloween Tree was a novel written by Ray Bradbury in 1972 after he was disappointed by It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. He said, and I quote "The Great Pumpkin never showed up."

He originally planned for The Halloween Tree to be an animated Halloween special by animation icon, Chuck Jones, but the plans fell apart so Ray Bradbury published it as a novel instead.

Twenty-one-years-later in 1993 Ray Bradbury finally got his TV special as an animated movie from Hanna-Barbara / Turner / and Warner Brothers. It aired on TBS and for a few years after it was reshown on Cartoon Network.

In the 1990s you could buy The Halloween Tree on VHS tape and it came with a small, cheaply made, copy of the original novel. The video tape also included a Yogi Bear short about Yogi stealing a witch's broom to steal picnic baskets.

The plot of The Halloween Tree was this:

A group of teenagers plan on going trick or treating with their friend Joe Pipkin (Nicknamed Pip). When they arrive at Pip's house they see an ambulance and a note that indicates Pipkin's appendix has ruptured. At first the kids are very worried about their friend but then they think they see him running through the trees and think he has pulled some elaborate prank on them. They give chase and follow him to a spooky old house with a strange tree in the yard. The tree is full of thousands upon thousands of Jack-o-lanterns. Each jack-o-lantern represents someone who has died within the year. Here the children meet a mysterious man named Moundshroud (implied to actually be The Grim Reaper). The children spot their friend hiding and are startled to realize he's a ghost. Before they can adjust to this strange ripple in reality, their ghostly friend climbs up the Halloween Tree and steals the jack-o-lantern representing his own life. A strange wind comes and carries away their friend so the kids give chase. With the aid of Moundshroud the children travel through time and all over the world to find their friend. First they go to Ancient Egypt, then medieval UK, then France in the eleven hundreds, and mid-twentieth century Mexico. The children learn the history of Halloween and figure out who Moundshroud actually is.

The children each offer up a year from the end of their lives if their friend can live a full life with them. Moved by their loving offer to try to save their friend, Moundshroud accepts the offer (though this may be how he always intended for it to turn out). The children hurry back to Pip's house and find him there, tired, but alive and recovering from his appendix surgery. It's a very sweet story and it's narrated by Ray Bradbury, himself. Leonard Nemoy provided the voice of Moundshroud. Since the animated version was released on American cable thirty-years-ago and it was not theatrically released, a lot of people outside the US and younger people have never seen it. It is currently available for rent or purchase on Apple TV, Amazon, and Youtube. And you can buy it on DVD through Amazon.

For a made for TV animated movie it is surprisingly high quality. It won an Emmy. Ray Bradbury, himself, provided narration. I'm not really sure why it is not aired on TV anymore other than perhaps someone was worried that the cultural depictions might be seen as inaccurate and potentially insensitive. But I watched it pretty recently and it still seems pretty respectful. I love The Halloween Tree almost as much as I love Over the Garden Wall. Many people consider Over the Garden Wall to be a Halloween special too but in actuality it originally aired in November and was meant to bridge between Halloween and Christmas since it was inspired by early twentieth century Hallowe'en, Thanksgiving, and Christmas postcards. But both The Halloween Tree and Over the Garden Wall are very underrated. Here is the opening scene of The Halloween Tree. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be8vfy2pOcY

[stevesnightmares]

the reasons why I haven't been able to become obsessed with any new tv shows are all related to the way tv shows are structured nowadays because of streaming platforms.

Each season is now between 6 and 8 episodes long instead of 12/14/16/22/24 episodes like shows used to be before. I enjoy a tight story when the plot is extremely cleaver and well thought out and there is no space for filler and other such things or it would ruin the pacing and impact of the story. However, the majoroty of shows don't need that tight of a story because their storytelling and plot just isn't that smart. Now, because of the short lenght of the shows, you don't get the opportunity to really fall in love with characters and really learn to know them because you simply don't spend enough time with them. If it's 8 episodes, you will only spend between 1 and 8 days with them and that's it, after that you'll have to wait between 1 and 3 years for another season of 8 episodes.

The break between seasons is often way too long. Before we often got the first half of a season from September to November and the other half from January to May and then it would start again with the new season in September. I'm not saying we have to go back to that if it's to hard on the screenwriters, actors and every part of the production, but at least having a season a year shouldn't be too much to ask, especially when seasons are now 8 episodes long.

