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UPDATE: “House of the Dragon” Scored 2.2 Mil for HBO’s First Showing Sunday Night, Giving HBO Max Possible Huge Win

Roger Friedman
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UPDATE: “House of the Dragon” Scored 2.2 Mil for HBO’s First Showing Sunday Night, Giving HBO Max Possible Huge Win

According to Nielsen now with hard numbers:

“House of the Dragon” scored 2.170 million viewers for Sunday night’s first showing on regular HBO Prime at 9pm.

Right now, there are no numbers for the second showing which followed directly after at 10:06pm.

HBO said yesterday that nearly 10 million people watched the premiere across all networks. This would suggest that a whopping 7.7 million people watched on HBO Max.

For HBO Max, that would certainly guarantee its continuation as Warner Discovery’s streaming system going forward. The Max people should be opening bottles of Champagne, not laying anyone off.

“Dragon” had a small effect on John Oliver’s “Last Week Tonight.” The acerbic and amusing news show was up around 100,000 viewers as a spill off. It also aired much later than usual, at 11:20pm and not at 10:30pm, so that’s pretty impressive.

HBO Says “House of the Dragon” Scored 10 Million Viewers Sunday Night, Largest Premiere Ever in Their History

Roger Friedman
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HBO Says “House of the Dragon” Scored 10 Million Viewers Sunday Night, Largest Premiere Ever in Their History

HBO says last night’s premiere of “House of Dragons” was their biggest ever. Just a notch under 10 million people watched on HBO or HBO Max.

A release says:

The premiere of “House of the Dragon” drew 9.986 million viewers across linear and HBO Max platforms in the U.S. Sunday night, the largest audience for any new original series in the history of HBO. The premiere also marked the largest series launch on HBO Max across the U.S., LatAm, and EMEA, driving an unprecedented level of concurrent streams on the platform. Typically, Sunday night viewership for a HBO series will represent just 20%-40% of the show’s total gross audience.  

The series was also a hit on social media, where fans showed up in droves to celebrate the return to Westeros. On premiere day, House of the Dragon was the longest trending topic on Twitter, ranking #1 for 14 hours straight, and trended #1 on Google Trends. 

What does this all mean? The initial response is huge, of course, “Game of Thrones” fans were salivating to see something new. But it was hard to say from the first episode how this is going to play out. To me, “House of Dragons” felt a little like “The Colbys,” spin off of “Dynasty” that just recycled familiar material. There wasn’t a sense of humor at all, just death and gloom. The Lannisters were really missing.

So maybe as the episodes broaden out, things will lighten up. But right now, it also felt like “HOD” burned through a lot of plot right away without much character development. Even the dragons could use a good backstory.

But production wise, “HOD” was top notch. You really felt like you were in Westeros years before they built the strip malls.

What Year Is It? Three of Top 5 Songs on iTunes Singles Charts are Oldies as Beyonce, Other New Acts Struggle for Space

Roger Friedman
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What Year Is It? Three of Top 5 Songs on iTunes Singles Charts are Oldies as Beyonce, Other New Acts Struggle for Space

Ok, so what year is it?

The top 2 songs today on iTunes are from 1971 and 2003.

The number one song is “Bring Me to Life” by Evanescence. It was released March 4, 2003.

The number two song is “American Pie,” the full 8 minute version by Don McLean, released at the end of 1971.

Number five is “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” by Credence Clearwater Revival, released in 1971. Number 10 is Sia’s “Unstoppable,” which is six years old.

Meanwhile, current acts like Beyonce and Harry Styles have been unable to launch second hits from their albums. While Styles’ album, “Harry’s House,” is still selling, Beyonce’s “Renaissance” has reached a period.

Demi Lovato’s album and single are out there, but not blockbusters by any means. The single, “29,” is at number 51.

What is going on here? Old records are ruling the roost at the end of the summer, a summer which was swamped by Kate Bush’s 1985 hit “Running Up that Hill.”

