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GLAAD Releases 2020 Studio Responsibility Index

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GLAAD released its latest Studio Responsibility Index on Thursday. It “maps the quantity, quality and diversity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgende and queer (LGBTQ) characters in films released by eight major motion picture studios during the 2019 calendar year,” the organization says. The film industry still has a lot of work to do when it comes to representation on the big screen and especially characters of color. Some highlights lifted from GLAAD’s report, by the numbers:

  • 118: 118 films released from major studios in 2019, 22 (18.6%) included characters that were lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer (LGBTQ) vs. 2018 (18.2%, 20 out of 110 films)
  • 34: percent of LGBTQ characters were people of color (17 of 50), down from 42 percent in the previous report and a decrease of twenty-three percentage points from the 57 percent of LGBTQ characters of color in 2017
  • 15: Number of inclusive films in which gay men appear (68 percent), an increase from last year’s 55 percent
  • 14: Percent of films with bisexual representation, a slight decrease, with only three films featuring bi characters, an equal number of films to the previous year
  • 0: Transgender characters were entirely absent from major studio releases
  • 1: LGBTQ character with a disability in major releases (Poe, Lionsgate’s Five Feet Apart)

MAJOR STUDIOS

(CAPS = I’ve seen it)

  • Lionsgate (Anna, BOMBSHELL, Cold Pursuit, FIVE FEET APART, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Perfect Strangers)
  • Paramount Pictures (ROCKETMAN, WHAT WOMEN WANT, Wonder Park)
  • Sony Pictures (A Dog’s Way Home, Charlie’s Angels, Jumanji: The Next Level, SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME)
  • STX Films (HUSTLERS, The Upside)
  • United Artists Releasing (BOOKSMART, THE HUSTLE, MISSING LINK)
  • Universal Pictures (Glass, Good Boys, Happy Death Day 2U, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, LAST CHRISTMAS, Little, Ma, The Secret Life of Pets 2, QUEEN AND SLIM)
  • The Walt Disney Studios (AVENGERS: ENDGAME, FROZEN 2, STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, Stuber, TOY STORY 4)
  • Warner Bros. (Doctor Sleep, The Goldfinch, The Good Liar, ISN’T IT ROMANTIC, IT Chapter 2, Motherless Brooklyn, Shaft)

ART HOUSE DIVISIONS

(CAPS = I’ve seen it)

  • Focus Features (Captive State, Downton Abbey)
  • Roadside Attractions (Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles, JUDY)
  • Searchlight Pictures (JOJO RABBIT)
  • Sony Pictures Classics (All Is True, Frankie, PAIN AND GLORY, Where’s My Roy Cohn?, The White Crow)

Learn more about GLAAD’s Vito Russo Test, which assesses how LGBTQ characters are situated in a narrative, here. Read the full report here.

JC Film Notebook: My Favorite Movies of 2020 (First Half)

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The JC Film Notebook is a weekly feature on this blog. Expect notable news on upcoming movies and classics as well as an assortment of previews and reviews every Friday.

News flash: I watch a lot of movies. Not any more than the amount of TV I consume, but still, it’s quite a bit. Since 2017, I’ve kept track of the flicks I see over the course of the year. It makes it much easier to assess my favorites and make lists. (You already know I like compiling those.) Obviously, 2020 has been a much different year than most because of the coronavirus pandemic, and it’s changing the way we get and watch films. I’m managing to keep up. Especially that I have more free time on my hands. I do miss going to theaters, though.

This year, I’ve probably seen more Netflix and Hulu originals than I usually do. I’ve been pleasantly surprised. Except for Downhill, which was nowhere near as good as the amazing original that came before it. I had hopes! July has been a very strong month, but I’m not including any of those offerings. And I’m still really looking forward to Oscar season, however it takes place. Here are the movies I loved from January-June (in alphabetical order).

The Assistant (In theater, drama, Roger Ebert review). Favorite part: Julia Garner’s appeal and authenticity.

Bad Education (HBO, original drama, Roger Ebert review). Favorite parts: heavyweight efforts from Hugh Jackman, Allison Janney and Ray Romano.

Bully. Coward. Victim: The Story of Roy Cohn (HBO, original documentary, Roger Ebert review). Favorite part: the ugly but necessary history deep-dive.