Shows get cancelled way too soon. Often a show needs to find its footing when it comes to the writing, storytelling, plot, acting etc and also needs time for the right type of audience to find the show. How can a show do that if it gets cancelled after only one or sometimes two seasons? There are many shows where the first season is a bit rocky but then gets better as soon as the writers decide what they want to do with it.

The netflix formula of dropping all episodes at the same time can of course be good for people who don't partecipate in fandom and only want to consume everything at once but imo it just cuts the lifespan of the hype in half. With shows that are basics airing for 8 months a year people will talk about it, make predictions, discuss that week episode etc but if when a show drops all its episodes at once people will only talk about that show for around a month and then will be forced to move on when everything that there was to talk about gets talked about and they just have to wait for 2 years before new material gets released.

I know that cable TV and streaming services are different but I feel like these 8 episodes shows that air once every two years and often get dropped all at once really cut the enjoyment of a show and cut its lifespan.

[bettyweir]

My Bandmates A Vampire

Chapter 3.

Word Count: 1.6k

[First] [Prev] [All] [Next] [Ao3]

Benny walks up to the door, plate of cling wrapped chocolate chip cookies in hand, and looks over his shoulder. His eyes meet with his grandma who's standing a few feet behind him, giving the boy a wicked stare.

She was gonna make sure he introduced himself.

He gulps and hesitantly rings the doorbell.

After a bit of waiting, and hearing many shuffling footsteps, there's a crack in the door. A single brown eye meets him.

"Hi?"

"Ahem, Hello. My Name is Benny Weir.” He says in a monotone, scripted voice. ”Is this the Morgan residence?"

"Uh. Are you a solicitor or something?" the voice answers “my parents aren’t home.”

“Am I a what?!?”

“You know, like a solicitor,” The eye glances around ”are you trying to sell me something?”

“Oh… No.”

Benny thought. Never mind.

"I just moved in next door and I wanted to introduce myself” he shuffles in place “and I brought cookies.”

“That’s funny I just moved in too,” the door fully opens. “Come on in.”

Benny finally gets to see the entire person standing behind the door.

It’s the same brown headed keyboarder he saw earlier. He held himself in an overly anxious posture, not knowing what to do with himself.

“So, what's your name and where can I put this?”

"Uhhhh,” he says with a shaky voice, gesturing to the coffee table. “you can put the plate over there.”

“And..?” Benny walks into the living room, awaiting a response.

"Uh… Ethan. Morgan." he says as if he wasn't sure of himself.

As Benny sets down the plate he notices the lit xbox controller and tangled headphones on the table, and looks at the tv.

"Yooo omg,” He stares at the gray pause screen “you have Left for Dead TWO?!?"

"Yeah." he laughs "My teammates are probably pissed at me for leaving."

"Oh my goddd multiplayer" Benny puts his head back "I'm so jealous"

"Have you not played it yet?"

"Augh yeah, I haven't had much time for videogames ever since I started my band." He boasts, shooting a smirk towards his new neighbor.

"You have a band?"

"Well er,” his confidence quickly deflates “used to."

"Oh, what happened?"

"I. Had to move." Benny’s smile is completely gone.

"Aw that sucks." Ethan twiddles his thumbs, Benny obviously didn’t wanna talk about this, "Do u wanna play left for dead?"

"WOULD I?" he excitedly jumps to Ethans couch, making himself comfortable.

"Shit, wait, I only have one controller." Ethan wasn’t used to having so many IRL people interested in playing video games with him.

Benny pogs "Omg, I totally got one at home! I'll be right back"

Before Ethan could even object, Benny rushes out the door and breezes past his grandma.

"Was it that bad?" She shouts

"NO!!” he yells, tripping over himself “I GOTTA GET MY XBOX CONTROLLER!!"

Grandma stands puzzled but assumes that means he’ll be coming back.

Benny rushes up stairs, winded and out of breath, he quickly digs through his backpack and remembers how everything was soaked.

He finds the hopefully not broken, white xbox controller and sprints back to Ethans.

"Hi. Hello.” he says in between pants. “I’m back."

