Hot Hulu at TCA: A Hero, a Handmaid, Harlots and More

This is hardly Huluamp8217s firsttime at a TCA amp8211 in fact it was the first streaming service to put together an official presentation during a TCA touramp160way back in January 2012 But it was arguably its best yet filling an entire day the way the big broadcast networks generally do though not always and it was yet another sign that streamers are not only here to stay but must be taken as seriously as any other television platform In fact it might be wise for certain broadcast and cable entities to raise their game when it comes to promoting and educating the press about their shows especially at TCAsamp160as it feels as though the streamers are streamrolling right over them in more ways than oneThe day began with a series of announcements and a review of accomplishments by Huluamp8217s Senior Vice President and Head of Content Craig Erwich Among them blackish and Louis CKamp8217s homemade Horace and Pete are coming to Hulu and upcoming original productions will include Future Man a comedy starring Josh Hutcherson of The Hunger GamesOddly the announcement by Erwich that resonated the most amp8211 eliciting an audible response from dozens of critics in the room amp8211 was that the classic sitcom The Golden Girls would be available on Hulu on February 13 It will mark the first time that the entire series has been available in one place for streamingSessions for season two of the drama series The Path the upcoming limited series National Treasure the upcoming period drama with a modern sensibility Harlotsamp160the third season of Casual the current fourth season of Pivot transplant Please Like Me the upcoming documentary Batman ampamp Bill and the upcoming thriller series The Handmaidamp8217s Tale followedamp160 Also there was a Nashvillethemed lunch in a ballroom decorated to resemble the Music City landmark The Bluebird Cafamp233 a familiar location in the series and before that a performance by Clare Bowen one of the stars of that show A note about Nashville which just began its fifth season now on CMT and Hulu Out of the ashes of cancellation by ABC this often silly and superficial soap opera which was nevertheless beloved by millions if only as an overthetop pleasure has suddenly transmogrified into a show full of heart and soul richer in character and atmosphere than it ever had beenThe day concluded with a cocktail party at the hotel Happily and much like the DirecTV party two nights earlier it was one of those parties in which a networkamp8217s or streameramp8217s talent was readily available and stayed to talk with interested reportersThere wasnamp8217t a dull panel throughout the day amp8211 I could write extensively about any of them here but if I had to choose highlights they would be The Path Harlotsamp160and Please Like Me The Handmaidamp8217s Tale was also memorable especially considering the star power on the Hulu stage which included Elisabeth Moss Joseph Finnes Alexis Bledel and Yvonne Strahovski along with executive producer Warren LittlefieldThe session for The Path a drama about a quasireligious cultlike movement led to questions and commentary about the presidential campaign and election which I suspect will come up repeatedly throughout the rest of TCA The tour ends two days before the inauguration of Presidentelect Donald Trumpamp8220It certainly feels like following this election things have changed in America a little bit at least how we view Americans in Americaamp8221 one critic said to executive producer Jessica Goldberg pictured at top with left to right series stars Hugh Dancy Michelle Monaghan and Aaron Paul amp8220I feel like a lot of TV shows that were written before the election had a different impact when they aired after amp160Are you anticipating that for this second season What do you think that changed impact will beamp8221amp8220I was watching some of the episodes after the election and thereamp8217s one scene where a character is saying amp8216Weamp8217ve got to protect this place We have walls for a reasonamp8217 I was like amp8216Wowamp8217quot Goldberg replied quotI feel like the showamp8217s relevance will not deteriorateamp160 It feels different right now what you write what you say You have to really think a little deeper about what stories youamp8217re telling But I felt relieved looking back through the show that to me it felt very relevant somehowamp8220Aamp160lot of these movements actually did start during the social revolution of the amp821760s and amp821770s and it feels like something that might be starting to happen again in Americaamp8221 she continuedamp160 amp8220I donamp8217t know whatamp8217s going to happen But I do feel like we39re looking at what people do when theyamp8217re not feeling included in their country I think our show deals with a lot of those questions and I think weamp8217re living in a country where faith is much more important than we all know about Some of the questions that our show grapples with are relevantamp8221amp8220Going back to the first seasonamp8221 added series star Hugh Dancy who plays cult leader Cal Robertson amp8220there literally is a storyline in which Cal chooses to protect these refugees these illegal immigrants whatever you want to call them and other people in the movement are saying amp8216No Absolutely not Weamp8217ve got to protect ourselves and weamp8217ve got to keep these gates shutamp8217 amp160I donamp8217t think that could be more relevant sadlyamp8221amp8220Following on that the incoming administration appears to have a lot of people who want to blur the line between church and stateamp8221 another critic said amp8220When youamp8217re writing Season 3 are you going to write into that skid or away from that skid because you donamp8217t know how that will manifestamp8221amp8220If weamp8217re lucky enough to write Season 3 who knowsamp8221 Goldberg mused amp8220Maybe Cal will have a spray tanamp8221At the session for Please Like Me a bittersweet comedydrama about an average young gay man series creator writer and star Josh Thomas said amp8220I get quite nervous at TCAs because the first TCA I went to was the Pivot launch and you guys were like mean amp160Rightamp8221 He was right though thinking back on it our negative reaction to what the Millennialskewedamp160Pivot was selling seems to have been justifiedThomas continued as the room erupted in laughteramp160amp8220Someone would put up their hand and theyamp8217d go amp8216Fuck youamp8217quot Thomas recalled quotAnd then Pivot chief Evan Shapiro would be like amp8216Well Iamp8217m not sure if thatamp8217s the situationamp8217 That was a very difficult half hour amp160It was me two gang members Joseph GordonLevitt and Meghan McCain amp160And you guys were all just explaining why Pivot is a bad idea amp8211 which congratulations I guessamp8221As the laughter increased Thomas concluded amp8220At the time I thought you were mean and now I am sort of like amp8216Well maybe we should listen to what these people have to sayamp8217amp8221The plainly outspoken Thomas also had something to say about watching series via streamers making a very obvious comment that was all the more remarkable because no showrunner had ever before said it at a TCA sessionamp8220I donamp8217t know about binge watchingamp8221 he admitted amp160amp8220I like people being able to watch it all together but then someone will tweet me and they will be like amp8216I watched all four seasons in two daysamp8217 amp160And then Iamp8217m like amp8216Fuck amp160It took me five years to fill those two daysamp8221Click on the social tiles above or below to share this content with friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated bloggersamp160amp160

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Hot Hulu at TCA: A Hero, a Handmaid, Harlots and More

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Ed Martin

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Hot Hulu at TCA: A Hero, a Handmaid, Harlots and More

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FEMA and the Ad Council Encourage AANHPI Communities to Enhance Disaster Preparedness in New PSAs - Ad Council InSites

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