2018: The year in television - II

In this concluding part of the article, we take a look at some images that confirm the return of critically acclaimed shows and what else made news in 2018.2018 was, in some ways, about battles between streaming giants and studios as well as acquisitions, all in the name of finding new ways to retain the audience or convert them from one service to another. Changing times have forced every major TV stakeholder to up its ante. But, in terms of subjects and story-lines that took centerstage, politics remained a strong subject across multiple shows as the Trump Presidency continues. The exit of senior executives from various networks/streaming services; either because they were poached or offered better deals or because of sexual misconduct in the post-Harvey Weinstein era was another major headline. Instep gives you the lowdown... Our story begins with some good news though. Sandra Oh-starrer Killing Eve, a BBC America limited series, despite being crowned the series of the year by several critics, was always a maybe when it came to its return. Will it return or won’t it? But as new images from season two have been released, it looks like the Sandra Oh-Jodie Comer cat and mouse game of the strangest, most intriguing kind will go on for at least another season. Wrapping up its shooting across Europe, it is slated to premiere in spring 2019. In the age of Trump, several shows took politics as its storyline with everything else taking a backseat. TV shows like One Day at a Time, Jane the Virgin, The Good Place, Madam Secretary and Globo tackled subjects that were making news in America. Even Grey’s Anatomy did so, in its own subtle, nuanced manner. The cake, however, belongs to The Good Fight. While some may have found it over-the-top, the second season of the show, a spin-off of the series The Good Wife was excellent in its depiction of living in the Trump era. Noted Variety: “It has been undeniably fascinating (and relatable) to watch Diane [Lockhart] dig into her confused rage as she grapples with a world she doesn’t recognize, a world she thought she knew and can’t understand. She isn’t exactly a universally relatable character, having wealth and status many never will. But in those moments of gaping at the news and wondering what the hell is happening and if there’s anything she can do to fix it, The Good Fight nonetheless finds a way to make her a definitive avatar of a time that otherwise refuses to be defined.” As for executives, Harvey Weinstein is the name people remember but others have been removed from their powerful positions based on nonconsensual sexual misconduct and/or harassment. Among them were former CBS Corp CEO Leslie Moonves; President and CEO of A+E Nancy Dubuc – with the former forced out for non-consensual sexual misconduct and the latter having stepped down as her company became embroiled in sexual misconduct allegations. Others moved as things changed within industry ranks. For example, Ben Sherwood, Co-Chairman and Co-President of the Disney Media Networks will be replaced by Fox’s Peter Rise as the Fox merger is done. There are several other such moves in the making. Another major development, of course, is the news that Lord of the Rings will be heading to television as a deal between Amazon and JRR Tolkien estate worth 250 million dollars has been finalized. Multiple reports suggest multiple versions as to the involvement of Peter Jackson, the man behind the Lord of the Rings film franchise. The series is said to cost more than a billion dollars and talks between executives from Amazon and the New Zealand government are currently taking place since. Though the plot remains unknown, one story suggested that the series could focus on the early life of Aragorn, originally essayed by Viggo Mortenson in Peter Jackson’s multiple Academy Award winning franchise. It is possible that the series could be shot somewhere other than New Zealand. In 2018, Sean Penn (The First), Julia Roberts (Homecoming), Emma Stone (Maniac), Amy Adams (Sharp Objects) and Thandie Newton (Westworld) were some of the major Hollywood stars who starred in TV shows, with more on the cards in 2019. 

from The News International - Instep Today http://bit.ly/2BILx4C