"Idk. if this works. but." he hands Ethan the controller and puts his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

Ethan untangles the long windy cable wrapped around the controller and plugs it in.

"Hmmm,” Ethan says, holding and releasing the large X button over and over “It's not turning on"

"Bummer." Benny sighs.

"Do ya know what happened to it?"

"Yeah..." He sets himself on Ethan’s couch, rubbing the nape of his neck "All of my stuff kinda got wet since It was pouring from the airport til’ I got home."

"Rough," Ethan unplugs the controller, tilting it around to examine the damage, "I could try fixing it."

"Really?" Benny jumps out of his seat and puts both of his arms on Ethan’s shoulders “You can do that?!”

"I can try,” Ethan says failing to mask his blush, “I've never really done water damage before though."

"Well,” Benny lets go of him. “I mean it's not like you can break it even more."

"You'd be surprised." Ethan looks off to the side, remembering the box of broken electronics rotting on his To Do list. “Here, I have some tools in my room.”

“Woahh tools,” Benny teases, following Ethan up stairs “very manly."

They enter his box filled room.

Benny scoffs. "Haven't finished unpacking but still had your videogames out" he shakes his head.

"Augh hey! Blame Jane, not me."

"Who's jane?"

"Ah my.. half- wait step sister."

Benny impulsively says "Is she hot?"

Ethan’s heart sinks at the comment "She's eight."

"Ah," Benny uncomfortably tugs at his polo collar “Sorry.”

Ethan shakes his head as he scrolls though his phone, pulling up a how to wikia page.

“Hmmm,” he glances over the steps. “Yeah I can totally do this.”

“That's awesome, thank you dude!” Benny cheers looking over his shoulder.

“No problem.” Ethan starts digging through a large brown box labeled TOOLS and pulls out a screwdriver. “Wanna give me a hand?”

“Sure thing, Just tell me what to do!” Benny says positioning himself over the box.

Ethan tries to unscrew the controller's casing, “Ah, it's way too big.”

“That’s what she said.” Benny laughs

Ethan shoots him a very, very judgmental look. “Can you, um, hand me another screwdriver?”

“Of course” He says, replacing the one he was holding with a smaller one.

He tests it and replies “too small”

“That’s what she said…”

“Actually.”

Ethan starts to regret his life choices. “You can just go. Play downstairs or something. I got this.”

Benny pogs ��OH MY GOD REALLY?”

“Yeah sure, you seem excited to play it. I don't wanna keep you waiting.”

Benny shakes him “you're the best man!” he practically sprints down stairs, skipping every other step.

Ethan quietly remarks to himself “Of course I get a crush on the first guy I see.”

He shakes his head and finally unscrews the first bolt on the controller's shell.

Benny plops down on Ethan's couch downstairs and scammers for the controller to start up the xbox

Benny's hands shake excitedly watching the xbox logo form on screen.

He puts on the flimsy gray headset.

Right when the xbox menu loads up, he sees a message from one of Ethan’s friends pop up on the screen.

"Xx_420Ror-ster_xX: dude did ur power go out or somethng???”

He then gets a party invite from said user Xx_420Ror-ster_xX

Benny accepts it and joins the call.

"Hey E wuz up?" a squeaky voice asks

Benny stays silent.

"Bro?"

Suddenly he gets a mischievous idea and a stupid smile spreads across his face.

"Muahahahaha! I hacked this account!"

Rory screams in terror. “No!”

“Yes!” Benny coughs, "I really just hacked him so I could play Left for Dead 2. Can you teach me how to play?"

"Why would I play with a hacker like you? I could get banned!!"

"Do it or I'll leak your ip."

They play a few rounds together.

Ethan's dad comes home and is startled to see a lengthy teenage boy sitting in his living room.

“Hello?”

"Hi." Benny says, eyes glued on the screen.

"Um,” He looks around, “why are you in my house?"

"Oh Ethan let me in!"

"Uh, Where's Ethan?"

“Oh, uh he’s in his room.” He says, putting all his attention on the screen in front of him. "Can't. Really. Talk Rn!"

He tilts his head and heads up stairs to Ethan's room.

There Ethan offers his dad a way better explanation.

"Oh he's our next door neighbor and wanted to meet us!"

