#the CBS show the books the HBO show

[frommybookbook]

This made me laugh SO HARD. This guy is just a fairly minor background character, he's just an extra private detective (see, he's got the coat to prove it!) hanging around a bus stop reading the paper inconspicuously. But the paper is 100% a prop that was used as one of the scene wipes a few episodes prior.

I love when props departments do this! I love re-using little things like this in order to maintain the world of the show and to not introduce outside news outlets. It just tickles me.

[physalian]

Content Warnings for Original Books

Can we please encourage content warnings for smut and other triggering topics in published literature? This needs to be a thing. Everyone bashes fanfiction for being fanfiction, but I’ve never seen a fanfic where the smut or trigger warnings weren’t tagged to high heaven somewhere in the description or in the opening author’s note.

AO3, compared to FFN, even has a specific “mature” rating just for sex—”E”—that FFN didn’t have. FFN had nervous authors throwing objectively mild content into the “M” rating (e.g. "rated M to be safe"), which meant that if you wanted to read a story that was a little bit violent, you had to turn off your filters as a kid and sift through all the smut just to find that one smut-less, but violent, fic.

When I was a kid in my early FFN days, I was probably exposed to way more stuff I shouldn’t have been reading because I had to disable the mature filter, just so I could read so-called “graphic violence” from pearl-clutching authors. I’d be looking for that one action-adventure fic that happens to have a little murder in it, and sift through fifty pure-smut summaries that ranged from vanilla to straight BDSM—of which had a high chance of being incredibly unhealthy, but you wouldn’t know that at 10, 11, 12 years old.

Fanfic authors, especially when the fanfic platform gives them the freedom to tag, are very clear to let you know just what you’re getting into.

—

I doubt I need to explain what a content warning is on Tumblr, but I will anyway. A content or trigger warning is a heads up at the beginning of a work of media that there are some elements not meant for younger audiences, or for sensitive audiences, or for people who have experienced situations depicted in traumatic ways, or for people who just don’t want to consume media with such content.

In film, this is obvious. If it’s rated R, you generally know what to expect. Generally. Because an R rated film could be R because of anything from profanity to graphic sex/assault and torture scenes. The MPAA rating system is garbage and ‘harsh language’ is not nearly on the same tier as sex in terms of what we should expose our children to.

Before streaming like Amazon as a platform to get around cable censorship rules, you had premium networks like HBO for all your adult content, and then some shows greenlit on smaller networks like AMC—never on ABC, CBS, TNT, etc. HBO wasn’t only for adult stuff, I used to watch Crashbox all the time.

That was the place you went for media that circumvented foul language, violence, and nudity rules in America. It kind of came with its own built-in content warning by virtue of being on those networks, and even then they still give warnings for shows on HBO, Showtime, Starz, etc.

At the start of every episode, you either get a full screen from Starz with the little icons for profanity, nudity, violence, etc, or it would be up at the top around the episode's title. You'd know exactly what you were getting into.

—

In a fanfiction, because I’ve never seen one in an original book, much less for generic vanilla sex scenes, this is what we’re all familiar with:

A/N: Trigger warning! This story contains mentions of rape/non-con. Turn back now, don’t like don’t read.

They also tend to appear at the top of the chapter that contains said scene to double down on the warning, or will, upon completion, include which chapter or chapter section to skip in the work’s summary or opening author’s note. In the old FFN days, there might even be a 4th wall break mid-chapter. Though the terminology we use over the years shifts, we still manage to get the point across.

Like, if I turn off all the filters on AO3 trying to browse for tags and underloved characters that may be lumped in with stuff I’d rather not read, I’ll see tags like “DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT,” which was not a thing in FFN days, even if FFN had allowed things like tags.

While it’s easier to tell in movies due to that shitty-but-functional rating system, that’s not really the case with fiction books. With books, I know the genre, and I know the intended audience age group. If I pick up a book in the children’s sci-fi section, I know it’s going to be something about robots or space or the future and our characters are going to be about twelve years old.

If I pick up a YA thriller, I know I’m going to have a cast of sixteen-to-twenty-somethings and there’s going to be some violence, very vanilla cussing or the author’s own slang, and probably some murder.

Adult or new adult romance—Sex. At least one scene guaranteed.

The problem is that unlike films and TV shows, we don’t get a breakdown for books on what to expect and the nature of those scenes. There’s no little ‘R’ sticker on the back cover and there’s certainly no little insert between chapters to let you know what’s coming next. There's no "trailer" I can read to get a sense of your tone.

So if I’m in the mood for a new adult supernatural romance novel and I have to sit through a vanilla sex scene, that’s fine, that’s what I’m reading it for. But if Mr. Badboy is incredibly aggressive and dominating and being an asshole with very dubious consent, that’s different (although, objectively determining what is and isn't 'dubious' is mighty difficult).

Should I still expect that I take my fluffy or angsty romance with a fat grain of salt just in case?

What happens if it’s not a romance novel, but I get a surprise rape scene as my character’s Tragic Backstory? What if it’s an adventure novel? Spy thriller? High fantasy or historical fiction or murder mystery? If there’s no indication in the genre, summary, or by the style of the cover that I’ll have to read about two characters getting it on?

Some people don’t want to read your characters in all the nitty gritty details. They really like everything else about your book, they just don’t want to read a sex scene, and they really don’t want to be super invested, hundreds of pages and even years of series dedication in, and be massively turned off by smut.

It doesn't need to be this big to-do or hyperdetailed like fanfic. In my upcoming book, I had beta readers with personal and moral objections to some of my themes. From then on, I made sure to ask up front so I didn't trigger my betas.

ENNS is about vampires. I haven't settled on what my content warning page might look like or how exactly I want to phrase it, but it might read something like this:

Dear readers, this is a content warning for graphic violence and adult themes. This book contains mentions of assault, self-harm, and suicide. Please be warned that these themes are present and prevalent in this story and readers should take the utmost care for yourselves when approaching this book. Thank you.

Something like this, just a quick, lighthearted heads up for your novel would suffice:

Dear readers, this book ain’t for kiddies! Be prepared for some adult themes and suggestive romance between characters.

I'm definitely not in the camp of pearl-clutching suburban conservatives, but if I'm browsing for a new novel for my tweenage bookworm and I opened up a book with an intriguing summary, and saw that warning? I'd be much happier with the author for their consideration, instead of buying it blind for my kid. You have no idea why someone wouldn't want to read a sex scene. They might be prude, or they might be a survivor just trying to enjoy a new book.

Because romance and sex is taken for granted, most people are at least going to be open to the possibility of sex, but not everyone will be expecting it or wanting it or think it warranted. It’s not spoilery, it’s not revealing some surprise plot twist, it’s a kind and considerate gesture for those members of your audience who just don’t like sex scenes. And heck, maybe they don't want to read it right now, but they'll remember you and pick your book back up later because you tried.

—

TL;DR: I don’t mind smut. When done well.

There’s a reason romance such a compelling story and why it dominates fanfiction and original works leagues ahead of all other plotlines.

But it still needs a content warning, even if you think it’s obvious, or spoilery, or patronizing. Because if I’m not in the mood for it, it just drags and I want to put the book down instead of reading all your hard work to completion.

[tumblydovereviews]

Little Bill: Nick Jr's Worst Best Show

The name of disgraced comedian Bill Cosby has, for the most part, been wiped out of existence. The Cosby Show, once a cult classic, is barely mentioned to this day. Fat Albert's movie was both a commercial and critical disappointment. Cosby himself has faded into obscurity, his last media stunt taking place in 2021, when he was released from prison. But perhaps the most forgotten about Bill Cosby creation would have to be the 1999 Little Bill preschool series and, to an extent, the franchise as a whole.

Contrary to popular belief, Willam Glover Jr's adventures did not originally start animated. Instead, Little Bill originated as a series of books meant for children slightly over the show's target audience of preschoolers. The books, written by Cosby himself, focused on a then-older Little Bill navigating everyday childhood experiences such as going to the hospital, dealing with bullies, and even grief. The series received critical acclaim from critics for the nuanced and lack of sugar coating when explaining to children these tough topics. Karen MacPherson says it best- the Little Bill books were, simply, "candid."

In 1997, it was announced that Nickelodeon would be developing the Little Bill books into three separate specials. These plans were later expanded to a full-fledged series, focusing on a now preschool-aged Little Bill exploring life in the same way he did in book form. And finally, after little over a year of anticipation from both production and fans, Little Bill officially made its broadcast debut on November 28th, 1999.

