Original series aren't enough

And cult Disney park character gets a movie

What to know

• Original series and movies aren’t gonna cut it… Who will win the streaming wars? The platforms that can differentiate with sports, games, audio, and news. That’s according to a new consumer survey and industry analyst breakdown. Subscribers will sign up for original shows and films, but might not stick around. Makes sense, right? When only Netflix was making originals, it was a big deal. Now with every streamer making original content, those shows and movies aren’t as special as they once were — and you can find pretty much the same kinds of shows on each platform. Deadline’s source argues that companies will need to offer mixed media bundles and more incentives (like live sports) to keep consumers on board. This is why Netflix is exploring gaming and Amazon has Thursday Night Football. The trend is good news for Apple and Amazon, less so for pure content providers like Disney, Paramount, and WBD. 😮

• Trevor Noah is leaving The Daily Show, program will continue on Comedy Central… Noah had the impossible job of following Jon Stewart—not to mention navigating the Trump years and the pandemic—and he did it well. Late night hosting gigs used to be jobs you’d never quit, but more and more hosts these days are opting to move on. The only criticism I have for Noah is he reportedly didn’t give anyone the heads up that he’d be leaving before announcing it on air to the world. That just seems kind of rude. I’d love to see the next Daily Show host do even more reinventing with the long-running news satire. 📺

• Seth Rogen reportedly producing a movie about Epcot mascot Figment… It’s about time Disney did something with Figment. The Imagination! dragon has been a cult favorite of theme park guests for decades, and yet the Mouse has sat on this potential IP. The guys who wrote Detective Pikachu will be penning the script — and if anyone can bring cuddly cute monsters into the real world, it’s them. Speaking of which, why isn’t Legendary making a Detective Pikachu sequel? I would like a Detective Pikachu sequel, please. 🐲

• Danny Boyle to direct The Matrix dance show in the UK… "Combining the hip-hop choreography of hundreds of dancers with the latest immersive design, Free Your Mind will take audiences on a thrilling journey through 'The Matrix' and into a new realm of possibilities." That sounds amazing. 🕺

• Variety: “Danielle Deadwyler gives an Oscar-worthy performance in Till, but will enough voters watch the film?”… Hopefully they will now after you wrote a headline like this! Danielle Deadwyler is the best. 🏆

• Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Bad Cinderella headed to Broadway… That’s a gutsy title if ever I’ve seen one and definitely won’t come back to bite him in the reviews. 👠

• HBO says too-dark House of the Dragon scenes were intentionally too dark… We didn’t want you to be able to see our show, says network. 🐉

• Community getting reunion movie on Peacock, fulfilling show’s prophecy… It turns out you can secret six seasons and a movie into existence. 📚

• Michael Waldron to write Marvel’s Avengers: Secret Wars… Love someone as much as Marvel loves Michael Waldron. 🤫

• Jonathan Majors to play Dennis Rodman in 48 Hours in Vegas film… I believe it. Jonathan Majors can do anything. 🏀

• You have to read BoJack creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg’s Top 100 TV Shows list… You will not be disappointed. 😂

• Filmmaker Sujata Day is rebooting American Pie… She’s got “a fresh take” and maybe a fresh bake? 🥧

• Marvel’s Armor Wars is a movie now… You love to see it. 👏

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What’s new

• Amsterdam — Oct 7 | Crime comedy film in theaters | 🍅 27%

• Catherine Called Birdy — Oct 7 | Amazon comedy film | 🍅 86%

• Hellraiser — Oct 7 | Hulu horror film | 🍅 100%

• Werewolf by Night — Oct 7 | Disney+ Marvel special | 🍅 100%

• Luckiest Girl Alive — Oct 7 | Netflix crime drama film | 🍅

• The Midnight Club — Oct 7 | Netflix horror series | 🍅

• Let the Right One In — Oct 9 | Showtime horror series | 🍅

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What to watch

I’m a sucker for this new breed of personality-driven, socially conscious half-hour comedy. In the past I’ve compared them to the comedian-led sitcoms of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Comics used to get 4-camera network shows, now they get 8-episode streaming tone pieces. Perhaps this modern version of the Comedian Show is even a step up from the old days. When these shows are good, they give us a much fuller picture of a comedian’s voice and world view. They also tend to show us perspectives and cultural depictions we don’t often see in mainstream American media.

Such is the case with Netflix’s Mo, created by comedians Mo Amer and Ramy Youssef (Ramy, of course, has his own very good version of one of these) and starring Amer. As this genre is wont to do, the show is a semi-autobiographical journey through Amer’s life as a Palestinian American trying to get by in Houston. Chances are you’ve never seen a show about an undocumented Palestinian American, whose family had to flee to the United States, who lost his father at a young age, who has a Latina girlfriend, and a brother with an intellectual disability, and a sister who is estranged from his religious mother, and so on. Amer’s experiences are specific and revealing about the immigrant struggle in a particular place (Houston), but also relatable to anyone hoping to make it and be happy. The way the show dips in and out of Arabic, Spanish, and English is remarkable and remarkably authentic. Its twists are surprising and captivating.

Most of all though, Mo Amer himself is just a great hang. His charm and sense of humor that stole scenes in Ramy is on full display here and makes Mo an indelible watch. It’s good when the personality your personality-driven show is built upon has personality. I’m surprised this series ended up at Netflix, where its only real platform companion is Master of None. You usually find this genre on Hulu or HBO Max, either way I’m glad to have it.

For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!