Showbiz Sandbox 432: Peak TV Just Got Peakier

When John Landgraf, head of the FX network, proclaimed we had reached a state of “peak TV” back in 2015, he predicted the 422 television shows being produced at the time would inevitably decline since there was no way for audiences to keep up. Last year however, that number rose to 495 series being produced. To put this increase in perspective, there were 182 shows on the air in 2002.

It’s safe to assume these numbers are bound to rise with new entrants into the video streaming market launching in 2019 including Disney and WarnerMedia. What’s more, the annual amount of money being spent on all this content is astonishing with the likes of Netflix and Amazon each spending $8 billion and $5 billion respectively. And that’s nothing compared to the $22 billion Disney is shelling out.

Meanwhile, the awards season is underway with all sorts of groups weighing in on their favourites, including the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, the Golden Globes and the first awards that matter: the Screen Actors Guild. Spoiler alert: “Roma” just hit a roadblock.

Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the Grammy nominations, new entrants to the National Film Registry and Mariah Carey’s latest chart-topping hit is a quarter century-old Christmas song.

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The Game Awards Winners 2018: Full List
https://variety.com/2018/gaming/news/game-awards-2018-winners-list-1203083370/

2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards Winners: The Complete List
https://www.eonline.com/ap/news/995187/2018-mnet-asian-music-awards-winners-the-complete-list

Comscore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of December 16, 2018
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-december-16-2018-300767185.html

With $7 Billion at Global Box Office for 2018
https://variety.com/2018/film/news/disney-box-office-2018-1203085934/

‘Roma’ Named Best Picture by L.A. Film Critics Association
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/la-film-critics-association-voting-under-way-1167808

Golden Globes Nominations: ‘Vice’ Leads With 6, ‘Versace’ Tops TV With 4
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/2019-golden-globes-nominations-full-list-1165090/item/best-motion-picture-drama-116512

Critic’s Notebook: A Crucial Lesson From the Golden Globes for the Emmys
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/a-crucial-lesson-golden-globes-nominations-emmys-1167083

‘The Favourite,’ ‘Black Panther,’ ‘First Man’ Lead Critics’ Choice Movie Nominations
https://variety.com/2018/film/awards/2018-critics-choice-awards-film-nominees-list-1203085441/

Kevin Hart Refuses to Apologize, Despite Academy Ultimatum, for Past Anti-Gay Comments
https://variety.com/2018/film/awards/kevin-hart-says-the-film-academy-has-given-him-an-ultimatum-apologize-or-well-find-another-oscars-host-1203083698/

Why We Need to Forgive Kevin Hart
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/07/opinion/kevin-hart-oscars-tweets.html#click=https://t.co/JU4DMNYvJh

China Plans to Build 80,000 Movie Screens by 2020
http://chinafilminsider.com/headlines-from-china-caa-to-rep-peter-chans-we-pictures/

Landmark Theatres Chain Sold to Cohen Media Group
https://variety.com/2018/film/news/landmark-theatres-chain-cohen-media-group-1203079862/

CBS Report on Leslie Moonves’ Workplace Misconduct Leaked
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cbs-report-leslie-moonves-alleged-misconduct-leaked-1166490

EuropaCorp Is Shuttering Its In-House Distribution Business (EXCLUSIVE)
https://variety.com/2018/film/news/europacorp-luc-besson-shut-down-distribution-france-1203080713/

‘Shang-Chi’ Marvel’s First Asian Film Superhero Franchise; Dave Callaham Scripting, Search On For Director Of Asian Descent
https://deadline.com/2018/12/shang-chi-marvel-studios-first-asian-film-superhero-dave-callaham-kevin-feige-black-panther-1202512660/

Marvel Movie Pantheon to Welcome First Asian Hero
http://chinafilminsider.com/marvel-movie-pantheon-to-welcome-first-asian-hero/

MoviePass Announces New Pricing While Promising to Win Back Customers’ Trust
https://variety.com/2018/film/news/moviepass-new-pricing-plans-mitch-lowe-1203081461/