"Why is he just playing video games downstairs by himself though?"

"Because only one controller works..."

"Alright...” Ethan’s Dad shakes his head “Why didn't he just say that??"

He walks off disgruntled.

After an hour or so, Ethan comes out of his room. Exhausted and tired waving Benny’s now perfectly refurbished, white xbox controller.

"Aw that's great dude!”

Benny has been playing for hours and wants to take a break before he plays with Ethan, they go to the kitchen to snack on grandma’s homemade cookies.

Ethan takes a bite out of one while pouring them a glass of milk and chews on it, trying to mask his disgust.

Benny takes one bite out of it and spits it out.

“Ew you like this stuff?”

“No… I don't,” Ethan puts down the half eaten cookie back on the plate. “I was just trying to be polite.”

“Omg dude don't worry I didn’t even make these,” Benny Laughs “my grandma did.”

“Oh thank god,” He shakes his head, putting the milk back in the fridge "Sooo what do you play?"

"Oh uh I guess mostly Xbox and PC games lik-"

"No no," Ethan cuts him off "I mean like what instrument did you play for your band?"

"Ohh. I played the drums and guitar and i was the lead singer!" he adds on.

"That's sick! Could I hear your stuff?"

"yeah! I can burn a CD for you!"

Suddenly there's a knock at the door, Ethan answers it and its grandma weir!

"Come on lets go Benny its time for dinner."

"Awe come on i didn't even get to play any video games with him yet!"

"But you've been here for hours!"

"Yeah but-"

"Lets go, you can come back later."

"Augh okay" he looks over at Ethan solemnly, heading towards the door.

"Wait,” Ethan stops him, “do you want your controller back?"

"Nah keep it, you fixed it anyways.” He smiles “Thanks for letting me play."

"Hey it's no problem," he holds Benny back a second longer. Trying to find the courage to say "could we play together some time?"

"Oh for sure! How does tomorrow sound?"

"Tomorrow sounds great." Ethan peeps.

[crazykuroneko]

Perhaps its bc the tv landscape is just too crowded but for such a seemingly popular book series (and movie), the show's audience seems really small? Like it can't get major nominations at award that's solely made up of LGBT critics (losing their one nomination to the other two that ppl weren't even sure would get renewed)! It can't even get better ratings than that flop mayfair witches (both on streaming and linear), which is a much less popular book series and a total critics dud. Its actually quite concerning that the viewers dropped from pilot (600k) to finale (400k) so significantly.

I wonder what's going on cause sure amc is struggling but walking dead + spinoff numbers are still very good for cable these days, better call saul had consistently good viewership.. is it just too gay? was the wider vc fanbase too racist to get on board? is the abuse/toxicity too much for viewers who would normally be into a more fun vampire romance like true blood?

1. I don't know which awards you mean, but the ones they got noms for all are won by major studio shows. Even though a show is probably on the brink of cancellation or even trash, they still get more publicity if they come from a big studio just from the fact they're on a platform who has way more subscribers than AMC+.

2. AMC didn't do a simulcast for IWTV premiere yet they did for MW (broadcast on ALL AMC's cable and streaming channels). IWTV and MW average rating for all ages only has 0.01 difference. IWTV has a higher average rating than MW for the 18–49 age group, which is used by advertisers. A lot of the general audience and other Anne's fans saw the good reactions IWTV received and only signed up when MW was released to save money.

3. MW maybe bad to us, but Daddario is a B or C-list Hollywood actress. I personally know people who will watch any films/shows with her in it without caring about the quality. MW is also geared to a different group of audience than IWTV *cough* households of white straight people *cough*, so I'm not surprised if it does better on cable.

4. Being said that, it's obvious AMC knew "prestige TV" angle is better fit for IWTV, because as someone pointed out months before, judging from the numbers of IWTV crews, IWTV definitely got way more budget than MW. IWTV is still AMC's best hope for awards shows after BSC cos Lucky Hank (starring Bob Odenkirk) flopped. They'll probably push the Orphan Black spin off starring Krysten Ritter as well for critics (said to be released later this year).

Anyway, I don't even know what I'm trying to say with this because I'm not AMC, I don't have the numbers and statistics so I can't give you real answers. I can't find AMC+ ratings on Nielsen either so it's really only AMC who knows the real numbers.