Crip Camp (Netflix, original documentary, Roger Ebert review). Favorite parts: the old footage and rich interviews with former teen campers.

Da 5 Bloods (Netflix, origanal drama, Roger Ebert review). Favorite part: Delroy Lindo’s buzzworthy turn in the spotlight.

Disclosure: Trans Lives On Screen (Netflix, original documentary, Roger Ebert review). Favorite parts: the trans actors’ perspectives and the evisceration of ignorant TV producers over the past 40 years.

The Half of It (Netflix, original comedy/drama, Roger Ebert review). Favorite part: Leah Lewis’ winning performance.

The King of Staten Island (Prime Video rental, comedy, Roger Ebert review). Favorite part: Pete Davidson’s vulnerability.

The Thing About Harry (Freeform, original drama, TVLine review). Favorite part: Jake Borelli and Niko Terho’s back-and-forth chemistry.

The Way Back (Prime Video rental, drama, Roger Ebert review). Favorite parts: Ben Affleck’s guts and Brad Ingelsby’s emotionally resonant script.

Honorable mention: All the Bright Places (Netflix, original drama), Athlete A (Netflix, original documentary), Big Time Adolescence (Hulu, original comedy), The Lovebirds (Netflix, original comedy), Trolls World Tour (Prime Video rental, animated comedy)

INDUSTRY HEADLINES

Russo Brothers To Direct Chris Evans, Ryan Gosling In Netflix’s The Gray Man (Hollywood Reporter). Sign me up!

Noah Centineo Joins Dwayne Johnson In New Line DC Movie Black Adam (Hollywood Reporter)

Tom Holland-starring Southern Gothic Saga The Devil All The Time to Premiere In September (EW)

Atlanta Production Ramp-Up Underway Despite Surge In COVID-19 Cases In Region (Deadline)

Netflix Reveals 10 Most Popular Movies (Variety). I have some work to do. I’ve only seen four: Bird Box, Murder Mystery, The Irishman (the best, by far) and The Perfect Date.

5 FILMS I’VE SEEN RECENTLY

Hamilton (2020, Disney+, filmed stage play)
The Old Guard (2020, Netflix, original drama) 
The Outpost (2020, Prime Video rental, drama)
Palm Springs (2020, Hulu, original comedy)
Showbiz Kids (2020, HBO, original documentary)

5 FILMS THAT ARE ON MY RADAR

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020, Netflix, original comedy)
Greyhound (2020, Apple TV+, original drama)
John Lewis: Good Trouble (2020, Apple TV rental, documentary)
Last Christmas (2019, HBO/Max, comedy)
Troop Zero (2019, Prime Video, original comedy/drama)

5 NEW FILMS I ABSOLUTELY LOVED

Athlete A (2020, Netflix, original documentary)
Da 5 Bloods (2020, Netflix, original drama)
Disclosure: Trans Lives On Screen (2020, Netflix, original documentary)
The Half of It (2020, Netflix, original comedy/drama)
The Way Back (2020, on demand, drama)

JC TV Notebook: In Praise of FX’s Pose

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The JC TV Notebook is regular feature on this blog. Come back every Thursday for the latest on my favorite series, power players, castings and analysis.

I finished watching the second season of FX’s best current offering last night. It’s Pose, the cabler’s New York City-set period drama about a diverse ballroom community. It’s phenomenally good, addressing subjects like race, gay rights, the transgender experience, addiction, conformity and the concept of family. I hope it gets a slew of Emmy nominations later this month. It’s my choice for Outstanding Drama. (Yes, I care about that.) How can you ignore the stunning performances from Mj Rodriguez, Indya Moore, Angelica Ross, Hailie Sahar and Dominique Jackson? And then there’s Emmy winner Billy Porter, Ryan Jamaal Swain, Angel Bismark Curiel, Sandra Bernhard and Patti LuPone. I was on the verge of tears throughout Season 2. Episodes 3, 4, 8 and 10 are standouts and definitely worthy of recognition.

I don’t usually rewatch series or movies — there’s too much new stuff to check out — but this project from creators Steven Canals, Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy is one of my favorites. Ever. I’ll be writing about Pose a lot during awards season. It is on Netflix now. Get to it!

