New Disney Streaming Service: Disney+

[Daniel]

That's good at least. Gives Bill more leeway.

[Ben]

"We could get more streamers with a flop than with a hit!"…

[Bill1978]

That's good at least. Gives Bill more leeway.

Might still give it a watch this weekend, while its currently on my mind. Be my luck if I don't watch this weekend I'll forget and by the time I remember it will be from an announcement that it has already been removed haha

[Randall]

Carrying inventory on a streamer would make way more sense if residuals, music fees, etc. only got paid if someone actually watches the show. Like, the producer of the show gets paid a buck per view. Maybe that makes too much sense? I think that's what many not-in-the-know people assume, but obviously things are not structured that way, so it totally makes sense to dump content that isn't driving viewership.

[Ben]

What makes more sense is for a total buyout like the top tier talent get. Then no residuals, as I mentioned a few posts back. That’s how I thought it was for basically all production personnel, but it appears not. I can’t imagine how they would work out how to split royalties based on minutes watched, etc. it’s a headache!

As for dumping stuff that isn’t driving viewership, that’s a dangerous and very narrow-edged sword. For every million or so that watch the eye-candy Star Wars or Marvel stuff, you might have a few hundred people who actually sub to the platform exactly to see more nourishing things like Howard, or the documentaries. Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks. Just going for the cheap and easy ratings all the time is going to further homogenise content and make it all cookie cutter and the same.

[Daniel]

"Willow" writer is understandably upset:

They gave us six months. Not even. This business has become absolutely cruel.

Before you say tax-write off: these shows have already been released and so can't be a write-off. And in the case of Willow, they own the property outright. The only conclusion is that this is to get out of paying residuals. During a strike.

And look, eternal streaming libraries are not sustainable. We're all going to have to adjust to that at some point. But to spend [REDACTED] on a show and then disappear it six months later is just bad business.

[Ben]

Well, yes, unless they are going to actively shop it around, maybe like to ABC, which would have to pay a competitive license fee, or an international broadcaster like the BBC, and where residuals come back into play. I’m sure there are plenty of broadcasters in countries that don't have D+ and have regular non-subscriber audiences that would appreciate being able to see it.

Again, though, I don't get the residuals thing, because my understanding was that most streaming business was carried out on a buyout basis where a rough estimation of residuals would have been built into a fee, so you get more up front for not getting any backend.

I just don’t think this is the end for any of these disappearing properties. I think at the very least they’ll go into regular syndication packages. They won’t just "disappear".

[Daniel]

Bryan Cranston shares response to The One and Only Ivan being removed:

I heard the news that my film, The One And Only Ivan is being pulled from @disneyplus as early as next week. I was very proud of this sweet, family movie that was released after the COVID Lockdown began. And I urge you to gather your kids, or nieces & nephews, make some popcorn, and watch this engaging and delightful story that was based on real events! The real life guy that I play actually adopted a baby gorilla (Ivan) and raised him in a Washington state suburb. A crazy true story!! Thanks to Disney for giving us the opportunity to make this movie in the first place. I just know that it will make for really great family time - but you have to do it this weekend before it disappears forever. I promise, you’ll be glad you saw it. Have a great weekend… Bryan.

[Ben]

Sorry, Bryan, but Ivan depressed me and I thought it an evil, hurtful film about a weird situation in which the animals were clearly unhappy and, seeing between the lines, mistreated. Out of anything "disappearing" on D+ (no, no, nothing will be gone "forever"), I’m most pleased that this is going.

Here's what I previously wrote, after running it on a double bill with Howard:

After [Howard], it was still earlyish, so we decided to keep the bulb burning and run Ivan. Huh. Bee-zaarre!!! What a depressing film! So oppressive and claustrophobic. And those poor animals! To think that this actually happened, and that Ivan was in a cage for 27 years is just awful. Yeah, the point of the film is to kind of shine the light on that, but that message is totally at odds with the "fun and happy" way it’s depicted the animals live all that time. Typically Disney in its everything is rainbows approach, but everything was not rainbows here, and it was frustrating that the Cranston character, when he got "slightly annoyed" was clearly toned down from being a complete a-hole and probably beat them. And, of course, we get the "nice" assistant, who sees this but can’t do anything but look on sympathetically, and his kid daughter, who feels shoehorned in so as to give the kids an access to the story (why is she giving these animals crayons anyway? Wouldn’t they try and eat them and get sick?), and the ending is too ambiguous — sure, Ivan is finally given a better life, but the grainy VHS archive of the real gorilla at the end made me wonder why we weren’t seeing current footage: a quick look up shows he died in the zoo quite a while back, but this goes totally unmentioned. It’s a sad, inappropriately handled story that is dressed up as a heartwarming family film, which makes it something as fake and false as the CGI animals. Actually, the more I think about this film, I find I hate it, and it’s quite a nasty thing. I have no knowledge of the events or the book it is based on, but going by this movie alone, the poor gorilla had a crap life, was treated appallingly, and is now being used to sell a completely fabricated version of "happy times in captivity" without it being truthful, real or even open about Ivan himself at the end. I actually feel quite sick after watching this.

So there you go. Feel free to "Insta" that back to Mr Cranston. He needs to know this was most certainly not a "sweet, delightful, family film".

[Daniel]

Here's what's new this week:

:
Wild Life
A Small Light – Episode 7 & 8
Kiff - New Episodes
Intertwined - Season 2
American Born Chinese
Chip ‘n’ Dale: Park Life – Episodes 1-6 (Season 2)

:
Criminal Minds: Evolution – New Episode
NCIS – New Episode
The Resident – New Episode (Season 6)
Bob's Burgers - New Episode - (Season 13)
The Great North - New Episode (Season 3)
True Lies
Will Trent - New Episode
The Clearing – 2 Episodes

:
The Simpsons – New Episode (Season 34)
Bob's Burgers - New Episode (Season 13)
Great Expectations - New Episodes
Class of ’09 – New Episode
Secrets of The Elephants

:
How I Met Your Father – New Episode (Season 2)
Alaska Daily – New Episode
Abbott Elementary - New Episode (Season 2)
Will Trent - New Episode
Not Dead Yet – New Episode
America’s Funniest Home Videos: Seasons 20–22
Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur – New Episodes
Kiff - New Episodes
Wild Life
Mafia Confidential

I want to check out "American Born Chinese":



Looks real good. Love the Pikachu onesie!

[Ben]

I’m sure it will get a good viewership boost thanks to Michelle Yeoh's win!

[Daniel]

The purge sure is taking its sweet time... any minute now.

[Daniel]

Finally happened. One title removed that wasn't on the list is "Beyond Infinity: Buzz and the Journey to Lightyear". Shame, I thought it was better than the film itself.

[Ben]

Oh, pooh. I wanted to get around to that.

Wow, that *must* have done badly for them…!

[gaastra]

Marvels runaways yanked. So they are yanking more shows than they said!