General
How the Biden Presidency Will Really Impact Hollywood: 4 Key Areas to Watch
Eriq Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter
If all goes as planned, policy-making in the nation’s capital will become a sleepy affair as Joe Biden takes office as the 46th president of the United States. Whereas Donald Trump’s erratic and impulsive behavior made looking away nearly impossible these past four years, the new administration will require a higher degree of studiousness for those wishing to appreciate the changes.
Celebrities cheer as Biden and Harris sworn in: ‘Today is just the best day ever’
Nardine Saad and Christie D’Zurilla, Los Angeles Times
As President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took their oaths of office Wednesday, celebrities on Twitter cheered on the historic moment — particularly the ascension of a woman to one of the country’s highest offices — during a diverse inauguration ceremony.
The Next Stop for Departing Public Officials? Hollywood
Erich Schwartzel and Ellen Gamerman, The Wall Street Journal
When Beto O’Rourke dropped out of the Democratic primary, analysts speculated on the Texas politician’s future on the national stage. For help navigating it, Mr. O’Rourke turned to Creative Artists Agency, the Hollywood talent agency known for shaping the careers of Beyoncé and Brad Pitt.
Bob Dylan Sued Over Co-Writer’s Claim to Song Catalog Sale: What It Means
Chris Eggertsen and Colin Stutz, Billboard
The widow of songwriter and theatre director Jacques Levy, who co-wrote seven songs on Bob Dylan’s 1976 album Desire, filed a $7.25 million lawsuit over Dylan’s blockbuster sale of his song catalog to Universal Music Group in December, according to court records obtained by Billboard.
Lil Wayne’s Lawyer Denies Rumors That Rapper’s Trump Support Was a Tactic for Pardon
Rania Aniftos, Billboard
In the final hours of his presidency, Donald Trump issued a slew of last-minute pardons, including one for Lil Wayne.
Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Proposed FY 2022 Budget Includes Tax Credits to Recover and Restart Theatre Productions
Ryan McPhee, Playbill
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo released his proposed fiscal year 2022 budget, which would include up to $25 million in tax credits for New York City theatre productions and additional arts benefits across the state.
Film
When Some Critics Reject the Film That’s About Your Life
Nicole Sperling, The New York Times
Matthew Teague is a journalist who’s traveled to remote corners of the world for stories. He covered C.I.A. operatives in Pakistan, famine in Somalia, double agents in Northern Ireland.
Television
TV Captures the End of a Tumultuous Presidency
John Koblin and Michael M. Grynbaum, The New York Times
Hours before Joseph R. Biden Jr. took the presidential oath of office, President Trump offered one more made-for-TV moment.
President Biden’s inauguration according to Newsmax, home to TV’s most ardent Trump defenders
Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times
Since then-President Trump’s election defeat Nov. 3, the mantra for Newsmax opinion host Greg Kelly on his nightly program has been, “It’s not over.”
‘They Have Not Legitimately Won’: Pro-Trump Media Keeps the Disinformation Flowing
Jeremy W. Peters, The New York Times
Forgoing any appeals for healing or reflection, right-wing media organizations that spread former President Donald J. Trump’s distortions about the 2020 election continued on Wednesday to push conspiracy theories about large-scale fraud, with some predicting more political conflict in the months ahead.
Hollywood is redefining Peak TV—for better and for worse
KC Ifeanyi, Fast Company
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a paradox in Hollywood: audiences stuck at home have been streaming more content than ever, but fewer projects are going into production due to stringent and costly safety protocols.
NBCUniversal’s Mark Lazarus Defends Move to Centralize Content Efforts
Will Thorne, Variety
After a tumultuous year of layoffs and massive internal change, NBCUniversal’s chairman of television and streaming Mark Lazarus believes the company’s “more unified approach” is going to pay off both in the short and longer term.
