☀️ NETFLIX Gen X Blitz Continues With Charlize

Mornin! This is Sean McNulty (connect with me on LINKEDIN here if ya like or email me at seanmcnultynyc@gmail.com), and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on Wednesday, April 29, 2026.

Where everybody wants to be Irish! Yes, I know, I do make it look good.

According to the FT, nearly 19k Americans applied for Irish citizenship in 2025, a hike of 63% YoY. But it’s not just Americans — Ireland also had its highest number of applications from Brits as well in 2025. #Brexit.

Alas, you don’t get a free pint once you get your passport, or at least my request was denied when I got mine — then again, my attempt at using a brogue when asking may not have helped my cause.

AND: It’s good to see the Trump administration’s time focused on what matters most to Americans as gas prices hit their highest mark since the Ukraine invasion in 2022 — directing lackey FCC head Brendan Carr to essentially blatantly harass the DISNEY corporation.

As any even-handed government official would put it — “ABC and Disney are on the shit list,” according to Carr’s comments to Breaker this weekend. And I’m sure he meant because of the company’s longstanding, rarely, if ever mentioned DEI policies, naturally.
- FCC commissioner Anna Gomez called the move “unlawful” in a statement slamming the “egregious action.”
- Carr will at least get a break to perhaps take in some more YANKEES games in less than 2 months when Kimmel goes on his annual summer vacation, before entering what’s currently the final year of his ABC deal — arguably one of D’Amaro’s biggest looming decisions (should Kimmel want to continue after the midterm elections year).
So, let me get this straight — Carr has expressed an interest in preventing sports from further going to streaming from linear TV . . . while also seemingly showing an interest in revoking the local TV station licenses of certain TV broadcasters who air the biggest sports on linear TV. Yeah, that tracks. Pick a lane!
What’s that, NEXSTAR? No issues with your affiliates airing Kimmel this time out? Oh, right — yes, you must be very busy with your CA anti-trust merger case to worry about late-night TV programming. Understood.
FWIW: Kimmel pointed out last night that Trump made the exact same Melania-age-difference point/joke himself.
- Also, the world seems pretty tired, or at least not unusually interested at large by this either — Kimmel’s YT monologue views for Friday (the WHCD speech in question) and Monday rebuttal were about 4.5M, a bump from the 3-3.5M of other ones last week . . . but other monologues have gotten around 4.5M views this month, too.
AND: For the record — Trump is also working on “the gas thing” too, assembling oil & gas execs for a convo yesterday about ~~what the fuck to do now~~ options for how energy markets may react to certain strategy moves from here, and other topics, according to Axios.
- The latest plan is to stick with an extended Naval blockade of Hormuz, lest you thought your gas would get cheaper by Memorial Day weekend.
- A move which the CEO of SHELL said yesterday could very well result in oil & gas shortages extending into 2027.
- Although somewhat ironically — and in a potential Landman season 3 plot point #freeidea — Texas oil & gas folks have more natural gas on their hands right now than they know what to do with. Hopefully, Billy Bob can break that down for us in a classic Tommy Norris monologue next season.
Eh, either way I’m sure all of the above made for fun conversation fodder outside of streaming subs churn tactics for Bezos, Cook and David Ellison at the White House state dinner for Charles & Camilla last night, along with several FOX NEWS names, certain Supreme Court justices and . . . Rory McIlroy. 🤔
- Tim Cook, in particular, seemed super excited to apparently get the primo seat 👌 next to . . . Eric Trump, based on the NYT photo here (scroll down toward the bottom).

AH: Also probably having a good laugh these days — rivals to the CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil. The newscast is basically flat YoY in April and fell to its lowest audience week yet at 3.7M for the week of April 20, according to Status.

PLUS: Here are your latest snapshots of American consumer health, fast-food sector edition:

DOMINO’S revised its U.S. same-store sales growth estimates downward for the rest of 2026, citing American consumer sentiment hitting levels last seen at the height of Covid.
SUBWAY is launching its first-ever value menu this month, featuring 15 items under $5.

YAH: NETFLIX set 3 Chappelle shows at the Hollywood Bowl May 7-9 as part of the NETFLIX Is A Joke fest. The shows will also have music elements and special guests.

YUP: Add The Met to the list of organizations hit by Trump’s Iran War — the Saudis have pulled a pledge of up to $200M over the next 8 years for the NYC arts group, due to spending cutbacks initiated as the crisis in the Straits of Hormuz shows little hope for a de-escalation.

OH: AI companies — they’re just like us! OPENAI is now projecting that its new, cheaper $8–a-month ad tier will cause a big shift both in adding new subs and in $ 20-a-month folks downgrading, according to The Information. So, basically — good to know CHATGPT is an avid Wakeup reader.

WELL: Looks like META could be in for another fine from the EU that it can totally bring over in a briefcase of cash just sitting around at the office — the EU said META has failed to implement the necessary safeguards to keep children under the age of 13 off INSTA and FB.

But at least the U.S. government’s investigation into META’s alleged ability to see encrypted WHATSAPP messages was abruptly shut down . . . despite a finding from an agent investigating the matter saying, “There is no limit to the type of WhatsApp message that can be viewed by Meta.” Eh, I’m sure it was nothing — although sadly it seems Zuck was unavailable for the state dinner last night.

ALSO: The WGA West has made its final offer on a first contract to its striking staff.