Little Bill ran for two seasons and fifty-two episodes. It received an uproar of positive praise, was nominated and awarded with both Emmy and Peabody awards during the show's five-year run, and managed to live on through reruns for almost a decade, airing on CBS, Noggin, and Nick Jr throughout its time on television.

However, in 2014, after allegations of Bill Cosby sexually assaulting dozens of women during his peak in fame surfaced, all of Little Bill's acclaim suddenly accumulated towards nothing. The preschool series was pulled off the air. Little Bill books were removed off of library shelves. To this day, the series is still unable to stream on Paramount Plus, only being available through digital purchases and old recordings. Little Bill has practically disappeared, all for good reason.

The problem with celebrity preschool shows not aging well has not ended, unfortunately. Little Ellen, a show based off comedian and former talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, was cancelled and removed from HBO Max as a tax write-off, the show's third season never seeing the light of day. The popular British children's show Tweenies was pulled off the air for a considerable amount of time after an episode featured a parody of sexual predator game show host Jimmy Saville.

However, after actually taking a moment to sit down and watch Little Bill specifically, I can't help but find it sad how such an amazing show for kids can suddenly wither because the show's creator was a shitty guy. Yes, Bill Cosby's actions were absolutely unacceptable and he fully deserves his career's falling. Separating the art from the artist is very hard when one realizes that Little Bill himself was based off the lives of Bill and his deceased son Ennis.

At the same time, in an alternate universe where Bill Cosby was never involved with the series whatsoever, I feel as if Little Bill's impact would be much more appreciated to this day.

The series contained some of the best representation I personally have seen in a preschool series produced in its time. Bill himself was a black boy, not smarter or wittier than he had to be. The adultification of children, especially Black ones, has become such an issue in today's society and it is refreshing to finally see a series that doesn't make Bill more mature than he needs to be. The show's cast spotlighted people of all races, from Black to Latino to Asian and White and even had a recurring character with cerebral palsy. Each character is carefully crafted with depth.

Little Bill never failed to 'keep it real." Bill himself is no saint and frequently makes mistakes and/or displays bratty behavior typical of a five year old. In fact, Little Bill's habit of messing up has caused him to earn the 'affectionate' title of "Black Caillou." While the nickname is funny, I, however, have to disagree with this notion in the grand scheme of things.

The problem with Caillou wasn't completely his bad behavior- Caillou's main issue is the show's lack of actual 'characters.' Caillou and the people that populate his world contain little to no personality. Caillou is just "the toddler." Rosie is just "the annoying little sister." Mommy and Daddy are "the parents," and Leo and Clementine are "the friends." Caillou doesn't have any defining traits that may cause the viewer to tolerate him more than they do.

Contrast that with Little Bill, where each character has their own distinct traits and profile. Little Bill is imaginative and isn't always the biggest fan of change and new experiences get him nervous. As the youngest of three he occasionally feels left out and ignored, trying to channel a leadership like role into his play so he can feel fulfilled. Not only does this hand-crafted personality reside with Bill but his friends and family as well. The characters, world, and stories of Little Bill are beyond the limitations of a stereotype- they are detailed and delicate.

The reason Little Bill is one of, if not Nick Jr.'s best show also happens to be the reason that it is Nick Jr's worst show. Little Bill was cared for. From the creative art style to the stellar voice acting to the research done in forming good examples of representation, a vast amount of real, tangible effort was put into making Bill an amazing show. At the same time, the very hands that formed Little Bill into what the show is today also happened to be the hands of a sexual predator, a horrible man who committed the most awful of acts.

Willam Glover's reputation may have bene tainted at the hands of his creator, but the show that he starred in has never gotten old for me.

[tvrundownusa]

tvrundown USA 2023.10.27

Friday, October 27th:

(exclusive): LEGO Marvel Avengers (dsn+, "Code Red" special), South Park: "Joining the Panderverse" (Para+, special), Tore (netflix, Swedish dramedy, all 6 eps), "Yosi, the Regretful spy" (amazon, season 2 available, all 8 eps), Shoresy (hulu, Letterkenny spinoff, season 2 available, all 6 eps), Curses! (apple+, animated spooky adventure comedy, all 10 eps), "The Enfield Poltergeist" (apple+, paranormal docuseries, all 4 parts)

(movies): "The Caregiver" (TUBI, crime thriller, ~100mins), "When Evil Lurks" (Shudder|AMC+, Spanish horror, 100mins), "Sister Death" (netflix, Spanish horror, 90mins), "Pain Hustlers" (netflix, true-crime pharma drama, ~2hrs), "Yellow Door: '90s Lo-fi Film Club" (netflix, documentary, ~85mins), "Five Nights at Freddy's" (Peacock, feature based on video game), "The Girl Who Killed Her Parents - The Confession" (amazon, Brazil true-crime sequel, ~100mins)

(streaming weekly): Gen V (amazon, penultimate), Upload (amazon, next 2 eps), Bosch: Legacy (freevee, next 2 eps), Lessons in Chemistry (apple+), Still Up (apple+, season 1 finale), Fellow Travelers (Para+SHO, series premiere), The Great British Baking Show (netflix), Goosebumps (dsn+|hulu), Undead Unluck (hulu)

(also new): "Christmas by Design" (HALL, original movie, 2hrs)

(hour 1): Penn & Teller: Fool Us (theCW, season 10 opener, new host), Power Book IV: Force (Starz, preempted), Shark Tank (ABC)

(hour 2): Fboy Island (theCW, repeat, new night), Shining Vale (Starz), Raid the Cage (CBS), "Rebuilding Black Wall Street" (OWN, part 5 of 6)

(hour 3): Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO), Creepshow (AMC, ~70mins)

[note: Masters of Illusion (theCW), World's Funniest Animals (theCW), these season openers have been moved to an unknown future.]

[jenifersohowe]

🎫THE BEST ARTIST&SONGWRITER OF 2024'S, C.E.O AND LEADER TANNER PATRICK F...

#music #film #musicindustry #filmindustry #filmgenre #musicgenre #musicnews #filmindustrynews #influencer #celebrity #celebritynews #tv #show #performance #entertainment #entertainmentnews #worlddance #worldmusic #blogger #blog #vlog #vlogs #country #countrymusic #countries #magazine #magazines #vogue #newyorkpost #newyorkcity #newyork #washingtondc #washingtonpost #filmstudio #studio #musicstudio #studio #academic #academia #grammyawards #grammyawards2024 #artistoftheyear #artist #artists #artistic #artistofinstagram #songwriter #songwriters #composer #composers #superstar #superidol #musicpublishing #musicpublisher #academyawards #america #usa #usavlogs #usanews #asianet #asia #asianews #europe #europenews #europevlog #australia #australianews #australiancity #australiavlog #africanews #africatv #africa #americanews #americatv #latin #latinmusic #latinoamerica #news #newshorts #newsong #newstatus #newsupdate #newstoday #newsheadlines #newslive #newsupdates #news24 #newmusic #new #vibes #tune #newtune #melody #symphony #CEO #ceonetwork #leader #leaders #leadership #movie #movies #movieclips #clips #moviescenes #world #worldnews #worldnetwork #networkmarketing #network #networking #netflix #disney #disneytv #disneychannel #disneyplus #disneyworld #appletv #appletvplus #spotify #soundcloud #deezer #tidal #amazon #amazontv #billboard #billboardnews #billboardawards #grammyawards #worldvlog #MTV #mtvmusic #mtvasia #iheartradio #radio #socialmedia #mediaonenews #medianews #podcast #podcasts #podcaster #podcasters #broadcast #broadcasting #broadcaster #broadcasters #public #publicnews #publictv #local #localnews #capital #capitalnews #capitaltv #metropolitan #city #citynews #metro #metronews #metrotv #airlines #airlinesnews #texas #texascity #texasnews #american #shorts #short #shortvideo #shortfeed #ad #musicstore #appstore #onlinestore #musicbank #musicblog #musicbusiness #musicmarketing #musicmagazine #worldbank #global #globalnetwork #globalnews #globalbanking #marketing #markets #marketnews #industry #industrynews #industryleadership #industryleader #industryleaders #finance #financenews #business #businessleadership #businessnews #businessowner #actionfilm #actionmovies #adventurefilm #animatedfilms #comedyfilms #drama #fantasyfilm #historicalfilm #musicalfilm #romancefilm #sciencefictionfilm #sport #sports #sportsnews #moviegenre #documentary #featurefilm #biography #supernatural #narrative #romanticcomedy #epic #magicalrealism #costumedrama #education #story #storytelling #script #scripts #author #producer #producers #director #filmactor #filmactors #filmactress #actor #actress #filmmaker #filmmakers #filmora #filmorago #hollywood #hollywoodnews #hollywoodmovies #hollywoodstudios #musicshorts #filmscript #moviescript #studioproduction #filmvlog #designshorts #foodvlog #fashionvlog #giveaway #filmacademy #musicacademy #filmmusic #filmmusiccomposer #sportsvlog #sporttv #worldwide #broadcasting #broadcastnews #healthyvlog #beauty #beaytyvlogger #beautyblogger #animation #features #documentaryfilm #musical #musicproducer #production #musica #musiccompany #founder #founders #boss #chairman #chairmen #sponsor #sponsorship #community #BBC #bbcnews #abcnews #abcnewsmedia #abcnewsworld #abcnewsalbania #abcnewsaustralia #abcnewsbangla #CBS #cbs_broadcasting #cbsnews #CNN #cnnnews #foxnews #NBC #nbcnews #nbcnewssport #goodmorningamerica #goodmusic #writer #writerofinstagram #writers #writerscommunity #writerlife #bookwriter #book #books #instrumental #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #bookpublisher #bookpublishing #bookpublication #fashionmagazine #fashionblogger #bookvlog #bookvlogger #HBO #hbomax #universal #universalstudios #universalorlando #universalstudiohollywood #universalpictures #waltdisneyworld #waltdisney #waltdisneyanimation #paramount #paramountpictures #paramountplus #hollywoodstudios #sonypictures #sonyentertainment #sonyentertainmenttelevision #sonytv #sonymusic #amazonmusic #appleiphone #applemusic #applestore #applepodcast #applepodcasts #appletv #appletvplus #appleringtone #applesong #marvel #marvelstudios

