Transcript: The Murky Definition of a Hit Show
As streamers remove series and unions fight over residuals, agreeing on metrics is near impossible
Sean McNulty (00:05):
Hey everybody. Welcome to The Ankler podcast. This is Sean McNulty from The Wakeup newsletter here at The Ankler on Thursday, June 29th here on the Jersey Shore. Joining me today from Los Angeles, Mr. Richard Rushfield.Richard, I'm sorry, you lost out on the Wheel of Fortune hosting gig. I know you had your heart set on it, but making the top three is nothing to scoff at, Richard, so congratulations.
Richard Rushfield (00:26):
Well, they're going to see better of this. We've seen how some of these hosting choices can go wrong and they can-
Sean McNulty (00:32):
This is true.
Richard Rushfield (00:32):
... go back to the well.
Sean McNulty (00:34):
And of course, Elaine Low, who is now part of the linear TV scheduling team at Turner Classic Movies. Elaine, do I have that right or...
Elaine Low (00:41):
Yes. Congratulations to me.
Sean McNulty (00:42):
... do they need seven people to do that job? They needed one more, was that it?
Elaine Low (00:46):
Yeah, yeah. That's what happened, that's exactly how it happened, Sean.
Sean McNulty (00:50):
Six people chiming in on the linear TV schedule for a cable network, which on a monthly basis, which they were not doing. Just what you thought CNN was kind of done, it's like, "Oh, that's the end of the cable troubles. We're past that."
Richard Rushfield (01:02):
Time for a big TBS controversy.
Sean McNulty (01:04):
Yeah, yeah. Who's up next in the [inaudible 00:01:08].
Elaine Low (01:08):
TBS is overdue for drama.
Sean McNulty (01:11):
But first of course you can follow The Ankler on all social platforms at The Ankler, and subscribe to The Ankler at theankler.com to get the full suite of newsletters and podcasts. And of course, sign up for The Ankler's Strikegeist newsletter, totally free, covering all news from the WGA picket lines, the latest with SAG-AFTRA. Who needs a July 4th vacation, Elaine, right?
Elaine Low (01:31):
Well, it looks like I might get one after all since the deadline report came out yesterday that says that it looks like those talks might be extended from a June 30th expiration to July 7th, is what people are surmising now. So we'll see what-
Sean McNulty (01:46):
Which we talked about last week. We're like, "Yeah, this doesn't make a lot of sense to go on strike on July 1st, right?"
Elaine Low (01:51):
Right. I mean, that's a Saturday and then the first weekday after that is July 3rd, the day before the July 4th holiday. So it makes more sense for them to keep talking through July 7th if they can anyway, both to have that extra time and because any kind of labor action that comes after would be presumably more effective on the eighth or the 10th.
Sean McNulty (02:08):
Plus the Tom Cruise New York premieres on Monday the 10th, so there you go, New York City. But anyway, so were you out on the lines this week? What's kind of the latest in the front lines of the WGA strike this week for you, Elaine?
Elaine Low (02:21):
I wasn't out on the lines this week, although I've been talking to folks and the reports are that folks are trickling out of town, I think, on every side here. So it's been a little bit quieter, understandably. But all eyes are really on the SAG-AFTRA talks right now to see whether we're going to have a double strike with the WGA or whether they'll be able to come to their own deal. And then that puts the focus back on the AMPTP to get back to talks with the WGA.
Sean McNulty (02:48):
Right. And there's a letter that came out this week of note, I guess we should probably mention.
Elaine Low (02:53):
Yeah. So I think the petition has over a thousand signatures now. It's a letter to SAG-AFTRA a leadership saying that they're essentially prepared to strike and that they're still on board. So it just basically echoes the strike authorization vote that already went through and the actors are very willing to go on strike, which I think is a different tone than a lot of the directors colloquially were expressing up ahead of the DGA deal.