Branding is the main thing right now for cable and streaming.
Despite ambivalent reviews, two shows have been renewed for new seasons.
“True Detective” will get a 5th season from HBO. Ratings were so-so until the final episode, when the omnibus series zoomed up to almost 1 million linear viewers. Fans weren’t crazy about how the mystery resolved, but they watched, nevertheless. HBO is counting on repeat delayed viewings to punch up the numbers.
Of course, every season has a new cast. So showrunner Issa Lopez has to come up with something great. Jodie Foster and crew are outta here. Season 4 came under some criticism from the original showrunner Nic Pizzolatto.
Maybe characters from the past seasons can come back for a lightning round!
Over at Paramount Plus, “Frasier 2.0” will come back for a 2nd season. This continuation of “Frasier” was not to my liking. The new show lacks any of the cleverness of the original run. The cast and set up are inferior to the classic “Frasier.” But Paramount Plus needs content, and it’s easier just to renew what’s familiar than start over again. So round 2 is on its way, like it or not.
