Cordkillers 434 - The Hunt for Comedy (w/ Willie Scott)
We get an inkling on what WB-Discovery will rename HBO MAX. Plus, Netflix is expanding at-home focus testing, a Last of Us trailer, and Disney finishes the buy-out of BAMTech. All that and more on Cordkillers! With special guest Willie Scott ( https://cinemavention.com ).
This week on It's Spoilerin' Time: The White Lotus (206), Rick and Morty (609), Twenty-Five Twenty-One (105)
Next week: The White Lotus (207), Rick and Morty (610), Twenty-Five Twenty-One (106)
Download video http://archive.org/download/cordkillers-ep-434/CordkillersEp434.mp4
Download audio http://archive.org/download/cordkillers-ep-434/CordkillersEp434.mp3
CordKillers: 434 - The Hunt for Comedy
Recorded: December 5 2022
Guest: Willie Scott
Intro Video
You People
Primary Target
‘Max’ Could Be the Name of Merged HBO Max/Discovery+ Service
Warner Bros. Discovery closes in on ‘Max’ as the name of its combined HBO Max-Discovery+ streaming service
- CNBC's sources say Warner Brothers Discovery's lawyers are vetting "Max" as the name of the new combined HBO Max/Discovery+ service set to launch in the spring. Granted lots of things could cause the company to decide to pick a new name.
- The sources also said Warner brands would have individual hubs insider the new service, similar to what Disney+ does. So HBO, Discovery, DC and Warner Brothers would each have a hub. HBO Max does have sections (like Adult Swim, TCM, DC, and Looney Toons) but they're not as prominent.
- That doesn't mean HBO goes away. Last summer president and CEO of global streaming for Warner said “HBO will always be the beacon and the ultimate brand that stands for television quality.” Perette also indicated int he Q3 earnings call that the company felt it had room to raise the price of the combined service.
- Warner also plans to launch a FAST service sometime next year as well.
How to Watch
Netflix to Let Tens of Thousands of Subscribers Give Early Feedback on Content
- You may have heard this story but in 2021, Netflix released the movie "Don't Look Up" to a few thousand US subscribers to watch early. They told Netflix they thought it came across as too serious. So they re-edited to play up the comedic elements and it got an Oscar nomination and set the record for most weekly viewing hours of a film on Netflix.
- Netflix is planning to expand the folks in that group who get to preview content and give feedback. Starting early next year tens of thousands of Netflix users around the world will be invited to the Netflix preview club.
- This is the latest iteration of a practice that stretches back into the 1920s. Pick some people outside the industry to watch a film and give their feedback so you an adjust and make it more successful. It's the famous "test audiences" you may hear about that didn't like an ending causing it to be reshot or recut.
- Is this an exciting new phase of this kind of practice or just more of the same under a new name?
Netflix CEO says he was slow to allow advertising because he was focused on Google and Facebook
- Netflix Co-CEO Reed Hastings told the New York Times’ Dealbook conference that he regrets being against an ad-supported version of Netflix. He said “I didn’t believe in the ad-supported tactic for us. I was wrong about that. Hulu proved you could do that at scale and offer customers lower prices. We did switch on that. I wish we had flipped a few years earlier on that, but we’ll catch up.”
- Basically Hastings said that because he was on Facebook's board he felt like Google and Facebook would always get higher CPMs. But he said, “What I failed to understand is that there is a lot of TV advertising that now couldn’t find the viewers because the 18- to 49-[year old] segment had moved on and were not watching linear TV.” In other words it was revenue Netflix wouldn't have to fight Google and Facebook for.
What to Watch
The Last of Us released an official trailer for the HBO series coming January 15th.
The Co-CEO of DC Film's new Marvel movie, Guardians of the Galaxy 3, has a trailer out. The movie comes out May 5th.
The first trailer for The Boys spinoff Gen V looks as gory as the original show
- There's also a trailer for the spin-off from the Boys called Gen V. The story takes place at Vought International’s Godolkin University. It comes to Amazon prime Video sometime next year.
‘That 90s Show’ Sets Netflix Premiere Date, Producers Break Down the Creation of ‘That ’70s Show’ Sequel
- There's a trailer for That 90s Show, a reboot of That 70 s show with creators Bonnie and Terry Turner on board. It brings back Red [Kurtwood Smith] and Kitty’s [Debra Jo Rupp] and some new characters, premiering on Netflix January 19th. Each season will take place during the summer when the grandkids are visiting their grandparents. Cast members Grace, Prepon (who directed several episodes of “That ‘90s Show”), Wilmer Valderrama, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis all make guest appearances. Danny Masterson will not.
