Like most summers, this one has not been a hotbed of new series making a splash. A late entry holds some interest, as entertainment at least. Richard Osman’s novel “The Thursday Murder Club,” which involves retirees who gather to solve murder mysteries, has all of the elements that lead to popularity.
On Thursday, Osman’s story comes to Netflix with a cast that includes Helen Mirren, Ben Kingsley, Pierce Brosnan, David Tennant and Richard E. Grant. It is directed by Chris Columbus, who helmed “Home Alone,” the first two “Harry Potter” movies and “Mrs. Doubtfire.” There may be redemption yet.
Voice of the Eagles
Age cannot stale Merrill Reese.. Reese, who at 82 has the vocal energy and enthusiasm of a teen, signed an extension that will keep him in the Philadelphia Eagles radio booth for seasons to come. Reese is a fixture of Eagles broadcasts, these days on WIP (94.1 FM). He has had the job since 1977, when he replaced Charlie Swift, who had died suddenly at his Delco home late that NFL season.
Since 1998, Reese’s mikemate has been former Eagles receiver Mike Quick. They make an interesting team, Reese eminently excitable, Quick unflappable. Reese questioning some of his calls and beginning some descriptions with “I think,” Quick being the one who confirms what’s happening. It’s a lovable combination because Reese knows football and, with Quick, makes interesting observations when the Eagles are going well and when they are faltering. And there’s always that tinge of urgency and action in his voice.
Reese has given the Eagles a voice that would be hard to duplicate. With 49 seasons at the Eagles’ mike, he is ahead of anyone who has brought Philadelphia sports to a broadcast audience. Regarding the Eagles, that’s important. It’s clear which Philadelphia team ranks highest with the company that owns WIP and broadcasts Eagles and Phillies games. When the Eagles had a preseason game on Friday, they were the team heard on WIP while the Phillies were relegated to WPHT (1210 AM), both Audacy stations.
Reese remains professionally active away from the Eagles’ booth. He continues to hold an interest in WBCB (1490 AM) which serves Bucks County. Reese has been inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. In November, Mike Quick will enter the local Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame.
Missanelli out again
Mike Missanelli must take a revolving door into and out of The Fanatic (WPEN, 97.5 FM)’s studios. He always seems to be coming or going from the sports talk station that is owned by Beasley and has been allied with ESPN radio. His latest turn at the station ended in August, just shy of a year into his current contract. He was said to be among the most recent layoffs announced by Beasley. He will reportedly be paid until that contract ends.
A familiar name in local broadcasting, Missanelli began his career writing for newspapers. He started in radio at WIP but made his name primarily at the Fanatic. His first tenure there began in 2010 and lasted 12 years. He returned to the station last fall as the midday host. He was a sports director and on-air reporter for Channel 17 in the days of its home-grown newscast and has done programs on non-sports stations.
The Fanatic web site does not list a host of its midday program. John Kincade and his crew sign off at 10 a.m. Ricky Bottalico and Missanelli’s one-time mikemate Bill Colarulo take over at 2 p.m. I’ll have to tune in today to find out who’s minding the store.
MSNBC moves
MSNBC, which began and got its name from being a hybrid of Microsoft and NBC is, like sister station CNBC, no longer a holding of NBC Universal. It has been moved to the new Versant and plans to changed its name to MS NOW, shorthand for My Source News Opinion Now. Catchy, huh? Not really.
Whatever its name, the 24-hour news channel is a leading example of a station that suits the content of its newscasts to the viewer it expects to tune in to it. It is designed to preach to and assure the converted of a particular point of view. Though it pretends to be an objective news source and states its mission at MS NOW will be to “serve as a destination for breaking news and thoughtful analysis,” I find the station as self-serving and lopsided at Fox News
I find it interesting how many people revile Fox News without realizing MSNBC is just as bad, if not worse, and vice versa. Unless there is a change in objectivity, no name change can disguise a foul product that reinforces my view that there is no reliable national news source on television today.