[myfrenzi]

The Revival of TV Classics: Reboots and Remakes on OTT

The Rebirth of TV Classics: Exploring Reboots and Remakes on OTT — Best Movies on OTT

In the ever-evolving landscape of entertainment, nostalgia meets innovation as TV classics are reborn through reboots and remakes on Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms. This phenomenon has breathed new life into beloved shows and movies, bringing fresh perspectives and storytelling to a new generation of viewers. In this comprehensive blog, we’ll delve into the captivating world of TV classic revivals on OTT. We’ll explore what makes these reboots and remakes special, provide recommendations for the best movies on OTT, and address frequently asked questions to enhance your understanding of this exciting trend.

Act I: The Resurgence of TV Classics

The revival of TV classics is more than a trend; it’s a celebration of nostalgia and a testament to the enduring impact of beloved stories.

Nostalgia Reimagined: Reboots and remakes evoke a sense of nostalgia while breathing fresh life into familiar narratives.

Act II: Why Reboots and Remakes?

Why do OTT platforms gravitate toward reimagining classics? Several factors contribute to the appeal of revisiting familiar worlds.

Built-in Fanbase: TV classics have a devoted following, providing a built-in fanbase that eagerly anticipates the revival.

Updated Storytelling: Reboots and remakes offer an opportunity to tell these stories with modern sensibilities, addressing contemporary themes and issues.

Act III: The Art of Reimagining

Rebooting or remaking a classic requires a delicate balance of reverence for the original and creative innovation.

Honoring the Legacy: Maintaining the essence and spirit of the original is crucial to resonate with fans.

Fresh Interpretations: Bold reinterpretations, diverse casting, and contemporary perspectives breathe new life into familiar tales.

Act IV: Examples of TV Classic Revivals

Let’s explore some notable examples of TV classic revivals on OTT platforms:

1. “The Twilight Zone” (CBS All Access): Jordan Peele takes the reins of this iconic anthology series, infusing it with his unique brand of socially relevant storytelling.

2. “One Day at a Time” (Netflix): This reboot of the ’70s sitcom tackles modern issues with humor and heart, featuring a Cuban-American family.

3. “The Baby-Sitters Club” (Netflix): The beloved book series finds new life in this reimagined show, introducing a new generation to the adventures of Kristy, Claudia, and friends.

4. “The Fugitive” (Quibi): This short-form streaming service brought back the classic series with a modern twist, featuring a new fugitive on the run.

Act V: Best Movies on OTT — A Revival Extravaganza

While TV series enjoy a resurgence, let’s not forget the “best movies on OTT” that also benefit from reboots and remakes:

1. “A Star Is Born” (HBO Max): Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga bring this classic love story to a new generation, earning critical acclaim for their performances.

2. “Dumbo” (Disney+): Tim Burton’s reimagining of the Disney classic combines the magic of the original with a fresh, visually stunning take on the story.

3. “It” (HBO Max): Stephen King’s terrifying tale got a modern makeover with this two-part adaptation that scared a new generation of viewers.

4. “The Lion King” (Disney+): Disney’s live-action adaptation of its animated classic brought the circle of life to a new audience with breathtaking visuals.

Act VI: FAQs on TV Classic Revivals

Q1: Are reboots and remakes generally faithful to the source material? While many reboots and remakes retain elements of the original, some take creative liberties to bring a fresh perspective, which can result in both faithful adaptations and bold reinterpretations.

Q2: What should fans of the original TV classics expect from these revivals? Fans can expect a blend of nostalgia and innovation, with familiar characters and themes reimagined through a contemporary lens.

Q3: Do reboots and remakes typically honor the legacy of the originals? Successful reboots and remakes aim to honor the legacy of the originals while offering something new and relevant to today’s audiences.

Curtain Call: Celebrating the Classics, Embracing the New

As we conclude our exploration of TV classic revivals on OTT platforms, we celebrate the enduring magic of timeless stories and their ability to resonate across generations. Reboots and remakes bring these classics back into the spotlight, inviting both long-time fans and newcomers to experience the joy of familiar tales with a fresh twist.

The best movies on OTT are not confined to the past; they are reborn with new energy and creativity, ready to captivate audiences all over again. Whether you cherish the originals or embrace the reinventions, the world of entertainment offers a delightful blend of nostalgia and innovation.

[whileiamdying]

Tina Turner's Life in Photos

Tina Turner's 50-year career was one of the most prolific in music history. Following her death at age 83, take a look back at her life in photos

By Stephanie Sengwe  Updated on May 24, 2023 03:43PM EDT

Tina Turner's Early Life

Born Anna Mae Bullock on Nov. 26, 1939, Tina Turner came from humble beginnings. Her parents were struggling sharecroppers, who split up when she was 11 years old and left Tina and her sister, Alline, to be raised by their grandmother in Nutbush, Tennessee. Her father would go on to remarry shortly thereafter, while her mother moved to St. Louis after leaving the abusive marriage.

After her grandmother died when she was 16, Tina also moved to St. Louis. It was there where she got involved in the music scene and met her future husband, Ike Turner.

Tina Turner's Star Turn

In 1965, during a performance with his former band, Kings of Rhythm, Ike called on the then-17-year-old Tina to sing onstage. Enamored by her innate stage presence and raspy vocals, Ike was keen to develop her budding talent and allowed her to hang around the band.

Preparation met opportunity when the singer who was booked to record "A Fool in Love" didn't show up for the recording session, and Tina rose to the occasion.

"A Fool in Love" was an instant hit and Ike realized he needed Tina in his troupe. He changed her name to Tina Turner and she became the lead vocalist for what became known as Ike & Tina Turner Revue.

Ike and Tina Turner's Marriage

Though Ike and Tina's relationship was platonic at first, with Tina admitting in the HBO Max documentary, Tina, she viewed him as a big brother, their connection gradually escalated to romance and they got married in 1962.

But their union was no sweeping love story. For one, the pair got married in Tijuana in a ceremony the "Proud Mary" singer found out about the same day.

"When Ike asked me to marry him, I knew it was for a reason," she told Gayle King in an interview for CBS Good Morning. "But I had to say yes, I knew, or it was going to be a fight."

Ike was famously abusive and the marriage ultimately ended in divorce 16 years later.

Tina Turner's 'Proud Mary'

While the association between "Proud Mary" and Tina is indelible, the song is actually not an original Ike and Tina record.

According to Biography.com, the song was written by John Fogerty, lead singer of the band Creedence Clearwater Revival, in 1967 and became a crowd favorite when Ike and Tina Turner Revue would perform.

As the duo was working on their second album, Workin' Together, Tina suggested Ike add the song since it had so much success on the road. Ike added the famed guitar riffs and other production elements to make it the hit we know today.

"Proud Mary" reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 5 on the R&B chart in 1971, Biography.com reports. The song sold more than 1 million copies and earned the duo a Grammy Award for best R&B vocal performance by a group.

