Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Wednesday, September 18th, 2019

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Wednesday, September 17th, 2019. I'm writing this from the Twin Cities, where AllYourScreens HQ is running on bottled water and tortilla chips.

INVASION OF THE STREAMING SERVICES
It might seem like the most unecessary move in entertainment history, given the fact that there's already more television available than anyone could possibly ever watch. But there was more news on Tuesday about several new streaming services that are set to debut early in 2020.

HBO Max, which will be a combination of HBO and a lot of stuff owned by Warner Brothers Studios, announced that it has acquired the U.S. streaming rights for the hit comedy "The Big Bang Theory." It has also extended the window in which sister cable network TBS can air reruns of the show.

As is the case with all of these deals, it's not clear exactly what WarnerMedia paid for the deal. The Hollywood Reporter was estimating the deal could cost as much as $1 billion for the five year deal. Variety and Deadline put the cost at around $600 million. But regardless, it's another indication that while the finances at WarnerMedia continue to be troubled, the company is willing to spend money to ensure HBO Max is a hit with consumers.

NBCU also provided a few more details about its upcoming streaming service, which will be named Peacock. The service will debut in April 2020 and it will feature more than 15,000 hours of content. Including the "Fast & Furious" movies and television shows like "The Office" and "Parks and Recreation." 

There are still a lot of unanswered questions about Peacock. Based on earlier comments from NBCU executives, Peacock is expected to have two different offerings. It will be free (with ads) for consumers who have an existing cable or satellite TV subscription. That TV Everywhere-like service may also include live streams of NBCU-owned cable networks. There will also be a paid version that comes without the live networks that will available to non cable/satellite TV subscribers. But there's no word on what that more limited version might cost.

NBCU also announced a number of new shows that will appear on Peacock, many of them debuting after the summer Olympics. There's a new drama based on Aldous Huxley’s groundbreaking 1932 novel "Brave New World," ; reboots of "Battlestar Galactica," "Punk Brewster" and "Saved By The Bell," a second "Psych" movie (which was originally supposed to air on USA; several reality shows and a weekly talk show starring Amber Ruffin. So consider yourself warned.

COMCAST FLEX NOW FREE FOR COMCAST BROADBAND SUBSCRIBERS
Earlier in the year, Comcast unveiled the Comcast Flex, a Roku-like streaming box. Except that it costs $5 per month and had a limited number of apps you could add to it. Netflix was available, but rival television services like Hulu Live TV or Sling were not. Not surprisingly, Flex hasn't been especially popular, so early this morning Comcast announced it was now making it available to Comcast broadband subscribers for free. Well, the first one is free. The second device will costs $5 per month and you can only get two Flex devices per household.

THE FALL BROADCAST TV SEASON OFFICIALLY BEGINS NEXT WEEK:
It's not too soon to set that DVR for all of the new shows and old favorites that begin new seasons starting next week. In preparation, we'll be highlighting some of them every day this week.

'Emergence' (ABC)
Premiering on Tuesday, September 24th, this character-driven genre thriller follows a police chief who takes in a young child she finds near the site of a mysterious accident who has no memory of what has happened. The investigation draws her into a conspiracy larger than she ever imagined, and the child’s identity is at the center of it all.

'Bob Hearts Abishola' (CBS)
Premiering on Monday, September 23rd, this comedy is a love story about a middle-aged compression sock businessman from Detroit (Billy Gardell) who unexpectedly falls for his cardiac nurse (Folake Olowofoyeku), a Nigerian immigrant, while recovering from a heart attack and sets his sights on winning her over. Undaunted by Abishola’s lack of initial interest or the vast differences in their backgrounds, Bob is determined to win Abishola’s heart, in this comedic examination of immigrant life in America.

WHAT'S NEW ON TV TONIGHT:
Here's a rundown of the very modest amount of television and streaming stuff premiering today:

1) A Little Late with Lilly Singh: The Primetime Special (NBC)

2) American Horror Story: 1984 Premiere (FX) 
This season's cast includes Emma Roberts, Gus Kenworthy, Billie Lourd, Cody Fern, Angelica Ross (Pose), John Carroll Lynch, Matthew Morrison, and Leslie Grossman.

3) When The Camellia Blooms (Netflix)
In the South Korean comedy, Gong Hyo-jin stars in the story of Dong Baek, owner of a bar named Camellia, whose life changes after she encounters three men.

4) WWE NXT Premiere (USA)
The weekly wrestling series moves to the USA Network from Syfy.

For a rundown of all the new episodes of television premiering tonight, click here.

TOO MUCH TV REALLY IS A THING
This newsletter is called "Too Much TV" because....well, it's hard to keep track of all the new television premiering everyday. To help you prioritize your viewing, click here to see our list of more than 400 upcoming television premieres, movies and finales. You'll find listings from more than 70 networks, as well as streaming services and web shows.

And if you're a glutton for punishment (or just want to know what you've missed), check out this list of all the shows that have premiered so far in 2019.

If you'd like to get this daily feature as an email, subscribe to our free daily "Too Much TV" newsletter here.

I'll be back with another one tomorrow. If you have any feedback, send it along to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and follow me on Twitter @aysrick.