MOVING ON

Showtime. The premium cabler has canceled Kidding after two underrated seasons. I thought Jim Carrey did tremendous work over 20 episodes. Same goes for Catherine Keener and Judy Greer.

Dancing With the Stars. Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews are out. Tyra Banks is in. Not gonna lie, these changes make me more likely to tune in again.

ViacomCBS. Nick Cannon dug himself quite a hole. Looks like he’s holding on to his Masked Singer gig, though.

NEWS AND NOTES

I unveiled the inaugural class of the JASON CREATES TV Hall of Fame on Tuesday.

Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek says he’s “feeling great.” What is good news?

The 2021 Rose Parade has been canceled because of the coronavirus. That’s a bummer. Has anyone gotten reaction from Will Farrell and Molly Shannon?

The 41st season of Survivor isn’t happening anytime soon, either. Sad emoji.

ABC’s United We Fall has a big debut. I’ll catch up with it on Hulu. Eventually.

Burning question: Is there really a need for two major podcasts about The Office?

TAKES OF THE WEEK

Gizmodo’s Catie Keck: NBC’s Peacock Is The Netflix Alternative I’ve Been Waiting For

HuffPost’s Zeba Blay: We Need To Talk About Kat On The Bold Type

FIVE SEASONS TO BINGE

Better Things (Season 4, FX/Hulu)
Central Park (Season 1, Apple TV+)
Dead To Me (Season 2, Netflix)
How To Get Away With Murder (Season 6, ABC/Netflix)
Love, Victor (Season 1, Hulu)

FIVE SERIES TO SEE

Little Fires Everywhere (Limited series, Hulu)
Never Have I Ever (Season 1, Netflix)
Ramy (Seasons 1 and 2, Hulu)
Unbelievable (Limited series, Netflix)
Watchmen (Limited series, HBO/Max)

WHAT I’M WATCHING NOW/NEXT

Brave New World, Intelligence (Peacock TV)
The Chi (Season 3, Showtime)
I May Destroy You (Season 1, HBO/Max)
Little Voice (Season 1, Apple TV+)
Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (Season 1, Hulu)

JC Awards Show Notebook (July 15, 2020)

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The JC Awards Show Notebook is a weekly feature on this blog. Get my takes on breaking developments, campaign season and all the big shows every Wednesday.

Voting for the 2020 Emmy nominations ended this week. I’ve been posting my analysis and predictions on Twitter (@jasondlangbehn) since the beginning of July. The noms will be announced on July 28, a little less than two months before the Primetime Emmy telecast on ABC. I set up my picks over at Gold Derby.

Here’s how I see the biggest categories right now:

COMEDY

The Favorite: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Another Contender: Schitt’s Creek (Pop)
A Darkhorse: Ramy (Hulu)
One I Just Didn’t Like: Run (HBO)
My Dream Nominee: Superstore (NBC)
Don’t Forget About: Never Have I Ever (Netflix)

Current predictions: Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO), Dead To Me (Netflix), Modern Family (ABC), Ramy (Hulu), Schitt’s Creek (Pop), The Good Place (NBC), The Great (Hulu), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

Personal favorites: Better Things (FX), Dead To Me (Netflix), Insecure (HBO), Never Have I Ever (Netflix), Ramy (Hulu), Schitt’s Creek (Pop), Sex Education (Netflix), Superstore (NBC)

DRAMA

The Favorite: Succession (HBO)
Another Contender: The Crown (Netflix)
A Darkhorse: Better Call Saul (AMC)
One I Just Didn’t Like: Ozark (Netflix)
My Dream Nominee: Pose (FX)
Don’t Forget About: The Morning Show (Apple TV+)

Current predictions: Better Call Saul (AMC), Ozark (Netflix), Pose (FX), Succession (HBO), The Crown (Netflix), The Morning Show (Apple TV+), The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu), This Is Us (NBC)

Personal favorites: Better Call Saul (AMC), David Makes Man (OWN), Orange Is The New Black (Netflix), Pose (FX), Succession (HBO), The Crown (Netflix), The Good Fight (CBS All Access), The Morning Show (Apple TV+)