Tina Turner Reclaims Her Name

You" singer chose not to fight over any of the assets they had accrued together, though she did want the rights to her stage name, which she won.

Tina Turner's Comeback

After divorcing Ike, Tina found herself in financial arrears. Not only were there business debts to settle, she was also in charge of the four kids the couple shared as proceedings dragged on.

To make ends meet, she went back on tour and began her comeback performing covers.

In 1983, she was signed to Capitol Records, with whom she released Private Dancer. The album housed hits such as the titular song, "Private Dancer," "What's Love Got to Do With It," and "Better Be Good to Me."

The album earned three Grammy Awards and has been dubbed one of the biggest comebacks in music history.

Tina Turner's Private Dancer Tour

Following the release of the hit album, Tina embarked on a tour from February 1985 to December 1985. The Private Dancer tour encompassed a whopping 182 dates throughout Europe, North America, Australia and Asia.

Tina Turner Headlines the Super Bowl XXXIV Halftime Show

In 2000, Tina lit up the stage at The Georgia Dome in Atlanta when she headlined the Super Bowl halftime show that year. It would be one of her last performances before she went on hiatus for a few years.

Tina Turner at the Kennedy Center Honors

In 2005, Tina was among one of the artists who received a Kennedy Center Honor for her contribution to the culture. In her class were other legends such as Robert Redford, Tony Bennett, Suzanne Farrell and Julie Harris.

Tina Turner Finds Love Again

In 2013, Tina tied the knot with her long-term beau, music producer Erwin Bach, after 27 years together. They spent their time quietly together in Zurich, Switzerland.

The pair first met in 1986 at Cologne Bonn Airport where Bach was assigned to pick the singer up. The connection was instantaneous.

"He was [16 years] younger [than me]. He was 30 years old at the time and had the prettiest face. I mean, you cannot [describe] it," Tina stated in an HBO Max documentary about her life. "It was like insane. [I thought], 'Where did he come from?' He was really so good-looking. My heart [was beating fast] and it means that a soul has met, and my hands were shaking."

Tina Turner's 50th Anniversary Tour

After taking some much-deserved time off — eight years away from the public eye, to be exact — Tina announced while on The Oprah Show that she'd be hitting the stage one more time. She was 68.

The 50th Anniversary Tour began in October 2008 and went through May 2009 with a total of 84 sold-out dates across North America and Europe.

This would be her final tour, as she announced her retirement once the tour wrapped.

Tina Turner on Broadway

In 2018, the living legend made one last foray into the public eye when Tina: The Tina Turner Musical premiered on Broadway. Like What's Love Got to Do With It — a 1993 film following Tina's life in the spotlight — the play chronicled her illustrious life and career, but focused more on her comeback era and mega hits.

Tina Turner: A Career for the Ages

Throughout her five-decade-long career, Tina amassed a slew of awards, including eight Grammys, three AMAs, seven Billboard Music Awards and many more.

She received three Grammy Hall of Fame Awards for "What's Love Got to Do With It," "River Deep, Mountain High" and "Proud Mary."

She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice — the first time in 1991 with Ike, and the second time in 2021, weeks ahead of her 82nd birthday.

On May 24, 2023, Tina died at age 83 after a long illness at her home in Küsnacht near Zurich, Switzerland.

“With her, the world loses a music legend and a role model,” her spokesperson, Bernard Doherty, said in a statement.

[ear-worthy]

Unsung Science Podcast: Giving Voice To Untold Scientific Breakthroughs

Podcasting is particularly adept at science shows. Dope Labs, Science Vs, The Disappearing Spoon, and Unexplained are just a few of the noteworthy podcasts. Perhaps it is the lack of the visual component that challenges these shows to explain the science so efficiently using only words and sounds. It's not like you can wow your audience with an image from the Webb Telescope, and then sit back while your audience "oohs and ahhs."

Since science is such a broad and discursive topic, successful science podcasts have a "hook" that is designed to attract listeners. 

Unsung Science, produced by Simon & Schuster and CBS News, uses as its hook "The untold stories of mind-blowing achievements in science and tech."

What makes this science podcast so ear worthy is its excellent premise, skilled narrative storytelling, and superb host, taking you behind the scenes into the worlds of the people who’ve built the best in transportation, entertainment, food and other areas. What’s unique about these stories is that they veer from the well-traveled path of scientific discovery storytelling.

No Lindbergh, Alexander Graham Bell, and Thomas Edison here. Instead, listeners hear the untold stories of mind-blowing achievements that don't show up in your daily news feed. 

Some of my favorite episodes include the May 19th episode about David Peterson, the one man who makes a full-time living from creating, maintaining and safeguarding invented languages such as Star Trek's Klingon, and Dothraki and High Valyrian from HBO's Game Of Thrones. 

Want to ensure that your first date from a dating app goes sideways? Speak Klingon to your date as you explain your hobbies. 

Another favorite is also a recent one about how scientists at Colgate spent five years and millions of the company's dollars to design a recyclable tube of toothpaste. Then, Colgate made its patent available to other toothpaste makers. Wonders will never cease.

Unsung Science began in September 2021 and is in its second season. My favorite show of season one has to be the Baby Carrots episode. We learn that baby carrots are not really "babies" but the invention of a California carrot farmer and his family. The years-long saga of perfecting baby carrots by this farmer is an uplifting tale of perseverance, ingenuity, and imagination. After listening, you'll never look at carrots the same way.

The secret weapon of Unsung Science is the creator / host David Pogue. You've probably seen him on TV on CBS Sunday Morning, perhaps the best morning show on television. 

Pogue can handle narrative storytelling like Tom Brady could throw a football. He's master-class good at keeping listeners interested. Pogue also doesn't take himself or the subject matter too seriously. There's that sense of good-natured cynicism and raised-eyebrow humor that keeps the show from becoming too science-geeky. 

Pogue has superb narrative balance, explaining science, then waggishly pointing out the idiosyncratic tale surrounding the breakthrough.

Pogue's resume makes me realize that I am a serial underachiever.

 David Pogue was the New York Times weekly tech columnist from 2000 to 2013. He’s a six-time Emmy winner for his stories on CBS Sunday Morning, a New York Times bestselling author, a five-time TED speaker, host of 20 NOVA science specials on PBS, and creator/host of the CBS News/Simon & Schuster podcast Unsung Science.

He’s written or cowritten more than 120 books, including dozens in the Missing Manual tech series, which he created in 1999; six books in the For Dummies line (including Macs, Magic, Opera, and Classical Music); two novels (one for middle-schoolers); his three bestselling Pogue’s Basics books of tips and shortcuts (on Tech, Money, and Life); his how-to guides, iPhone Unlocked and Mac Unlocked; and his 2021 magnum opus, How to Prepare for Climate Change.

After graduating summa cum laude from Yale in 1985 with distinction in music, Pogue spent ten years conducting and arranging Broadway musicals in New York. He has won a Loeb Award for journalism, two Webby awards, and an honorary doctorate in music. 

Enough Pogue, now back to Unsung Science. The show offers listeners a learning experience, a science lesson that doesn't hurt your head, and a sense of things are always not what they seem, all while chuckling and smiling. 

This is one of my top recommendations for a podcast, science or otherwise. Check out Unsung Science and if you don't like it, feel free to contact me and tell me that I am full of it. Of course, I will only accept such feedback in Klingon or Dothraki.

[cbrownjc]

HBO: Depends on who they got to show-run it, but I still bet HBO would have tried to Game of Thrones it in some way and, as I said in another post, the way the Vampire Chronicles’ story is structured vs how the Song of Ice and Fire books/world are structured are so vastly different in tone and structure it would have led to tonal dissonance if they’d tried it that way. And when it didn’t work, they would have canceled it - after Season 2 would be my guess. (HBO will at least give a show two seasons from what I’ve observed.)

Netflix: might have done the show as it is now, but they would have canceled it after Season 3 if they were only licensing the rights to the books instead of owning the right outright. (And I don’t see Netflix paying the amount of money needed to outright own the rights to it.) Also if there is one thing Netflix is not going to do, it's pay their actors more money after Season 3 of a show, especially if they don’t outright own those rights. Or if the show is a hit with a demographic they weren’t initially targeting with it, they tend to cancel those shows too. (Why yes, I am still bitter about the cancelation of Anne with an E and Julie and the Phantoms.) 

The CW: I’ve already gone into the things that network wants out of its shows here. All your worst fears about queerbaiting and the sidelining of black characters would be more than well-founded because it probably 97.95% would happen. Hell, it would have happened halfway through season one to be quite honest. 