Let’s-a-go again with a new ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ trailer
- A new trailer for Super Mario Brothers the movie shows us our first looks at Princess Peach (Ana Taylor-Joy) and Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen). You also get Chris Pratt saying a “let’s-a-go” and a “wahoo!” “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is slated to premiere in theaters on April 7,
Eyes On:
Willie: Saw
Brian: Take Your Pills: Xanax, 1899
Tom: Reborn Rich
On the Lookout: 1899
Front Lines
Peacock At 18M Paid Subscribers, Up From 15M In Sept.; Jeff Shell Says Universal Now Rivals Disney Animation, Sees “Big Check” Coming For Hulu Stake
- NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell said Peacock now has 18 million paid subscribers, up from the 15 million it announced at the end of Q3. He also said Universal's animation rivals Disney's now and that he expects "a big check" in 2024 from Disney for Comcast's remaining 33% share of Hulu.
Disney Buys Out MLB’s Remaining 15% Stake in BAMTech Streaming Division for $900 Million
- Disney has purchased Major League Baseball's 15% stake in BAMTech media making the streaming tech provider a 100% Disney-owned property. In Disney’s 10-K filing Tuesday with the SEC, the company said “we anticipate that within the coming months Mr. Iger will initiate organizational and operating changes within the company to address the board’s goals.”
Warner Bros. Discovery and Amazon are teaming up to produce new animated DC projects
- Warner Brothers Discovery will partner with Amazon to make new animated projects based on DC comics. There were no details on how that would work in practice. Plus Warner also said there is a "lot of interest and passion" around more scripted Harry Potter content. Warner Bros. Television Studios chairwoman Channing Dungey "we’re just to figure out what the right next step is.”
U.S Cable TV Companies Quietly Bled Another 785,000 Paying Customers Last Quarter
- Data from Leichtman research shows the top US pay TV companies (Comcast, Charter, etc.) lost 981,674 subscribers in Q3. Telco and satellite providers like DirecTV and Verizon FIOS lost 701,000 subscribers int he quarter. Internet multichannel services Hulu, sling and Fubo added 898,265 subscribers. Not all of those services report public numbers, so it's just those three.
Scarlett Johansson will star in and executive produce an Amazon TV series based on John Katzenbach's novel "Just Cause."
‘Shrinking’: Apple TV Drops Trailer, Announces Premiere Date For Series Starring Harrison Ford & Jason Segel
- Apple TV+ released a teaser of a 10-episode comedy called Shrinking from Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein of Ted Lasso fame, along with Jason Segel, who will also star in it alongside Harrison Ford. It's about a therapist who starts telling patients what he really thinks. Coming January 27th.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Netflix Docuseries Gets Release Date Ahead of Christmas, New Trailer
- Netflix released a trailer for the documentary series "Harry & Meghan" about Prince Harry and Meghan MArkle, produced by prince Harry and Meghan Markle. No release date was announced.
Netflix released a full trailer for season 3 of Emily in Paris, returning December 21st.
Disney+ announced a documentary on Korea's BTS KPOP group will premiere in 2023.
‘Mandalorian’ Season 3 Sets March Premiere Date at Disney+
- Disney announced the third season of the Mandalorian will come to Disney+ on March 1st. The story will take place after the events of the Book of Boba Fett.
Dispatches from the Front
Just wanted to say, if you haven’t watched Wednesday on Netflix, I highly recommend it. A fantastic series. Truly unexpected.
Really hoping they do another season.
Love the show.
Your boss (but really your #1 fan)
- Kevin
Hi Tom, Brian and Bryce,
I was just nosing around in my Patreon account and to my great surprise, it said I'm not supporting Cordkillers. My billing history says that I supported you in September 2022 but Cordkillers is not listed in my monthly bill since then. I'm supporting other creators, so the problem is not that my payment method needs to be updated.
So I tried to support it again and it gave me an error message. I tried it twice. It said "Something went wrong" (along with a cute illustration of a fox looking somewhat dismayed) and beneath that, "Your Pledge has already been processed." I'm attaching a screen shot. To take the screen shot, I tried to support you again so now I've tried 3 times (each time getting the same error) and still I don't see Cordkillers listed in my membership list.
I noticed recently you mentioned you only have seven hundred some odd subscribers, not the almost 1000 you seem to have had before. I wonder if other people are having the same trouble with Patreon.
Your wanna-be boss,
- Beelissa
Hey Tom and Brian, i've been with you since Day 1 when you started doing Frame Rate.
Cordkillers leads off my Tuesday mornings along with an egg and everything bagel. Just resupplied so life is good. Heavy check mark
Looking forward to 2023 and more Cordkillers.
-G
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