From what I see though the word of mouth promotion works and that's the best way to reach the right people who will like IWTV. But the thing is they'll usually be stopped by the fact it's on AMC+ (either they can't afford to pay more service or it's not available for them). And judging from reactions from social media, IWTV should have better numbers in acquisitions (new subscribers) and views than MW, given it still gains new viewers over time and fans like to rewatch.

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

We're about a month away from the release of WISH...

Walt Disney Animation Studios, and by extension the whole dang company built on this cartoon bedrock, celebrated their 100th year yesterday... ABC aired ENCANTO, in addition to the world premiere of the short film ONCE UPON A STUDIO (which apparently has now been chopped off of WISH and will debut elsewhere), and an edited version of the WISH trailer... Nothing pertaining to the future was unveiled...

(By the by, I don't have cable, so... I didn't get to see ONCE UPON A STUDIO. Sadface.)

You'd think, for the company's 100th anniversary... That there'd be *some* word on what was coming up next from Walt Disney Animation Studios?

Their new movie is in theaters next month, and we don't know what the November 27, 2024 release from them is...

By now, we usually know what's next... For example:

WISH was first unveiled in September 2022 at the D23 Expo, which was a little over a year before the movie's target release date.

STRANGE WORLD, by contrast, was announced a little under a year before its release. That film was revealed to the public via the trades and Disney themselves on their socials.

ENCANTO was revealed in December 2020 during the company's Investors Day event, that less than a year before it came out.

RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON was another D23 reveal, the August 2019 one to be exact. At the time, RAYA was set to be a Thanksgiving 2020 release until COVID-19 complications pushed it to March 2021.

This, of course, does not count the rumors and scoops. Sometimes, various sites get news on Disney animated movies before Disney themselves say anything. For example, long before Disney announced RAYA in August 2019 to the public, scooper sites were revealing info like "WDAS' next movie is DRAGON EMPIRE". I sometimes heard stuff from the trenches, which was always fun. I remember little snips of what ENCANTO was going to be maybe a year or two before announcement? STRANGE WORLD is interesting because not only were scoopers saying a movie called "Searcher Clade" was coming, but the Venture - the airship the Clade family and the explorers use to reach Avalonia's insides - was Easter Egged in the ENCANTO credits. ENCANTO debuted just a few weeks before the announcement, not even...

So yeah, I thought I'd look at the patterns of their recent releases. We're definitely well beyond the days where you'd hear about things 2-3 years in advance. Remember how ZOOTOPIA, a March 2016 release, was first unveiled at the 2013 D23 Expo? Fun times.

I'm guessing we'll hear about this new WDAS movie, reportedly an original fantasy story set in the Middle East (is this Suzi Yoonessi's film?), either right before WISH comes out... Or maybe a little after. Maybe current world events pertaining to the setting would make an imminent announcement seem a little insensitive?

After this movie, all we know about on the horizon are undated FROZEN and ZOOTOPIA sequels, with next to no info on who's attached.

There's also still the Disney+ shows that are in the works. We got none this year, despite earlier reports indicating otherwise. IWAJU, MOANA: The Series, and TIANA remain without firm release dates, but are all aiming for next year. IWAJU's absence is especially unusual, it's pretty far long as far as I know. Last year's D23, again - in September, gave us an image. Maybe it's been pulled back? Retooled? Maybe because it was outsourced to Cinesite and kinda resembles a Disney Junior show... Maybe it's been dropped as a WDAS project and is now a Disney TV Animation production? It's only speculation on my end, because that show is a collaboration with upstart Nigerian house Kugali, and that would be a partnership squandered if WDAS passed on the show.

Anyways, with Pixar... We got WIN OR LOSE around the corner, and next year ELIO and INSIDE OUT 2 have firm release dates. Both of those, by the way, officially revealed at the September 2022 D23 Expo. Pixar usually rolls 'em well before release, WDAS cuts it a lot closer these days for some reason. Like, are we gonna know what the summer 2025 Pixar movie is *before* the fall 2024 WDAS movie? (I'm being facetious here, haha.)

I'll keep trying to be patient, but I'm like burning to know... What is *this* movie?