Applause for Rubio
Television commentators like to challenge their guests these days, not by asking open questions to see what the person they’re interviewing will say, but to put them on the spot to comment on a partisan narrative the interviewer has decided must be the case. CBS’ Margaret Brennan and ABC’s Martha Raddatz took that tack with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in regard to the recent meeting at the White House with Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, European leaders of several countries, and President Donald Trump
Rubio resisted their attempts to put him on the defensive and consent to their view of the meetings, for instance that the European leaders were present to be a kind of bodyguard for Zelenskyy to protect him from badgering from Trump. He took the opportunity to set the record straight and tell what the intention of the summit was from the point of view of the participants. He told Brennan the broadcast press was “stupid” for wanting to present an idea of their making rather than hearing from the people who attended the conference. Hear, hear, Marco Rubio.
World Soccer Ticket
Yes, I have taken oodles of ribbing for it, but my favorite sports are baseball and soccer, the ones some friends tell me don’t feature enough scoring. Then, of course, there’s the friend needles me incessantly because we both follow the British Premier League, but he roots for Chelsea, and I cheer for the more frequently dominant Tottenham Hotspurs (mainly because when I first started going to London, I tended to stay in areas that favor the Spurs, and Hotspur is a famous character in Shakespeare).
Finding soccer matches on television has become easier, and Xfinity is offering a program that promises to make it easier yet. World Soccer Ticket gives access to more than 1500 matches from the top national and international leagues including the British Premier League, which started its season last May; Major League Soccer, the U.S. league that includes the consistently exciting Philadelphia Union; UEFA Champions League, in which top European contenders compete; and FIFA tournaments, which will include next year’s World Cup in Philadelphia.
Basically, World Soccer Ticket gives fans access through 60 channels, Peacock, and X-1 the ability to see 1,500 games. Using Xfinity’s Multivew feature, fans can watch multiple games at once. They can use a bilingual voice remote to hurdle language barriers. Xfinity allows viewers to add as many apps as they need to enjoy their interests, including soccer, via the StreamStore. Combined with World Soccer Ticket, it gives fans the content and platform to follow favorite teams via a personalized hub that precludes them having to search for matches they care about most.
StreamStore is not confined to soccer or any single interest. Its technology allows it to be a place where viewers can find a large catalog of entertainment that includes 450 streaming apps and 200,000 movies or shows for purchase or rent. Personalization can make it easier to sift through the choices. StreamStore gives viewers to the chance to more easily find, or discover, programs to suit them.
Xfinity also offers StreamSaver bundles that give access to, say, Apple TV, Netflix, and Peacock — three leading streamers — for one price. As someone always on the lookout for a program or series beyond the ordinary, I see these new products as a way to find what I’m look for faster in a way that is tailored for my tastes. I’m certainly going to look into World Soccer Ticket and the Premier League offerings.
Merger news
On the heels of the recent Paramount-Skydance merger that has people at CBS News worried about layoffs comes another deal that may link the largest and fourth largest owner of local television stations. Nexstar, which owns about 200 U.S. television stations, including Philadelphia’s Channel 17, could see that number grow to 265 if the FCC approves an announced merger between it and Tegna, fourth on the list of station owners.
The deal would give Nexstar a station in nine of the 10 leading television markets. Some are challenging the deal, saying the number of stations Nexstar would control exceeds a ceiling imposed in the 1980s that limits one company to a maximum of a 39% reach into U.S. households. The merger is also said to test FCC policy concerning large ownership groups.
What this means to television remains to be seen, but buying and selling networks and stations always leads to something. To me, the biggest change to over-the-air television broadcasting came in the late 1980s when the individuals who founded television networks gave way to corporate owners who looked at television more as a general business than one dedicated to news and entertainment.
More changes came as cable overtook legacy networks. It will be interesting to see what what a new power like Skydance and an evolving dynamo like Nexstar will alter broadcast TV even further.
Source: Berkshire mont
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