Also, the CW probably would’ve just gender-flipped Louis right out the gate in the casting (along with keeping him/her white), and made the character even more detached and on the bland side in order to make her the designated “self-insert” character for female viewers everywhere and try and pull in that Vampire Diaries/Twilight demographic.  

I honestly don’t see CBS, NBC, or ABC - or their streaming outfits (Paramount+, Peacock, and ABC just has their own app FWIU) - green-lighting the show in the first place. Especially not as is.

Hulu: had the rights once before as I understand it, and couldn’t make it work.

Fox: would have done some crazy BTS stuff that ends up sabotaging it; like moving its time slot two or three times a season, diminishing Louis as a co-lead character - especially if he was still black in the Fox version - even during the IWTV portion of the story, to the point that he and Lestat are “just friends” (keeping the homoerotic overtones of course, but they would never be an actual couple) and one-off characters like Gretchen and Dora as more predominate love interests for Lestat if they didn’t just outright give that role to Jesse again like the QofD movie did . . . and hell, Louis would have probably been paired with Merrick more permanently too at some point or something; then, around Season 4 or so, they’d cancel the show for losing viewers because of the BTS interference they did. 

Disney+: <screaming with laughter>  Yeah, no. 

AMC could do a better job promoting the show, I think criticism of that is warranted. However, the network is in the middle of restructuring itself, so there are probably some things they have to work out overall when it comes to things like that. 

But the fact is that the show is on a network that is fine with doing rather “problematic” stories (i.e. Breaking Bad) that are very character-focused; along with the fact that AMC, as a network, outright own the full rights to both the Vampire Chronicles and the Mayfair Witches books (instead of just licensing them) means a cancellation hammer isn’t going to fall as easily on either show as it would if they didn’t. (And, given the reviews and most reception for Mayfair Witches, it very well might have for that show already if they didn’t.) 

So yeah, oddly the only network I could maybe see it working on, especially in its current form, is maybe Hulu. But as said, they had the rights once before and couldn’t make it work, so . . . yeah, I am more than happy that the show landed on the network it did. It fits better than anywhere else IMO.  

I cringe every time someone says the show should have gone to a different network instead because I don't think people are truly grasping just how many bullets we've miraculously managed to dodge. you think you want to know what a netflix or hbo version of this show is I promise you that you don't trust me on this

[mceproductions]

Better Late Than Never (2022 Countdown Recap)

Hi, never did this 2 weeks ago but here are the countdown results. 

Best of 2022

  Movies

 1. Everything Everywhere All At Once

2. Top Gun: Maverick

3. Nope

4. The Batman

5. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

6. Avatar: The Way of Water

7. The Bobs Burgers Movie and Sonic the Hedgehog 2

8. Black Adam and Turning Red

9.  Elvis

10. Jurassic World Dominion

11. Uncharted and The Woman King

12. Jackass Forever

13. Scream

14. Thor Love and Thunder and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

15. Marry Me

  Runners Up:

Lightyear

The Bad Guys

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

Chip & Dale Rescue Rangers

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

  Worst

 1. Morbius

2. Firestarter

3. Pinocchio

  Honorable Mention:

RRR

   TV Shows

  Best New Show Nominee* Winner ^

  1. The Orville (Hulu)

2. Stranger Things (Netflix)

3. Yellowstone (Paramount TV)

4. Better Call Saul (AMC)

5. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)

6. My Hero Academia (ADULT SWIM)

7. Attack on Titan (ADULT SWIM)

8. SNL (NBC)

9. Abbott Elementary (ABC)^

10. House of the Dragon (HBO)*

11. Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC)

12. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) and The Boys (Amazon Prime)

13. Spy X Family (Crunchyroll)* and The Daily Show (Comedy Central)

14. The Good Doctor (ABC) and Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)

15. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Disney+)

16. Moon Knight (Disney+)

17. 1883 (Paramount+)

18. RWBY: Ice Queendom (Crunchyroll/Rooster Teeth)

19. Peacemaker (HBO MAX)*

20. The Simpsons (FOX)

21. Bridgerton (Netflix)

22. LOTR The Rings of Power (Amazon Prime)

23. Arthur (PBS) and Andor (Disney+)*

24. Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (Disney+)

25. Young Sheldon (CBS)

  Runners Up:

Hawkeye (Disney+)

The Book of Boba Fett (Disney+)

Lycoris Recoil (Crunchyroll)

Halo (Paramount+)

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)

  Honorable Mention: South Park (Comedy Central)

  Worst:

 1. And Just Like That… (HBO MAX)

2. Fairview (Comedy Central)

3. Housing Complex C (ADULT SWIM)

    Music

   1. Encanto Cast “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”

2. JungKook “Dreamers”

3. Gen Hoshino “Comedy”

4. Lady Gaga “Hold My Hand”

5. Rihanna “Lift Me Up”

6. Harry Styles “As It Was”

7.  Kate Bush “Running Up That Hill”

8.  Ed Sheeran “Celestial”

9.  Taylor Swift “Anti-Hero”

10. Kylie McNeil and Millennium Parade “U”

11. Lizzo “About Damn Time” and The Weeknd “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)”

12. Sim “The Rumbling”

13. Weird Al Yankovic “Now You Know”

14. OneRepublic “I Aint Worried”

15. Jennifer Lopez and Maluma “Marry Me”

16. Porter Robinson “Everything Goes On”

17. Shawn Mendes “Top of The World”

18. Beyonce “Break My Soul”

19. Bobs Burgers Cast “Sunny Side Up Summer”

20. Adam Pascal, Ty Taylor, Rory Donavan, Derek Klena and Rogers The Musical Cast “Save The City (I Can Do This All Day)”

21. Elton John And Britney Spears “Hold Me Closer”

22. Ed Sheeran “Shivers”

23. Void_Chords “Beyond Selves”

24. Kevin Bacon and Old 97’s “Here It Is Christmastime”

25. BTS “Yet To Come”

26. The Weeknd “Out of Time”

27. Jack Harlow “First Class”

28. Charlie Puth “Left and Right”

29. Coldplay and Selena Gomez “Let Somebody Go”

30.  Charli XCX “Beg for You”

 Runners Up:

Jennifer Lopez “On My Way”

Son Lux and Randy Newman “Now Were Cooking”

JIN “The Astronaut”

Tems “No Woman No Cry”

Jessica Darrow “Surface Pressure”

 Honorable Mention:

Tommee Profit And Fleurie “Chasing Cars”

 Worst

 1. RuPaul “Smile”

2. Post Malone “Chip & Dale Rescue Rangers Theme Song”

3. Kid Rock “We the People”

   Game of The Year

 Nominee* Winner^

 Elden Ring^

God of War: Ragnarok*

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga*

Pokemon Legends: Arceus*

Horizon Forbidden West*

 Worst

 Crossfirex

[avatar-news]

Avatar Studios masterpost!

Here’s absolutely everything there is to know about the big Avatar news from today’s ViacomCBS Paramount+ Streaming Event and investor day!

Summary of facts

Avatar Studios is a new studio at Nickelodeon. Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra co-creators and showrunners Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino are the co-Chief Creative Officers of Avatar Studios.

Avatar Studios will create original movies, series, and shorts set in the world of Avatar.

The first project is an animated theatrical film set to start production later this year.

One or more Avatar Studios Paramount+ Original Series will be among the 50 original shows coming to Paramount+ in its first two years.

The above image has been included in many articles and official social media posts. It’s presumably the current official logo of Avatar Studios.

That is a distilled list of the cold, hard facts from the whirlwind of news that has come out today, from many different sources. With that out of the way, the rest of this post will delve deeper into everything we’ve learned, including full-length quotes from the people involved.

Today’s event

Today, ViacomCBS (the company that owns Nickelodeon, and thus Avatar) held their “Streaming Event” and investor day. ViacomCBS is launching their big streaming service, Paramount+, on March 4th. It’s a rebrand and relaunch of their current streaming service, CBS All Access. Paramount+ is meant to be their big push to compete in the streaming wars with Disney’s Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+; WarnerMedia’s HBO Max; NBCUniversal’s Peacock; Apple’s Apple TV+; and, yes, Netflix’s Netflix by Netflix in collaboration with Netflix.

Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra are already on CBS All Access in full, and they, like all the rest of the content on the service, will automatically transfer over to Paramount+. (Currently we know absolutely nothing about when or if either show will leave Netflix. They’re currently on both Netflix and CBS All Access, so it’s possible they’ll remain on both Netflix and Paramount+ for some time.)