Worth noting that a while back, Disney Animation CCO Jennifer Lee stated that Suzi Yoonessi, Josie Trinidad, and Marc Smith had movies in the works. At the time, Carlos Lopez Estrada had a movie in the works as well, but then he was pulled off of it (reportedly called FOSTER) to take over RAYA... and then he left Disney altogether not too long after RAYA came out. He was also set to direct a live-action/CGI ROBIN HOOD remake for the enterprise... So that leaves Yoonessi (whose Instagram bio still says "Director - Disney Animation"), Trinidad (who recently directed episodes of ZOOTOPIA+), and Smith (who was recently revealed to have come up with the idea for FROZEN III, he's probably directing that if Chris Buck is unavailable).

So yeah... This information, along with two sequels...

I said it before, but I don't think either ZOOTOPIA 2 or FROZEN III are next year's movie. If they were, I think we'd know who is directing/writing/etc. FROZEN III, given that Marc Smith came up with the idea, might be closer to us than ZOOTOPIA 2 is. Or not. FROZEN II came out 4 years ago, ZOOTOPIA is over 7 years old, one would think ZOOTOPIA 2 comes first. They're just very mum on who is involved. I'd like to think ZOOTOPIA 2 isn't being directed by Byron Howard, who is likely pursuing another original movie after ENCANTO, but maybe not? ZOOTOPIA 2 might reincorporate the whole movies' worth of ideas that were thrown out during its development (I particularly like that more James Bond-like story set on an island that it could've been), or maybe it'll go for an all-new story and idea. I have no idea where FROZEN III could go, I'm not as invested in those movies.

While WDAS usually does one-a-year, always settling for Thanksgiving, it'd be cool if they take a year where Pixar doesn't have two new movies, and release two movies that year. If they FEASIBLY CAN, that is. We don't want CRUNCH, now... But in the scenario that they could... Pixar has two for 2024, and two for 2026... Who's to say... WDAS can't slot in, maybe, ZOOTOPIA 2 in the spring of 2025, and have an original out for Thanksgiving? Just spitballing, here. ZOOTOPIA and MOANA both came out in 2016, so why the heck not?

Anyways, hope to know more soon about what's up with the studio that's literally why this whole damn company even exists in the first place.

[pixeldashblog]

Sonos unveils the Sonos Ace: a $450 pair of Bluetooth headphones, coming June 5th

Sonos announced its long rumored entry into the very competitive market of wireless over ear headphones today with the Sonos Ace. The company is touting this as a major launch, with CEO Patrick Spence saying in earnings calls this product could be what turns the company’s relatively slow financial performance around.

I’m not enough of an finance expert to say whether the Ace are in fact going to become a billion-dollar product for Sonos, or even how today’s announcement will be received by the company’s vocal fanbase, but the Ace are certainly not what I would expect if you told me Sonos was making a pair of headphones, and this launch suggests Sonos is taking a somewhat different approach to courting new customers.

The Specs

The Sonos Ace will cost $449 and go on sale June 5th. They’re bluetooth headphones and offer the features you’d expect for this price class: 40mm drivers, active noise cancellation (which Sonos claims is “world class”), and even AptX Lossless support for Android phones. They also support USB-C line-in like the Era 100, 300 and Move 2, but unlike those speakers you won't need to buy a dongle to connect your phone; a USB-C to C cable will work just fine. Sonos also includes a USB-C to 3.5mm aux cable for any devices you own with headphone jacks. The Ace come in Black or Soft White at launch, and I'm hoping to see more colors released down the line like Sonos did with the Roam.

The construction of the Ace uses plastics and some stainless steel in the headband, though not nearly as much as the Apple AirPods Max. The Ace weighs in at 312 grams compared to the Max at a hefty 385 grams. They're still heavier than the Bose QC Ultra (254 grams) and Sony WH-1000xm5 (249 grams) but Sonos promises that it has nailed the weight distribution here to avoid discomfort. As someone who sold their Airpods Max because of how heavy and uncomfortable they proved to be over time, I’m looking forward to putting the comfort of these to the test. 