The iTunes singles chart should be full of new music. For example, Ryan Adams’ “When She Smiles” should be right up there. So should Jon Batiste’s “Sweet” with Diane Warren and Pentatonix. Instead, 20 of the records from number 50 to 100 are all oldies. Isn’t that a little frightening?

The music business is so different nowadays, Very few new artists are being broken, radio is so compartmentalized that few new songs are played, there’s little diversity or thinking outside the box. And it’s not just unknown artists. Ask Billie Eilish. She released two singles a month ago and they died on impact.

Rolling Stone Magazine Raises Ire of Michael Jackson Family By Dubbing Harry Styles “New King of Pop”

Roger Friedman
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Rolling Stone Magazine Raises Ire of Michael Jackson Family By Dubbing Harry Styles “New King of Pop”

Uh oh.

Rolling Stone may have bitten off more than it can chew. On the cover of their UK issue they’ve dubbed Harry Styles “the new king of pop.”

You know, there is only one King of Pop, and that’s Michael Jackson.

Michael’s nephew has responded quickly on Twitter. Taj Jackson writes:

“There is no new King of Pop. You don’t own the title @RollingStone, and you didn’t earn it, my uncle did. Decades of dedication and sacrifice. The title has been retired. No disrespect to @Harry_Styles, he’s mega talented. Give him his own unique title.”

Truly, Harry would be best known as the Prince of Pop. To be the King of Pop would mean a much longer resume of hits and successes. Harry’s doing well, but not Michael Jackson good. Not yet.

Rolling Stone now is all about throwing out the previous generations of pop culture, particularly Baby Boomers. In a recent note on their website, editor Noah Schactman said they’d redesigned it so Rolling Stone no longer requires wearing “bell bottoms.” That’s really unfortunate. First of all Baby Boomers haven’t worn bell bottoms for 40 years. Second, they’re the generation that actually knows where the title of the magazine comes from. Don’t insult us.

And don’t cross the Michael Jackson fans. Word of wisdom to RS. You don’t need that headache.

Did Tina Fey, I Mean Cinda Canning, Really Kill Bunny? “Only Murders” Comes Clean at Midnight

Roger Friedman
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Did Tina Fey, I Mean Cinda Canning, Really Kill Bunny? “Only Murders” Comes Clean at Midnight

Don’t ask me why, but I’m obsessed with “Only Murders in the Building.”

The Steve Martin-Martin Short-Selena Gomez comedy thriller murder mystery on Hulu is like eating a dessert every Tuesday when it’s on. You almost don’t care whodunit or how the puzzle is pieced together. It’s more about the witty writing, the top notch acting, the incredible apartments everyone lives in.

Tonight at midnight, Hulu drops the final episode of Season 2. Who killed Bunny? I don’t know because I like to watch the show as it unfolds. I didn’t binge watch the press viewings. Too fast. I want to savor the moment.

Last week, it seemed like Tina Fey’s Cinda Canning, a preening self absorbed podcast queen, for some reason might have done it. The week before, the red herring was Michael Rapoport‘s detective. You know, it could still be anyone, even Amy Ryan’s Jan, who’s in jail for committing the season 1 crime. Did they have her back just because everyone loves Amy Ryan? (Maybe.) How about Cara deLevingne‘s art dealer? Why is she always hanging around?

The introduction of secret passages in the Arconia was an inspired idea, that’s for sure. It’s kept our sleuthing trio inside double time in their investigation.

To me, “Only Murders” owes a huge debt to Woody Allen. In many ways, the show echoes Woody’s 1993 hit, “Manhattan Murder Mystery.” Woody and Diane Keaton are convinced there’s been a murder in their building and set out to reveal the culprit. Also, Selena Gomez made a huge acting leap in Woody’s “Rainy Day in New York,” playing a similar character. So there’s that.

“Only Murders” has its shown share of “Easter eggs.” One of them was Steve Martin’s bleeding nose, which seemed like a nod to “Stranger Things.” There have been a few others, too. But that’s part of the charm. It’s always sophisticated asides, and little moments that propel the action along smartly.