NEWS AND NOTES

  • The TV Critics Association announced its 2019-2020 nominees last week. No major quibbles. The acting categories are female-heavy, and deservedly so. Glad to see all the love for Better Call Saul, Pose, Insecure, Better Things, Dead To Me and Unbelievable. Being a voter would be so difficult. I’ll have more on this in the coming weeks.
  • Here’s a complete list of the BAFTA TV nominees revealed last month. I’m not as clued in here. It’s tough to go against The Crown (drama series) and Chernobyl (miniseries). I love Derry Girls, but I’m sure it will get crushed by Fleabag in scripted comedy. The nominees in international series are Euphoria, Succession, Unbelievable and Whey They See Us. That is STACKED.
  • The TV Academy had something to say to an auction house trying to sell the late Valerie Harper’s Emmy statuettes. Oops.
  • Gold Derby’s Daniel Montgomery looks at the early 2021 Grammy contenders for Song of the Year. Sorry, I haven’t had time to think about that yet.
  • What are some of the top movies from the first half of 2020 eligible for Best Picture at nest year’s Oscars? IndieWire’s Zach Sharf breaks it down. I’m a huge fan of Crip Camp, Da 5 Bloods, The Assistant and The Way Back.

IMPORTANT DATES

July 17: BAFTA Television Craft Awards
July 28: Emmy Nominations (TV TBA)
July 31: BAFTA TV Awards (BBC America)
Sept. 20: 72nd Primetime Emmys (ABC)
Jan. 18: Critics Choice Awards TV Nominations
Jan. 31: 63rd Grammy Awards (CBS)
Feb. 4: SAG Award Nominations
Feb. 7: Critics Choice Awards Film Nominations
Feb. 28: 78th Golden Globe Awards (NBC)
March 7: 26th Critics Choice Awards (The CW)
March 14: 27th SAG Awards (TBS/TNT)
March 15: Oscar Nominations (ABC)
Apri 11: BAFTA Film Awards (BBC America)
April 24: 36th FI Spirit Awards (IFC)
April 25: 93rd Oscars (ABC)

 

I Wanna See Your Peacock TV

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Just what we needed, right? Another streamer. NBCUniversal rolled out Peacock TV nationwide today. I added the app to my phone this afternoon and can’t wait to check it out. (Like HBO Max, it’s still a no-go with my Roku devices.) One thing that stands out: There’s a free tier. I’ll probably end up shelling out $10/month for the premium service sans ads. Where do I find the time? I have no choice to make it happen. Looking at the offerings, here are some of the highlights on Peacock Premium:

  • A bevy of original shows and movies, including Brave New World, The Capture, Intelligence, Psych 2: Lassie Come Home, Cleopatra In Space and Curious George. I’m looking forward to Brave New World. (USA Today reviewed all of them.)
  • New original programming on the way. My favorite: Season 3 of A.P. Bio on Sept 3. The Saved By the Bell, Battlestar Galactica and Punky Brewster reboots as well as Five Bedrooms, Lady Parts and Rutherford Falls also sound intriguing.
  • Notable library series like American Ninja Warrior, Cheers, Everybody Loves Raymond, Frasier, House, Law & Order and spinoff SVU, Ray Donovan, Superstore, The Affair and Yellowstone (a huge breakout hit on cable recently). That’s solid.
  • The U.S. version of The Office, which comes in January 2021. (It’s on Netflix now.)
  • JASON CREATES TV Hall of Fame drama Friday Night Lights. Hooray. The series had been on Hulu.
  • Hundreds of movies titles. I’m still looking at the full list, but I noticed Brokeback Mountain, Lost In Translation and The Big Lebowski.
  • Early access to current NBC programming. Think America’s Got Talent, Blindspot, Hollywood Game Night, New Amsterdam, Saturday Night Live, Superstore, SVU, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, news programs, Telemundo series and more.
  • Many Bravo shows (including the amazing Top Chef!).
  • Exclusive access to NBC’s late-night shows and lots of sports stuff.

I’m ready for it. I’ll have more to say once I get familiar with the interface and content. And mark your calendars for July 31. That’s when I’ll unveil the JASON CREATES TV Streamers Power Index. With so many available in this rapidly growing space, I’ll rank the best options (taking into account their new offerings, libraries and other factors) and assess who’s rising and falling. After that, the feature will be updated on the last day of every month.

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