Here’s my livetweet thread from today’s event. Below, I’ll cover the notable stuff:

The first big mention of Avatar was when it was called out by the CEO as one of the ViacomCBS properties that were big hits on other streaming services last year.

It’s notable that it was mentioned among a list of exclusively adult, live-action series.

This is totally in line with the earlier stuff where the CEO mentioned it as having potential for Paramount+ original content.

The presentation also included something along the lines of: if you helped make one of our properties popular on another streaming service, there’s a good chance originals will be coming to Paramount+.

Basically, they saw how huge Avatar was on Netflix last year, and that visibility was up to the highest levels of the company.

And of course, finally they announced the creation of Avatar Studios. This was actually a few minutes after the news went up officially online, so at that point I lost track of the stream as I covered the news. But, I do know they didn’t show/announce anything else in the event besides the news that went up online.

Official quotes/statements

Here are the official quotes about Avatar Studios sent out today:

Joint official statement from Bryke:

“It’s hard to believe it’s been 19 years since we created Avatar: The Last Airbender. But even after all that time, there are still many stories and time periods in Aang’s world that we are eager to bring to life. We are fortunate to have an ever-growing community of passionate fans that enjoys exploring the Avatarverse as much as we do. And with this new Avatar Studios venture we have an unparalleled opportunity to develop our franchise and its storytelling on a vast scale, in myriad exciting ways and mediums. We are exceedingly grateful to Brian Robbins and Ramsey Naito for their enthusiasm and respect for the Avatar property and us as its stewards. From the start, they’ve supported our ambitious plans and created a positive, proactive environment for us. We’re excited to be back at Nickelodeon where Avatar began, doing what we do best in the biggest way possible. We can’t wait to build the great teams and productions to make all of this fantasy a reality.”

via Entertainment Weekly

Bryan on his Instagram and Tumblr:

“Bryke is back at Nickelodeon in a big way. ⚡️💙⬇️💙⚡️ Mike and I are heading up a new studio dedicated to expanding the Avatarverse.”

Mike on his Instagram:

“BIG announcement! @bryankonietzko and I are returning to #Nickelodeon as co-chief creative officers of Avatar Studios to develop new animated projects in the #avatarverse and oversee the franchise. Couldn't be more excited and inspired!”

Brian Robbins:

“Avatar: The Last Airbender and Korra have grown at least ten-fold in popularity since their original hit runs on Nickelodeon, and Ramsey Naito and I are incredibly excited to have Mike and Bryan’s genius talent on board to helm a studio devoted to expanding their characters and world into new content and formats for fans everywhere. Creator-driven stories and characters have long been the hallmarks of Nickelodeon, and Avatar Studios is a way to give Mike and Bryan the resources and runway to open up their imaginations even more and dive deeper into the action and mythology of Avatar as we simultaneously expand upon that world and the world of content available on Paramount+ and Nickelodeon.”

via Deadline

Brian Robbins was referred to as the president of Nickelodeon on Entertainment Weekly, and “President, ViacomCBS Kids & Family” on Deadline. Ramsey Naito is the president of Nickelodeon Animation.

Press release

The post-event ViacomCBS press release mentioned Avatar in two places:

First, right up at the top:

“Over 50 original series to premiere on Paramount+ over next two years, including Halo, Frasier, Criminal Minds, iCarly, The Real World, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, shows from the Avatar, Yellowstone, Star Trek and SpongeBob SquarePants universes and more”

The wording makes it unclear if it will be multiple shows from each of the final four franchises mentioned, or if it’s plural because it’s listing multiple franchises. It’s talking about the first two years specifically, so it’s likely that in that timeframe only one Avatar show would be ready, but in general it’s basically guaranteed that there will be multiple in the coming years.

The second place it’s mentioned is in the “Expansive Slate of Upcoming Paramount+ Original Series” - “Kids & Family” section:

“Avatar – Nickelodeon’s new animation studio division dedicated entirely to creating content based on the wildly popular world of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. Led by the series’ original creators Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, in partnership with the Nickelodeon Animation Studio, Avatar Studios will produce for Paramount+ a wide-range of Avatar-inspired content, ranging from spinoffs and theatricals to short form.”

Info from news

Across the many news sources today (sites, social media, etc.) this info has sort of coalesced:

What is Avatar Studios?

It has been referred to as a studio, a venture, a division of Nickelodeon, an animation studio division, etc. etc. etc.

As far as we know, it’s not an animation production studio and so doesn’t employ animators who draw the frames of animation themselves.

What does Avatar Studios make?

The various sources have said they’re making series, movies, and short-form stuff. The first two are pretty self-explanatory. The third, shorts, remains to be seen what it is. I could honestly see official TikTok videos or something, but that’s just my speculation. 😂

Right now it has been said that Avatar Studios will be making Avatar stuff only. Various wordings like “based on” and “Avatar-inspired” and “in the Avatarverse” have been used.

The question of live-action has arisen. Some places, including Mike’s post, specifically say animation, while Bryke’s official statement also says “myriad [...] mediums”. It’s highly likely there will be both animation and live-action at some point. Currently it’s probably animation-focused, with the first project being an animated movie.

Where will Avatar Studios content come out?

Another case where there have been various wordings used throughout the different news sources.

It has been said that Avatar Studios’ content will be made for Paramount+, Nickelodeon’s “linear” (meaning old-fashioned live TV) and digital outlets, third parties, and theaters.

Paramount+ is self-explanatory, that would be Paramount+ Originals streaming exclusively on Paramount+.

Nickelodeon complicates things a bit. I find it a little hard to believe that within a few years, new Avatar shows specifically for Nick’s TV channel will start being made. It’s possible statements to this effect are indicating the content will also end up aired on TV. ViacomCBS’s Star Trek universe’s first Nick show will be taking that route: first on Paramount+ and then later airing on TV on Nick, so I’m guessing something similar could be the case here. As for Nick’s digital side, they have episodes to watch on their website and apps, so I’m guessing that’s what that refers to-- I wouldn’t read into it too much. Nick itself is one of the sections on Paramount+, which also just makes my head spin a bit more.

Mention of third parties is also a little weird at first. ViacomCBS does double-dip a lot, so maybe Avatar Studios will also end up making shows for, like, Netflix and others, but it just seems like a weird business decision when they just announced Paramount+. One thing this could be referring to is potentially other mediums like books and games, for which it would make sense to be for other companies.

Lastly, theatrical. In their movies strategy, ViacomCBS announced that Paramount movies like the Mission: Impossible franchise will still be in theaters, but go to Paramount+ exclusively after a reduced 30-to-45-day theatrical window. (Some movies will also have the regular window, also a little confusing.) Some movies will also just be Paramount+ Originals in the first place, like the newest SpongeBob movie. Avatar Studios’ first project has been exclusively called a theatrical animated film. This seems to suggest that it will be in theaters at first, then a Paramount+ Original shortly after (probably the shortest, 30-day window if I were to guess). This is interesting because if it’s theatrical, that could suggest a big budget, especially if this is their first project they intend to make an impressive splash with. It could also potentially suggest 3D/CGI animation rather than 2D, but I personally don’t find that super likely. However, it could mean fancier 2D animation than we’re used to, and that’s saying a lot because we’re used to some pretty good animation from the Avatar franchise! The wording of “theatricals” could also just be used as a synonym for “films”, to indicate prestige, theatrical release quality and budget rather than made-for-TV or direct-to-DVD vibes.

In summary, it seems like right now, they’re covering all the bases, but if Paramount+ is as successful as they want it to be, it’s likely they would eventually (maybe quite soon) move more and more stuff into it exclusively. Currently, there’s also still a lot of uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and so the new state of the theatrical, linear, and streaming marketplaces hasn’t really crystallized yet either. The world does seem to be moving to streaming quite hard though, so while they’re covering all the bases right now, again, it’s likely most of this stuff will end up mainly as a Paramount+ thing.

And again, I mentioned TikTok as a possible experimental place for short-form content. Maybe. Especially if they make the next Avatar after Korra modern day?! Ok, let me not get ahead of myself...

Who will work at Avatar Studios?

We only know about Bryke so far. They’re the co-Chief Creative Officers.

Brandon Hoang, who was working with Bryke on live-action ATLA at Netflix, has confirmed he’s not involved. He also left Netflix at some point; not sure if it was at the exact same time or for the same reasons as Bryke, but he’s neither here nor there, as it were.

