"It’s a scenario that’s perfect for the gossip-fueled Bridgerton: Golda Rosheuvel, who plays Queen Charlotte on the Netflix series, was once told to keep her sexuality a secret. By a director who was also a lesbian." - Los Angeles Times
Happy International Workers Day to Grace and Frankie's service workers! "At restaurants, at the DMV, at big-box hardware stores, and inside delivery trucks, the end of Grace and Frankie surely means that service workers of La Jolla are breathing a sigh of relief." - Slate
"A true metaverse — one accessible by a single gateway, in which life persists even in a user's absence — doesn't yet exist. But its depiction on screen is becoming more frequent and all-encompassing." - CBC
Despite 20 years of often difficult relations, a clear recognition of the “frenemy” dynamic at play, and the reality of intensifying competition for attention, advertising, and consumers’ cash, many publishers still actively seek to collaborate with platform companies. - NiemanLab
Better and less expensive equipment, the growing festival circuit, and, most of all, the rise of streaming video have made it easier for Africans to get films made and for viewers overseas to see them. (Not to mention that Nigeria now has one of the world's largest film industries.) - CNN
What’s surprising is that content fueling viewership only comes from a small subset of TikTok’s user base—a statistic similar to YouTube. Only 33.9 percent of TikTok users publish content to the platform, compared to 69.9 percent of Instagram users who publish their own photos and videos. - Fast Company
Culture officials in Newcastle envision an event with "the same spirit, vibe and inclusivity as the Edinburgh Fringe" but including art shows, concerts, and dance as well as theatre. They're planning a pilot for August 2023, with a full-fledged festival in the summer of 2024. - The Chronicle (Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK)
When the financial incentives of the people paying for the movies and TV shows are aligned with those of the creators, the overall system is much more cost-effective — and often the movies and TV shows are better. - The New York Times
While Netflix’s competitors still have room to grow — and Disney in particular has committed to growing a lot — agents and creators believe they are seeing the end of the spending spree that has lined many pockets in recent years. - The Hollywood Reporter
"Director General Tim Davie is preparing to announce deep cuts to BBC output in the coming week. ... The corporation estimates it needs to find another £285m ($356m) in annual savings as a result of government-imposed cuts to its budget." - The Guardian
They changed their minds, of course: "70% of the households who initially wanted to pay nothing or less than the £159 ($200.54) per year fee had u-turned by the end of the study." Turns out they used the Beeb more than they had realized. - Deadline
Netflix’s sign of softening brought a screeching halt to the prevailing industry logic that going all-in on streaming investment was the way to please shareholders. - Variety
“When analyzing title after title, it becomes very clear that spikes in piracy are most drastic when a movie is first available to watch in the home: It doesn’t matter if it’s available via premium video-on-demand or subscription video-on-demand.” - The Hollywood Reporter
Rather than prompting new subscribers to sign up, “the people who would have subscribed anyway are using the credit.” Subscribers weren’t swayed because they wouldn’t see the benefit until tax time and because the 15% credit was too low to change many minds on paying for news. - NiemanLab
