Josef Adalian Author Archive
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Josef Adalian joined Vulture as West Coast editor in 2010 and has been covering the television industry since 1992, including a decade at Variety. He also writes Buffering, a newsletter about the streaming wars.

  1. buffering
    Welcome to SpinCoNotes on the debundling of NBCUniversal.
  2. buffering
    What the SNL ‘Equal Time’ Drama Was Really AboutTrump’s man at the FCC tried to turn Kamala’s SNL moment into a scandal. Get ready for four more years of such nonsense.
  3. buffering
    Hollywood Faces a Reboot of the Trump ShowFrom merger prospects to the fortunes of cable news, here are the 5 key questions facing the industry under the next administration.
  4. streaming
    AGATHA ALL ALONG
    What Agatha All Along Has Been Telling Us About the Future of Marvel TVThe WandaVision spinoff heralds a(nother) new era in the Marvel/Disney+ experiment.
  5. breaking north pole news
    CBS Holiday Staple Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Is Flying Over to NBCHo, ho, whoa!
  6. chat room
    Happy's Place - Season 1
    Melissa Peterman Isn’t Ruling Out a Reba Reboot Just YetIn the meantime, she and McEntire are keeping busy with their sitcom reunion Happy’s Place: “The fans want that chemistry, and we do maintain that.â€
  7. buffering
    ‘I Wanted to Promise a Twist’: How CBS Got People to Watch a Matlock Reboot“We certainly would never set out to disparage what Matlock was,†says CBS’s head of marketing.
  8. the industry
    Why Is My Fave TV Show Taking So Long?Eighteen-month gaps between seasons are the new normal. Here’s why.
  9. the vulture transcript
    John Amos
    John Amos Was a ‘Disruptive Element’“I knew that millions of Black people were watching. I carried that responsibility seriously. Maybe too much so.â€
  10. buffering
    Are You Smarter Than an Amazon Streaming Executive?Prime Video is launching a slew of game shows using an old broadcasting trick: block scheduling.
  11. buffering
    What If You Didn’t Have to Choose Between Cable and Streaming?“Free HBO†isn’t really the full picture of WBD’s new Charter bundle.
  12. ratings
    The Limits of a Twice-Yearly Netflix Viewing ReportHere’s how the streamer could do better.
  13. buffering
    Jokes Amber Can Tell (on CNN)On Have I Got News for You, Amber Ruffin is playing to win — especially when the news “is utter chaos.â€
  14. buffering
    Hallmark Finally Joins the Streaming WarsThe cable titan’s new Hallmark+ service is coming. Will the subscribers follow?
  15. buffering
    Why Disney+ Has Succeeded While Other Netflix Rivals StruggleTo one analyst, Disney’s streaming future looked inevitable back in 2016. Here’s what he thinks now.
  16. hard pivot
    Why Disney Plussed ItselfCEO Bob Iger knew the streaming wars were coming. He just couldn’t fight them without taking a massive risk.
  17. arc de triomphe
    C’est Bon! The Paris Olympics Delivered Huge Ratings for NBC.And Peacock took home a gold medal, too.
  18. buffering
    Our Judges Will Now Review NBC’s Final ScoresPeacock’s highly rated Olympics coverage has proven comprehensive — but not always perfect.
  19. buffering
    ​​A Tale of Two KingdomsThis week’s quarterly earnings reports from Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery could not be more different.
  20. follow the leader
    It’s Tough to Hand Off the Mickey EarsThe Magic Kingdom’s most successful CEOs each delivered radical change—and left a leadership crisis behind. Can Bob Iger end his tenure differently?
  21. this! is! over!
    Pluto’s Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune Channels Have Quietly DisappearedWill another streamer snap up the 24/7 streams?
  22. buffering
    Inside the 1995 Media Merger That Changed Disney ForeverA longtime ABC exec who worked closely with Bob Iger remembers what happened when Michael Eisner arrived.
  23. buffering
    Dial Acorn for (Cozy) MurderHow one streamer made a name for itself by delivering a very specific (and often British) kind of television.