No, I don’t have anything to tell you about Jeremy Zuckerman. :)

Given that there will be multiple shows and movies, it’s likely that lots of different people will end up working on them. Bryke’s official statement said that they will “build [...] teams and productions” at Avatar Studios, and Mike also said that they will be “oversee[ing] the franchise”. Right now, we don’t know what exact role Bryke will have. They might write/direct/showrun some stuff themselves, or they might oversee other creatives they hire for those roles, or, likely, both-- different levels of involvement for different shows and movies.

As mentioned previously, Avatar Studios (probably) isn’t an animation production studio. This means they will still hire animation production studios, like Studio Mir, to do the animation itself. I say “like” Studio Mir, because I’m not sure if Studio Mir itself is free right now. They recently officially partnered with Netflix and have plenty of things on their plate there. So, it remains to be seen who will be doing the actual animation for Avatar Studios’ projects.

Lastly, this is an awesome opportunity to have the “culturally appropriate, non-whitewashed cast” assurance Bryke originally made for live-action ATLA both on and off the screen at Avatar Studios!

Netflix and live-action ATLA

There has been no news or updates on the live-action adaptation of ATLA being developed at Netflix, which Bryke was originally showrunning but left (to do all this!) over creative differences.

No, it’s not cancelled.

I suppose this makes it a little more likely that Netflix would choose to give up on it, but right now there have been no changes. The existence of Avatar Studios almost definitely has no effect on the licensing rights Netflix obtained to make a live-action ATLA adaptation-- that stuff is usually pretty iron-clad. Again, maybe in light of all this Netflix will choose to not go through with it, but they also might want to make it even more now to compete with Paramount+ on Avatar. We don’t really know the stances of the decisionmakers at Netflix, so we’ll have to wait and see.

Personal note

Over the last few months I’ve gotten a lot of, err, rude comments and messages whenever I said there could be new stuff coming. I’m really not here to say “I told you so”, because I don’t care-- I run Avatar News for fun.

But, I hope this goes to show that I wouldn't be posting things if I didn't have good factual reason to believe them, and that very much panned out very correctly here. Sometimes it’s directly or indirectly based on stuff I can't say publicly. I always have and always will post in a trustworthy, fact- and reason-based manner.

In light of that, and for just a bit of “I told you so”, here’s a timeline of all the Avatar News posts that led up to today. Definitely had a lot of fun re-reading these just now:

August 12th, 2020: Bryke left the Netflix live-action ATLA series two months ago. It’s not the end of the world.

September 15th, 2020: ViacomCBS is relaunching their streaming service next year as Paramount+, the future home of Avatar shows and movies?

September 17th, 2020: Anonymous asked: Do you think now that the original creators left the live action remake that they will make a new avatar animated series?

November 6th, 2020: CEO says Avatar franchise has potential for new original series on Paramount+, the new streaming service launching next year to compete with Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max

January 4th, 2021: “This also brings up another interesting point, which is that Bryke actually originally pitched this storyline to Nick as an animated movie after the show. That obviously didn’t happen, but now that Paramount+ is coming and teasing potential new Avatar content…”

January 5th, 2021: Investor day announcement

January 21st, 2021: The Fire Nation Awaits 🌺 An in-depth look at the ever-elusive islands in the era of Korra and when we will finally pay them a visit. See section: Are they saving the Fire Nation for an animated movie?

February 12th, 2021: All seven seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra are coming to Paramount+ on March 4th!

February 20th, 2021: The musical themes of Avatar: An Avatar News interview with Jeremy Zuckerman. See section: “So, another streaming service: Paramount+.”

February 24th, 2021: Avatar Studios masterpost :)

[slimspree]

Natalie Dormer

[kellyvela]

“That’s not the story I’m telling.”

GEORGE R. R. MARTIN: When I was younger, probably fifth or sixth grade, I used to write and sell monster stories to other kids in the projects. They were only one or two pages long, written on pages from a notebook, and I would have to give dramatic readings because some of my friends didn’t read.

I started out selling monster stories for a penny, then was able to raise my price to a nickel. In those days, a nickel could buy a candy bar. I’m really old. Then one of the kids started having nightmares, and his mother complained to my mother, who told me, “No more of that.”

In the mid-1980s to mid-1990s, I’d worked in television for like ten years. I was tired, and was always having to trim my scripts. When I started writing Game of Thrones, I said, “Well, this is never going to be made, and I’m tired of cutting things and having to worry about a budget, so I’m just going to put it all in there.”

I wrote something that was huge, much bigger than what could conceivably be done for TV or film. Then I put it out of my mind. The first book started doing okay, wasn’t on any best-seller list, the second one hit the Times list for number thirteen for a week. Sales were building with each book. Then, Peter Jackson’s movies hit, and everybody in Hollywood wanted a Lord of the Rings.

I started getting a lot of interest mostly from people who wanted to make them as movies. I had a few meetings, but I didn’t like any of the ideas. They said, “It’s too big. Let’s focus on Jon Snow or Daenerys Targaryen and we’ll cut everything else.” I told them, “That’s not the story I’m telling.” Others would say, “We’ll just make the first book,” or, “We’ll make half of the first book and it’ll be a big hit. Then we’ll make the other movies.” I asked, “What if it’s not a big hit? Then I’ll never get to make the other movies.”

I turned everything down, but it did get me thinking about how it could be done. What I concluded is it could not be done for feature films or even a series of feature films. They would have to have guaranteed me something like nine films. I thought to get all of this done in the right way, it would have to be television. I’d worked for CBS on a couple of shows and, given problems I went through on shows like Beauty and the Beast and Twilight Zone, I knew there was no way Game of Thrones, with its sexuality and its violence, was going to get through intact. It was going to have to be premium cable.

I’d been watching HBO, of course. I loved The Sopranos. I loved Deadwood, Rome, great, great shows that redefine their genres and had no problems with sex and violence. Vince Gerardis, who was my manager at the time, and my representatives set me up for lunch with David Benioff and Dan Weiss.

—Tinderbox: HBO’s Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers by James Andrew Miller (NOVEMBER 23, 2021).

I made a T-shirt about the story George is telling:

[tvrundownusa]

tvrundown USA 2024.11.03

Sunday, November 3rd: ~ (Daylight Saving Time has ended) ~

(streaming shows): Like Water for Chocolate (MAX, series adaptation premiere), Lioness (Para+), Tulsa King (Para+), A Virtuous Business (netflix), Orb: On the Movements of the Earth (netflix)

(original made-for-TV movies): "Country Roads Christmas" (UPtv, earlier, ~2hrs), "Holiday Mismatch" (HALL, 2hrs), "Secrets Between Sisters" (LIFE, 2hrs+)

(earlier - hour 0): 60 Minutes (CBS), America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC, repeat), Bill O'Reilly's "Confronting the Presidents" (theCW, special)

(hour 1): Tracker (CBS), The Simpsons (FOX, "Treehouse of Horror XXXV") / . / Universal Basic Guys (FOX), Ridley (PBS, part 2/2, season 2 finale), "Clinton: Portrait of a Presidency" (theCW, special, 2hrs)

(hour 2): The Equalizer (CBS), Bob's Burgers (FOX) / . / Krapopolis (FOX), The Penguin (HBO, penultimate), FROM (MGM+), The Marlow Murder Club (PBS), Holiday Wars (FOOD, competition season 6 opener), "Clinton: Portrait of a Presidency" (theCW, contd), Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (AMC|AMC+, 2.5 hours)

(hour 3): The Franchise (HBO) / . / Somebody Somewhere (HBO), Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (AMC|AMC+, contd +90mins), "Price of Fame: The Liam Payne Story" (ABC, a 20/20 documentary)

(hour 4 - latenight): Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO), Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (AMC|AMC+, contd, season 2 "The Book of Carol" finale)

[animationforce]

21 Animated Projects We’re Anticipating in 2021

1) Arlo the Alligator Boy (Netflix/Titmouse)

This 2D musical feature film for the streaming service will set up a series (”I Heart Arlo”) about an alligator looking for family in a “Regular Show”-type world. The music blew us away during the preview at 2020′s CTN Expo.

2) Bob’s Burgers: The Movie (Disney/20th Century/Bento Box)

While the Fox show is loved for its humor and heart and not really for its animation, this feature film from the show creator Loren Bouchard will have a glossier look, as Bento Box animates on a feature budget and timeline. Expected in theaters on April 9, 2021.

3) The Boss Baby 2: Family Business (DreamWorks/Universal)

This March, DreamWorks Animation brings the brothers back together — to deal with the new cutthroat boss (baby) in the family.

4) Connected (Sony Animation) 

Producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Spider-Verse, The Lego Movie) support Gravity Falls alum Mike Rianda in his feature directorial debut. Rianda’s brand of wacky humor sets this humans vs. robots film up for a great time, if the company can set a release date.