The Ace is mainly controlled by a single mechanism on the right earcup Sonos calls the “content key.” It’s a metal button that can also slide up and down, enabling volume and playback control from a single interaction point, similar to the digital crown on the AirPods Max or simplified playback controls on Bose headphones. This is a huge plus in my book over the finicky touch controls brands like Sony prefer. ANC control and power-on also get their own buttons but they’re not as pronounced as the content key so users should have no issue confusing any of them.

The Ace is also the first Sonos device that can be entirely set up without using the Sonos app, ironic given the ongoing controversy Sonos has courted with the app redesign. The Ace will work out of the box with any bluetooth enabled device, and customers can unlock additional functionality like enabling head-tracking for spatial audio or adjusting EQ settings in the app.

The last thing I’ll note here is that while the Sonos Ace are bluetooth headphones and will not connect to your home Wi-Fi network at all, they will offer some integration with users’ Sonos home systems at launch. If you own a Sonos Arc, and only an Arc for now, the Ace will be able to pair to your soundbar and provide an experience that “envelops you in dramatically detailed sound from all directions” according to press materials shown to Pixel Dash. Sonos calls this feature TV audio swap, and this is what sets the Ace apart from all its competitors on paper at least, and if all else is equal, could be the difference maker when buyers pick them up.

The Angle

Sonos seems to be pushing the Ace more as an entryway into its ecosystem than another cog in users' existing setups. It only connects to the company’s most expensive soundbar at launch (the cheaper Beam and Ray soundbars will get Ace support down the road but Sonos only says that's "coming soon"). Wireless, lossless audio listening is limited to android phones capable of AptX Lossless, or use of a USB-C cable.

Without direct Wi-Fi streaming to the Ace from the Sonos app, it's also important to note that listening to Dolby Atmos music for iPhone users could be quite difficult if my past experience with other non-AirPods devices is anything to go off.

I don't want to sound too dismissive of TV audio swapping, just that some Sonos fans may be disappointed that this is the only way the Ace can integrate with a Sonos system. That's not to say Sonos doesn't have an advantage with how this feature has been implemented.

When pairing the Ace with an Arc, the headphones connect over a 5Ghz direct Wi-Fi connection, the same way other Sonos products like a subwoofer or speakers set as surrounds do. This connection is rock-solid and also lossless.

(Edit 5/22- The Verge is reporting that the connection between the Sonos Ace and Arc is 345kbps, or slightly higher than the 320kbps that AAC bluetooth headphones utilize. We'll need to test how aggressive and noticeable the compression is in our review before drawing further conclusions.)

While AirPods can connect to an Apple TV 4K to provide a personal surround soundscape to users as well, they do so over a hyper compressed Bluetooth signal. Roku's long-standing feature to let users connect wired headphones to some of its remotes also leans on Bluetooth. Sonos' implementation should be able to send uncompressed, Dolby Atmos audio to the Ace fed directly from your TV’s eARC port, so hopefully Sonos puts all that extra data to good use.

Sonos added that later this year it’s launching a feature called TrueCinema, which will alter the Ace’s audio processing to make it seem like the surround and Atmos effects are coming from the room instead of the headphones. According to press materials shown to Pixel Dash, “TrueCinema technology will map your space and render a surround sound experience so realistic you'll forget you're wearing headphones.” I’m assuming this will be an expansion on Sonos’ TruePlay technology that will give the Ace enough data to map sound more accurately than they will at launch. Pixel Dash has reached out to Sonos to clarify how exactly TrueCinema will work and will include any response in our review of the Ace.

Sonos is offering a compelling package with the Ace. The price is fairly in line with the rest of the premium headphones market and the features match up as well. Whether or not the added ability to pair to a Sonos Arc will be the difference maker is something only time will tell. If the sound quality and comfort are able to best Sony, Bose, and Apple then that might be enough to make first-time Sonos buyers choose the Ace as their first product, and I’m sure Sonos hopes those buyers will pick up an Arc down the line if they're interested in putting TV audio swapping to the test.

The major question is if existing Sonos customers will buy the Ace in droves as well. Every Sonos fan knows that these systems are built piece by piece with the expansion of your Sonos system becoming somewhat of a habit. The Ace's limitations as a new piece to a Sonos system could leave some users disappointed, but since Sonos says the Ace are its most requested product, I'm willing to bet plenty of existing customers will be placing their pre-orders today.