Are the 1940s coming back to TV?
And Marvel lines up an Avengers director
What to know
Madison Avenue may make new push to create streaming shows… A little TV history for you: In television’s first golden age (1940s-50s), programming blocks were sponsored and branded by corporations. Shows like Kraft Television Theatre and Westinghouse Studio One dominated the airwaves and brought high art into people’s homes. Then came commercials and eventually subscription services (cable, HBO, Netflix). Now it seems, as ad views dry up, the industry might come full circle back to programs backed by an advertiser — and what’s really interesting is that according to the survey in the article, audiences won’t really care. 📺
Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton to helm Marvel’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty… Cretton did a great job with Shang-Chi so this is good news. Of note is that Cretton appears to only be directing Kang Dynasty and not the follow up film Secret Wars. The Russo brothers famously shot Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame back-to-back. It seemed from the Comic-Con stage that Kevin Feige was billing the 2025 Avengers movies as two halves of a whole, but different directors and productions indicate otherwise? I guess if the writers are the same, they’ll feel of a piece. 🎬
Kate Winslet lines up her next next HBO miniseries… May you find love as strong as the bond between HBO and Kate Winslet. The actor and the network are currently developing a miniseries based on Hernan Diaz’s novel Trust, but today we learned she’s also going to star in a political miniseries at the Home Box Office called The Palace. The show is created by Succession duo Will Tracy and Frank Rich and covers one year inside an authoritarian regime as it unravels. She’ll never let go. ❤️
Eragon TV series in development at Disney+… What was I just saying about Disney gobbling up IP? The Eragon rights came over with Fox (who made the failed 2006 feature) and if ever there was a time to get into high fantasy, now is it. This also follows the Percy Jackson playbook at Disney+: If at first the movie did not succeed, try it as a series on TV. 🐲
Netflix developing Gray Man sequel and spinoff series… Did people watch The Gray Man? Did they like it? Netflix must have data that says yes — but I can’t find evidence otherwise. 🤔
Minions: Rise of Gru becomes first pandemic-era animated film to pass $300M domestic… Thanks teens in suits! 🍌
David Harbour, Pedro Pascal team for HBO miniseries My Dentist’s Murder Trial… What a team up! What a title! 🦷
A 2014 tweet might have revealed Jordan Peele’s inspiration for Nope… It came to him in a dream, no seriously. 🐒
What’s new
Light & Magic — July 27 | Disney+ docu series | 🍅 100%
Harley Quinn s3 — July 28 | HBO Max adult animated series | 🍅 100%
The Resort — July 28 | Peacock drama series | 🍅
Paper Girls — July 29 | Amazon Prime sci-fi series | 🍅
What to watch
It’s summer, let loose and enjoy life. Despite the obnoxious name, 101 Places to Party Before You Die, now airing on TruTV, is the perfect summer snack. Comedic actors and real friends Adam Pally (Happy Endings) and Jon Gabrus (Comedy Bang Bang) headline this breezy, fun-loving travelogue that’s more concerned with good wings, crisp beers, and tasty ice cream than the top Michelin-star restaurant. Or as Gabrus recently described the show, “Anthony Bourdain with a happier ending.” (If that joke is too much for you, maybe steer clear?) Fans of Somebody Feed Phil or the works of Guy Fieri will be right at home with 101 Places. The differentiator here is that Pally and Gabrus have serious improv comedy chops, so the humor is wittier and more absurd. They’re a blast to spend a half hour with, the funny friends you wish you had. All in all, it’s a super fun hangout show that will make you laugh and give you a bit of wanderlust. It’s not high-minded, but it’s not a bad way to spend a half hour on a Thursday night either.
For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!