5) Encanto (Disney) 

Zootopia’s Byron Howard leads director team Jared Bush and Charise Castro Smith in this musical super power story set in Colombia, coming this fall.

6) Earwig and the Witch (Studio Ghibli/GKIDS)

Goro Miyazaki, son of legendary Hayao Miyazaki and director in his own right, brings Ghibli magic to theaters for the first time in six years. This film differs from its predecessors with stylized cg animation, but the story — an orphaned girl learns she’s the daughter of a witch — promises much of the wonder that one expects of any Ghibli film. 

7) Luca (Pixar) 

Director Enrico Casarosa debuts with Pixar’s Italian Riviera-set story of friendship between a boy and a boy-shaped sea monster, which arrives this June.

8) Minions 2: Rise of Gru (Illumination/Universal)

We’ve seen Gru’s future and his yellow minions’ past, but finally Illumination highlights the in-between in a villain origin story we hope will be as fun as the first three Despicable Me films.

9) My Father’s Dragon (Cartoon Saloon/Netflix)

It’s a great year for dragon-lovers, with Cartoon Saloon supplying the first of three feature films about these awesome creatures. Director Nora Twomey brings to life a Newberry-winning book, with help from “Inside Out” scribe Meg LeFauve and writer John Morgan. A boy who runs away to Wild Island finds much more than the captive dragon he sought.

10) Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Netflix/Jim Henson)

Another ambition animated feature from Netflix, Pinocchio sets itself apart from other versions of the folk tale in its look — stop-motion by Jim Henson’s studio — and feel, with Guillermo del Toro’s signature dark brilliance under veteran director Robert Zemeckis’ helm. This will not be very family friendly.

11) Raya and the Last Dragon (Disney) 

A warrior seeks the legendary last dragon hundreds of years after those mythical creatures saved her world from the same evil threat they now face. Coming to theaters and Disney+ (for a fee) in March.

12) Robin Robin (Netflix/Aardman)

This animated musical holiday special comes from the minds behind Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep. It may be a long way from December now, but we’re ready for some stop-motion Christmas fun, especially when the story follows a bird raised by mice. 

13) Ron’s Gone Wrong (Disney/20th Century/Locksmith)

Female-led production company Locksmith brings its first animated feature to life under Disney-owned 20th Century (Fox), “Ron’s Gone Wrong.” Set in a world where every child has its own robot assistant, a boy tries to fix his faulty robot this April.

14) Rumble (Paramount/ReelFX)

Based on a graphic novel by Rob Harrell, this film explores the challenges of a world where humans coach monsters in pro wrestling. Yes, really. We’ll see where it goes in May.

15) Sing 2 (Illumination/Universal)

Buster and his band of musical animals return with visions of stardom, or at least attempts to persuade a certain rockstar to join them in this sequel to the Animals’ve Got Talent film, expected in December.

16) Space Jam: A New Legacy (Warner Bros/WAG)

LeBron James joins the Looney Tunes in this not-quite-sequel to the 1990s classic live-action hybrid film. We’re especially looking forward to prolific voice actor Eric Bauza’s performance as Bugs Bunny, among other Looney favorites! 

17) The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (Nickelodeon/Paramount)

After teasing us with seemingly infinite ads for this film, we’ve been waiting some time for the newest SpongeBob feature film in the United States, which arrives on CBS All-Access and video-on-demand services in February. The story of SpongeBob and Patrick’s journey to save the snail-napped Gary has already premiered in Canadian theaters and in other countries on Netflix.

18) Tom and Jerry (Warner Bros/WAG)

The live-action/CG hybrid film bring Tom and Jerry to the big screen and HBO Max this February. When Jerry accidentally crashes “the wedding of the century,” Tom is hired to get rid of the mouse, reigniting the famous rivalry and uncovering a secret plot in the process.

19) Vivo (Sony Animation)

Lin-Manuel Miranda delivers Sony’s first animated musical, about a capuchin monkey with big dreams, this June.

20) Wendell and Wild (Netflix)

“Nightmare Before Christmas’” own Henry Selick returns to stop-motion to direct Netflix’s adventure story of two demon brothers (Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele) who escape the Underworld.

21) Wish Dragon (Sony Animation)

An old teapot transforms college student Din’s meager life into something fantastic when he discovers Long, a Wish Dragon, inside. 

- Courtney

[thecrownnet]

TVLine’s annual advocacy period known as Dream Emmy season has arrived! As per tradition, we’re kicking things off with the Outstanding Drama Series race and this burning question: Are the Royals unbeatable?

Without question, Netflix’s The Crown — riding a wave of well-deserved acclaim for its Charles and Diana-themed fourth season �� is not only a shoo-in for a nomination but the odds-on favorite to take home the top drama prize (especially considering last year’s victor, HBO’s Succession, is not in the running this year). And, for our money, the sumptuous period drama should be among the seven series in contention.

Scroll through the list below to see which series are joining The Crown on our Dream Emmy short list (remember, these aren’t predictions; it’s a wish list) and then tell us if our picks warrant a “Hell, yes!,” “Um, no” or “How could you leave off so-and-so?!”

For the record, 2021 Emmy nominations will be voted on from June 17-28, and unveiled on July 13. The 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony is scheduled to air on Sunday, Sept. 19 on CBS.

THE BOYS

WHY IT DESERVES A NOD: Amazon Prime’s gritty superhero series truly came into its own in Season 2 as the storytelling took political and social commentary to the next level. With the introduction of a social media-savvy Nazi supe, the comic book tale evolved into an eerily prescient reflection on our own society — but with super abilities. At the same time, The Boys never lost its twisted sense of humor or gruff heart, even under the weight of its heavy themes, making for a smart, thrilling sophomore run.

BRIDGERTON

WHY IT DESERVES A NOD: Sexy and sumptuous, Shonda Rhimes’ first scripted Netflix series never failed to leave viewers as hungry for more of it as its tempestuous lovers were for more of each other. But what catapulted the period drama into the category of “incomparable” wasn’t merely that it was pretty and hot. Its writing was saber-sharp, its acting as thrilling as its central romance, and its racially integrated reimagining of Regency-era London as bold and brilliant as any of Queen Charlotte’s wigs.

THE CROWN

WHY IT DESERVES A NOD: Season 4 of Netflix’s addictive royal drama was actually its most consistently compelling season yet, thanks to a pair of towering performances. A nearly unrecognizable Gillian Anderson wowed us with her uncanny portrayal of embattled U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, revealing the wounded soul behind the Iron Lady. But the true standout was Emma Corrin’s heart-wrenching turn as Princess Diana, whose volatile courtship with Josh O’Connor’s Prince Charles gave The Crown a jagged dose of reality to cut through all the pomp and glamour.

FOR ALL MANKIND

WHY IT DESERVES A NOD: The Apple TV+ gem is a veritable jack of all trades — and a master of them all. Equal parts political thriller, sci-fi adventure, horror show, family drama and love story, the alternate universe astronaut series not only defied the dreaded sophomore slump gravitational pull in its second season, but it exceeded the incredibly high bar set by Season 1. Apologies for the ubiquitous pun, but the show is out of this world.

INDUSTRY

WHY IT DESERVES A NOD: The debut season of HBO’s workplace drama hooked us with its delicious blend of high-stakes financial crises and soapy indulgences. The young, diverse cast was a breath of fresh air as a group of graduates wheeling and dealing in messy office politics and savage betrayals, all in hopes of securing their desks at an international investment bank. Seeing them navigate romance, drugs and unrelenting stress in such a taxing, toxic environment was one roller coaster of a watch — and we didn’t want to get off the ride.

THE MANDALORIAN

WHY IT DESERVES A NOD: Not one to rest on the laurels of the adorable meme that is The Child, Season 2 of Disney+’s flagship series served up indelible imagery (the skittering ice spiders still give us chills!), perfectly brought Ahsoka Tano and other animated canon to life, and to cap a thrilling finale, lifted the hood on one of the small screen’s best-kept secrets ever. This is the way… you follow up a freshman run.

SNOWFALL

WHY IT DESERVES A NOD: Snowfall‘s thoughtful writers, and the actors who bring their words to life, brought even higher stakes and authenticity to the FX drama in Season 4. From humanizing crack addiction to tracking how the accidental shooting death of a child rips apart not only the victim’s family but her shooter’s, Snowfall dug deep beneath the glamour of crack slinging to expose the relatable aspirations, hypocrisies and fears of the buyers, sellers, CIA suppliers and everyone in between.