Cordkillers 593: Exposition Impossible
Netflix insists it is not turning scripts into dialogue-heavy plot recaps, even as its executives try to laugh off a criticism that keeps sounding familiar. Meanwhile, trailers, renewals, cancellations, box office wins, and streaming platform maneuvers keep the release calendar very busy.
Supply Run
Netflix executives pushed back on the idea that the streamer tells creators to over-explain plots for distracted viewers, denying a criticism recently amplified by Conan O’Brien’s Oscars bit and comments from Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.
Search Party
A new trailer dropped for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which swings into theaters on July 31.
Dune: Part 3 got a trailer and is set to arrive in theaters on December 18, 2026.
The live-action Moana is heading to theaters on July 10.
Hacks returns for its fifth season on Thursday, and HBO Max says it will also be the final season, ending with a series finale on May 28.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will end after season two, even though the show still does not have a premiere date.
For All Mankind returns March 27 for season five, has already been renewed for a sixth and final season, and spinoff Star City debuts May 29.
Stranger Things: The Complete Series is getting a Blu-ray and 4K UHD release, with pre-orders open now and deluxe extras piled high for collectors.
Disney set release dates for Lilo & Stitch 2 on May 26, 2028 and Pixar’s Incredibles 3 on June 16, 2028.
SNL UK episodes will land on Peacock in the U.S. on Sunday nights at 9 PM.
Netflix’s Lord of the Flies series premieres May 4.
Netflix’s revival of Star Search missed the top 10 and now looks unlikely to get a second season.
Jumanji 3 moved from December 11 to Christmas Day, landing one week after both Avengers: Doomsday and Dune 3.
Tubi announced two Gen Z-focused scripted originals and an Apple partnership for Formula 1 altcasts featuring creator-driven commentary.
Buried Treasure
Brian checked out Logan and Wonder Man with Penny.
Tom highlighted BTS’ Netflix special The Comeback Live, which drew 18.4 million viewers and became Netflix’s biggest non-sports live event.
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Scanning the Horizon
Project Hail Mary opened to $80.5 million, making it the biggest debut of the year and Amazon MGM’s biggest opening ever.
Google has started rolling out three Gemini features on Google TV in the U.S., including richer visual answers, deep-dive topic explainers, and sports briefs.
Roku’s $3-per-month Howdy service is now available as an add-on through Prime Video Channels.
Samsung TV Plus will become the first non-Amazon partner to use Amazon’s interactive shopping tech in streaming starting in July.
Deadline says Netflix appears to be shifting back toward full-season drops while also trying to shorten the gaps between seasons by ordering shows earlier.
The FCC approved the Nexstar-Tegna merger, creating a huge local TV station owner, though lawsuits are already trying to stop it.
EchoStar says it has restructured Dish debt in a way that should satisfy bondholders after its failed DirecTV merger attempt.
Chatter
Scott from Houston noticed Amazon Prime early screenings may be getting looser with ticket authentication, since Project Hail Mary showed up in Cinemark without the Prime-account-linking step he needed for Superman and Wicked: For Good.
Sean Finnerty shared a Long Island Catholic school story where a teacher fishing for “Pulaski” accidentally got “General Triboro” instead.
Michael Gallegos remembered early Hulu as a one-stop TV destination and said today’s closest equivalent for him is YouTube TV, while Peacock only sticks around because the price is low.
Ralph from Jersey pointed out that streaming is still cheaper than cable for him, but only if you treat internet as a household utility rather than part of the entertainment bill.
Carissa asked for a discussion about how free tickets affect box office totals, especially now that Project Hail Mary has people watching grosses more closely.
Sean Williams compared the audience response to Mr. Show with early Red Dwarf, arguing that some comedy just needs time for viewers to learn how to watch it.