TORY MARSHMANOn Andy Greenwald’s Summer TV Winners

and Losers

The Scorecard

• Every Summer, Andy Greenwald rates TV

• These posts will be broken up

• First up is HBO

HBO

• HBO had a tad lackluster summer

• However it was saved by one show

• It’s fizzled out in other areas though

Last Week Tonight

• John Oliver was fresh off of a run on the Daily Show

• He was Jon Stewarts sub

• Wasn’t before long he was offered contract

• HBO is a perfect fit

• Provides better format

• Oliver doesn’t need to worry about censorship

• 7 days’ worth of news is condensed into one night

• That may seem like a severe limitation

• But it allows Oliver to focus on one event

• Viewers are caught up on the news, while he launches into a 15 minute rant with intelligent wit

Monoculture

• Last week tonight is great

• But it’s still fiction

• Who stepped up to fill that void?

• Mad Men, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad… what do they all have in common?

• They’re a collective viewing experience

• Gives viewers something to discuss after each episode

• Enormous audiences

• HBO and other networks came up short

• The Leftovers was HBO’s biggest offering

• Not that is was a bad show, but…

• So depressing no one was abuzz after each episode

Thanks for Viewing!

• Come back soon for part 2!