The Biggest Challenge for Super Bowl 2021 Advertisers: Tone
Paul Hiebert, Adweek
Creating a Super Bowl commercial that 100 million people will both like and want to talk about with friends is difficult. Pulling it off amid high unemployment, intense political division and a pandemic that has taken the lives of 400,000 Americans?
Production of High-End European Drama Shows Ramped Up to Meet Rising Demand
Will Thorne, Variety
For a brief moment in mid-June, the producers of “Leonardo,” the upcoming big-budget series with Aidan Turner (“Poldark”) as the famed inventor, considered shooting the U.K. as renaissance Milan.
Technology and New Media
The fight to make Netflix and Hulu pay cable fees
Adi Robertson, The Verge
Streaming services are slowly turning into cable TV — complete with bundles, an ever-growing list of channels, and a reinvented TV guide. And a series of lawsuits could portend the return of something even worse: the hidden cable fee.
Why Major Networks Are Investing In Streaming Services— and Advertisers Should Follow
Natalie Bastian, Ad Age
Even before most Americans were confined to their homes due to the pandemic lockdown, 2020 was predicted by many industry watchers to be the turning point in the shift from linear TV to streaming—in terms of viewing habits, if not ad dollars.
Among Us developers explain why new features are taking a while
Jay Peters, The Verge
Among Us was one of the smash hits of 2020 — it reportedly had nearly half a billion players in November — and there are some exciting updates announced for the game, including a new airship map and an account system. In a blog posted yesterday, developer Innersloth discussed how it has adapted in response to the game’s enormous popularity and why new features are taking a while to be released.
When Reality TV Turns Trends Into Content
Alison Herman, The Ringer
It’s not uncommon for unscripted shows to ride the coattails of scripted success. Reality TV is cheaper to produce than investing in writers and sets for a full-fledged knockoff; besides, copyright claims are hard to make when the defendant’s “characters” are real people.
Game On: 70% of Snapchatters Use the App While Watching Sports
David Cohen, Adweek
The sports world is still adjusting to the affects of the pandemic, but Snapchat has managed to carve a niche for itself in the evolving new normal for fans.
Patreon Considers Public Listing as Soon as This Year
Ross Matican and Amir Efrati, The Information
Patreon, the online service that allows podcasters, musicians and other artists to receive direct financial support from fans, is considering a public listing as soon as this year, said a person with knowledge of discussions.
WarnerMedia Sets HBO Max Leadership for Europe and Middle East, Latin America
Jamie Lang, Variety
WarnerMedia has announced the leadership teams for HBO Max Latin America and HBO Max EMEA ahead of the streaming platform’s rollout across the territories, planned for later this year.
What Joe Biden’s ‘Complicated’ Ties to Big Tech Mean for Antitrust Crackdowns and Content Moderation
Sean Burch, The Wrap Pro
The incoming Biden administration’s relationship with Big Tech is complicated. The Democrat enters the White House with less outward (and frequent) hostility toward tech giants like Facebook and Amazon than President Trump, and Biden’s team, at least initially, appears to have a cozier relationship with Silicon Valley than his predecessor.
Opinions, Editorials, Perspectives and Research
Trump’s ‘reality TV presidency’ gets a new, more produced look with Biden TV
Brian Lowry, CNN
Much has been written about Donald Trump’s “TV presidency,” and how the former reality-TV star sought to produce his time in the White House.
‘High School Musical’ Turns 15: A Look Back at the Humble Origins of Disney Channel’s Billion-Dollar Franchise
Rebecca Rubin, Variety
In the early aughts, Kenny Ortega had directed a string of “Ally McBeal” and “Gilmore Girls” episodes, but what he really wanted to was return to making movies.
Into the Gaines-verse
Claire McNear, The Ringer
I would say it’s been awhile since any of us have heard from Chip and Joanna Gaines, but it absolutely has not. Maybe you’ve seen the omnipresent glossy magazines in checkout aisles, or the cookbooks (one of which was reportedly the second-best-selling book in all of 2018, after Michelle Obama’s Becoming), the children’s books, the, um, No Pains, No Gaines.
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