No offense to Steve Martin, but I think even he knows Martin Short steals the show. If he doesn’t get the Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Comedy, there will be murders in the TV Academy. Short just makes every scene his own as Oliver, who’s a unique send up every New Yorker on the Upper West Side who’s had something to do with show business in the last 50 years. Oliver’s references are beyond obscure. If you get them, you feel relieved and also a little embarrassed that you even know what he’s talking about.

Thanks to Hulu for such a lovely summer treat. They should always show “Only Murders” on this timetable. It’s so refreshing, it’s the best way to beat the humidity!

Knives Out Sequel “Glass Onion” May Confirm the Walrus Was Paul: Title Taken from Beatles Song, Movie Set for Holidays

Roger Friedman
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Knives Out Sequel “Glass Onion” May Confirm the Walrus Was Paul: Title Taken from Beatles Song, Movie Set for Holidays

I told you on June 29th that the title of the new “Knives Out” movie, “Glass Onion,” was from the Beatles song on The White Album.

Now director Rian Johnson says in a Netflix press release: “I’m always fishing for something fun that Blanc can grab onto as an overwrought metaphor that he can beat to death,” he says.  “This is all in plain sight from the very start. So, the idea of glass came to me, something that’s clear. I’ll be very honest. I literally got out my iPhone and searched my music library with the word ‘glass.’ There’s got to be some good glass songs. I was like, “Oh, is it a glass fortress? Is it a glass castle? Is it a glass man?” The first thing that came up, because I’m a huge Beatles fan, is ‘Glass Onion.’” (We may find out if the Walrus was Paul.)

The “Knives Out” sequel — I first reported that there would be more movies starring Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc — will play in some theaters beginning December 23rd, holiday time, as well as on Netflix. (The streamer must do this for Oscars consideration.) The new movie stars Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick , Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista.

“Glass Onion” was shot in Greece on a yacht and takes its inspiration from the 1973 cult film, “The Last of Sheila.” directed by Herb Ross and written by, oddly, Stephen Sondheim and Anthony Perkins. That movie featured a murder on a yacht with a starry cast that included Richard Benjamin, Dyan Cannon, Raquel Welch, James Mason, and James Coburn.

No word yet if Netflix shelled out the requisite million bucks to get the Beatles song in the movie, but I wouldn’t put it past them!

Jake Tapper Says of Mar-a-Lago Raid: “I can’t defend anything” And Flushes His Integrity Down the Toilet

Roger Friedman
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Jake Tapper Says of Mar-a-Lago Raid: “I can’t defend anything” And Flushes His Integrity Down the Toilet

If you slept in a little this morning, you missed the end of Jake Tapper on CNN.

While Brian Stelter interviewed Carl Bernstein on the last episod of “Reliable Sources,” I watched Jake Tapper take a dive on his “State of the Union.” The State of Tapper’s integrity is dead, frankly. After endorsing Jared Kushner’s book, Tapper let despicable eye patched conservative creature Dan Crenshaw spout lies about the January 6th committee, promote the Former Guy, and talk almost uninterrupted. Watch below as Jake actually says, “There’s a lot we don’t know, so I can’t defend anything,” referring to the raid on Mar-a-Lago. You will throw up your cereal.

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Tapper has obviously been ordered by the new CNN to go along with their new mind control, aiming at “less partisan” discussion. The result is that the inmates are running the asylum. Why didn’t Tapper just quit? High mortgage payments? Big private school commitments? This is so beneath him. Between this and the Kushner endorsement, Twitter is raging. CNN may have no viewers by Monday. James Earl Jones may take his voice away.

Box Office: Lesson Learned as “Dragon Ball” Made $20 Mil But Deflated Every Day

Roger Friedman
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Box Office: Lesson Learned as “Dragon Ball” Made $20 Mil But Deflated Every Day

Box office lesson learned this weekend: “Dragon Ball Super Super Hero” did make $20 million from Thursday night.