  24. buffering
    It’s Tubi’s TimeHow the weird, free streamer won the internet’s heart.
  25. buffering x gold rush
    The Emmys in the Age of Gourmet CheeseburgersWhat will the awards show look like as the streaming era matures?
  26. buffering
    Notes on L’Affaire ParamountWith Skydance out, what happens now?
  27. buffering
    It’s the End of Paramount+ As We’ve Known It (and That’s Fine)Why Paramount’s new streaming strategy makes a Peacock merger more likely.
  28. the industry
    The 2024 Streaming Power RankingsWe asked 29 critics, executives, agents, producers, and analysts who they think is winning the streaming wars — and who’s struggling to survive.
  29. buffering
    The 8 Biggest Takeaways From Netflix’s Latest Ratings DumpNo one watched your favorite prestige movie, but everyone ate up One Piece.
  30. game shows
    Bob Barker’s Back on Daytime TVIn case you needed a new reason to call out sick from work, 1980s The Price Is Right is headed back to the small screen.
  31. buffering
    What All the Big Streamers Are Telling AdvertisersEveryone wants ad money now. Here’s how they’re planning to get it at next week’s upfronts.
  32. buffering
    Netflix Has Finally Cracked the Talk-Show CodeThe streamer has figured something out with its John Mulaney experiment.
  33. streamliner
    Disney, Max, and Hulu Form a Streaming ThroupleA bundle is born.
  34. streamliner
    Your Housewives Streaming Habit Is About to Get More ExpensiveTwenty-four more dollars a year.
  35. buffering
    What’s Your Favorite Streaming Service’s Personality?Insights from a new national survey about streamers.
  36. buffering
    Can 400 Comedians Convince You to Keep Netflix?Talking to the streamer’s head of stand-up about live events, SNL, and Matt Rife.
  37. buffering
    What Show Airs Where? Inside the Hulu–ABC Programming Machine“For the Hulu customer, it’s a small difference between what’s a Hulu Original and an ABC show. They’re just watching shows.â€
  38. ratings
    Quiet on Set Was the Most-Watched Title on Streaming in Its Debut WeekIt’s a big (and rare) Nielsen win for Max.
  39. buffering
    Can TV Procedurals Save Streaming?Max and Netflix are making old-school hospital dramas from network veterans. Is this the next front in the streaming wars?
  40. buffering
    Why CBS (Yes, CBS) Thinks It Can Survive the Streaming WarsNetwork boss George Cheeks talks Tracker, Star Trek, an unexpected new soap — and life alongside Paramount+.
  41. ratings
    The Oscars Got a Barbenheimer Ratings BoostThe show had its highest numbers in four years, pulling in nearly 20 million viewers.
  42. buffering
    Why Aren’t There More Game Shows on Streaming?It’s the $64,000 question, but the answer might soon change.
  43. streamliner
    Why Tubi Is Updating Its Whole Look (and Sound)The free streamer is doubling down on being weird.
  44. buffering
    Do Nielsen Ratings Really Reflect What People Want From Streamers?How many people are actually streaming Suits and Young Sheldon?
  45. buffering
    Made in Spain: How the Country Became Key to Netflix’s International Strategy“I couldn’t remotely imagine we could be where we are,†says Money Heist creator Ãlex Pina.
  46. buffering
    How Much Will People Pay for Just Sports?A newly announced streaming bundle aims to find out.
  47. buffering
    The Truth Behind Max’s Cancellation Spree“You didn’t get many things that were broadening out from HBO. You got things that were adjacent to HBO.â€
  48. buffering
    The Week Netflix Put the Smackdown on Its RivalsCan you smell what Ted Sarandos is cooking?
  49. convince me
    Sex and the City Is Coming to Netflix. So What?A hallmark of HBO prestige headed to the Starbucks of streaming doesn’t herald the end-times — yet.
  50. awards szn
    The Emmys Aren’t Going AnywhereThe TV Academy’s annual ceremony has never been more culturally irrelevant. Industry insiders say it’s still worth it.
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