Woody Allen’s Secret Teen Lover Speaks: Sex, Power and a Conflicted Muse Who Inspired ‘Manhattan’
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/woody-allens-secret-teen-lover-manhattan-muse-speaks-1169782

CBS Paid Actress Eliza Dushku $9.5 Million Over Sexual Harassment Claim on ‘Bull’
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cbs-paid-actress-eliza-dushku-95-million-sexual-harassment-claim-bull-1169249

Grammys 2019 Nominees: The Complete List
https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/grammys/8489045/2019-grammy-nominees-full-list

Maroon 5 and How the Super Bowl Halftime Show Became Music’s Least Wanted Gig
https://variety.com/2018/music/news/maroon-5-super-bowl-halftime-show-1203089706/

Music Fans Are Increasingly Crossing Borders For Shows, Report Says
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/music-fans-concerts-travel-stubhub-762700/

The World’s Highest-Paid Musicians Of 2018
https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2018/12/04/the-worlds-highest-paid-musicians-of-2018-u2-coldplay-ed-sheeran/

Apple Music Reportedly Tops 56M Subscribers, up 6M in the Past Six Months
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/apple-music-tops-56m-subscribers-up-6m-in-the-past-six-months/

CAA Tries in Vain to Hush Up Star Agent’s $15 Million Arbitration Win
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/caa-tries-vain-hush-up-star-agents-15-million-arbitration-win-1168987

‘Jurassic Park,’ ‘The Shining,’ ‘Brokeback Mountain’ Enter National Film Registry
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/national-film-registry-jurassic-park-shining-brokeback-mountain-rebecca-hud-selected-by-library-cong-1168473

Chris Cuomo Nabs Viewers for CNN in Cable-News’ Toughest Time Period
https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/chris-cuomo-ratings-cnn-cable-news-1203080856/

Kathie Lee Gifford to Leave NBC’s ‘Today’
https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/kathie-lee-gifford-to-leave-nbcs-today-1203086628/

Hot 100 Chart Moves: Mariah Carey’s ‘Christmas’ Hits New High, Andy Williams Goes Top 20 and Gene Autry Debuts
https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8489920/mariah-carey-christmas-hits-new-high-hot-100-chart-moves

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Reveals 2019 Inductees
https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8489980/rock-roll-hall-fame-2019-induction

Disney/Fox, Comcast/Sky to spend US$43BN on content in 2018
https://www.rapidtvnews.com/2018121054440/disney-fox-comcast-sky-to-spend-us-43bn-on-content-in-2018.html

Katzenberg’s mobile TV service plans spending spree on content
https://www.rapidtvnews.com/2018121154452/katzenberg-s-mobile-tv-service-plans-spending-spree-on-content.html

Peak TV Update: Scripted Originals Hit Yet Another High in 2018
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/peak-tv-update-scripted-originals-hit-high-2018-1169047

NBC Tops Fall Ratings by a Shrinking Margin as New Fox Makes a Big Play
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cbs-nbc-lead-network-ratings-rankings-fall-2018-1169099

‘Friends’ Won’t Leave Netflix Until 2020
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/friends-leaving-netflix-a-rumor-ted-sarandos-says-1165762

Peak TV Hits Another Peak with 495 Original Scripted Shows; Streaming Services Produce More Than Broadcast and Basic Cable
https://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-peak-tv-fx-2018-report-20181213-story.html

‘Power’ Shuts Down Production After Crew Member Killed
https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/power-starz-crew-member-killed-1203085695/

Philip Bosco, Tony Winner and Actor in ‘Working Girl’ and ‘The Savages,’ Dies at 88
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/philip-bosco-dead-tony-winner-actor-working-girl-savages-was-88-1166360

Buzzcocks Leader Pete Shelley Dies at 63
https://variety.com/2018/music/news/pete-shelley-dead-dies-buzzcocks-1203083041/