But the Ball also deflated every single day, starting strong with $10 million Thurs-Friday and ending with a $3.4 million Sunday. The Crunchyroll-20th Century-Disney release was a novelty and very limited in its reach.

Meanwhile, “Bullet Train” chugged along with an $8 million weekend, bringing it to $69 million total. It’s a slow train coming, certainly, but with nothing on the track behind it, “Bullet Train” will keep boarding passengers until someone throws all the puns out the window.

“Beast” garnered $11.5 million, not enough to sustain a jungle. A misfire.

I never saw “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” and now I’ll wait until maybe A24 sends screeners for awards season. They’re going to finish with less than $6 million. Maybe Marcel should have kicked the shoes off and put his feet in the sand!

Facebook Billionaire Sheryl Sandberg Has Married Actor Jon Bernthal’s Brother

Roger Friedman
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Facebook Billionaire Sheryl Sandberg Has Married Actor Jon Bernthal’s Brother

So weird: People magazine doesn’t seem to realize that the man Sheryl Sandberg has married, Tom Bernthal, is the brother of actor Jon Bernthal. (I guarantee you People and other outlets update their stories when they read all this.) They don’t mention it in their big story tonight about the wedding.

Tom Bernthal is Jon’s older brother. They are the sons of retired Washington DC powerhouse lawyer Eric Bernthal (Latham & Watkins law firm, incredibly big time) who is the former Chairman of the Board of The Humane Society of the United States, the largest animal welfare and advocacy organization in the country.

Sheryl, the exiting billionaire COO of Facebook, did ok for herself. Tom Bernthal sounds like a nice guy. He’s a producer and former NBC News producer. He won an Emmy. He’s divorced and three kids.

Jon Bernthal is about to star in the “American Gigolo” TV series. He has a long list of credits including “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Both brothers attended the elite Sidwell Friends School in Potomac, Maryland. He plays rough around the edges characters, but he comes from a hard core top DC family.

Sheryl’s late husband, Dave Goldberg, died suddenly on a family vacation in 2015. He and Sheryl have two kids.

Mazel tov!

“Ozark,” A Show with One Black Character, Wins Best Drama from African American Critics, “This is Us” Snubbed

Roger Friedman
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“Ozark,” A Show with One Black Character, Wins Best Drama from African American Critics, “This is Us” Snubbed

“Ozark,” a Netflix show with one Black character, has won Best Drama from the African American Critics Association.

“Pachinko,” an Asian show on Apple TV Plus, won Best International Drama.

The shows are certainly of quality, but they have nothing to do with the Black community.

The AAFCA basically has ignored the best Black shows on television. There are plenty of all-Black dramas across TV, cable and streaming. For example, “This is Us” has a strong Black cast and could easily have been celebrated. Instead of “Pachinko,” there are several Black international series like the fantastic, “Lupin.”

Jessica Frances Dukes played FBI agent Maya on “Ozark.” She was wonderful on the show, but she was a secondary character at best. And Dukes didn’t even get her own award from AAFCA!

Some of these winners are ridiculous and laughable.

  • BEST TV COMEDY – Abbott Elementary (ABC)
  • BEST TV DRAMA – Ozark (Netflix)
  • BEST NEW SHOW – Bel-Air (Peacock)
  • BEST DOCUMENTARY – Black and Missing  (HBO)
  • BEST LIMITED SERIES/SPECIAL – Women of the Movement (ABC) 
  • BEST INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTION – Pachinko (Apple TV+)
  • BREAKOUT STAR – Quinta Brunson 
  • BEST ENSEMBLE – Swagger (Apple TV+) & Winning Time: the rise of the Lakers dynasty (HBO) 
  • BEST WRITING – A Black Lady Sketch Show (HBO)
  • BEST TV DIRECTING – Salli Richardson, The Gilded Age (HBO) 
  • BEST TV ACTING (Female) – Patina Miller, Power Book III: Raising Kanan  (Starz) 
  • BEST TV ACTING (Male) – Courtney B. Vance, 61st Street (AMC)
  • IMPACT AWARD – Insecure (HBO)
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