First, we’ll focus on the top five worst shows of 2023 in our opinion.

Douglas’ #5 — The Goldbergs season 10 (ABC)

Douglas’ #4 — 007: Road to a Million (Prime Video)

Douglas’ #3 — NCIS: Sydney (CBS)

Douglas’ #2 — The Idol (HBO/Max)

And my number one worst show of 2023…

Douglas’ #1 — True Lies (CBS)

Scott Nolte’s Worst of 2023
#5 — Velma (HBO/Max)
#4 — Loki season 2 (Disney+)
#3 — Willow (Disney+)
#2 — The Idol (HBO/Max)
#1 — True Lies (CBS)

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And now, Douglas’ best shows of 2023:

Honorable mentions (in no particular order): HBO/Max series: “Barry”, “Succession”, “And Just Like That”; “The Night Agent” (Netflix), “Beef” (Netflix), “Jury Duty” (Freevee), “Claim to Fame” season 2 (ABC), “Shrinking” (Apple TV+), “Son of a Critch” (CW), “The Spencer Sisters” (CW), “Will Trent” (ABC), “Only Murders In The Building” season 3 (Hulu)

Douglas’ #5 — The Bear (Hulu/FX)

Douglas’ #4 — Squid Game: The Challenge (Netflix)

Douglas’ #3 — The Traitors (Peacock)

Douglas’ #2 — Survivor (CBS) & Australian Survivor (Channel 10)

Douglas’ #1 — Poker Face (Peacock)

Scott Nolte’s Best of 2023
#5 — Survivor (CBS)
#4 — Squid Game: The Challenge (Netflix)
#3 — Quarterback (Netflix)
#2 — Poker Face (Peacock)
#1 — The Last of Us (HBO/Max)

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The post The Best and Worst TV Shows of 2023 appeared first on Programming Insider.

The first game was the New York Mets at Washington Nationals. Making his Mets pitching debut was Max Scherzer, one of MLB’s premier pitchers. At 37 years old, he is currently earning the league’s largest average annual value at $43 million/year.

Baltimore Orioles announcer Melanie Newman was recently also hired by MLB Network; she did play-by-play for Apple’s inaugural broadcast (produced by MLBN). Newman was joined by two analysts — former major leaguer Chris Young and Yahoo Sports reporter Hannah Keyser — and on-the-field reporter Brooke Fletcher

Apple TV+’s broadcast of Mets-Nationals generated much initial reaction from those in the sports media industry, especially from the New York market.

Be better @AppleTVPlus

— Evan Roberts (@EvanRobertsWFAN) April 8, 2022

Watching #Mets game @AppleTVPlus. World still spinning on its axis. For now…

— Neil Best (@sportswatch) April 8, 2022

Probability I’m not going to watch another game on Apple TV: 87.56%

— Al Iannazzone (@Al_Iannazzone) April 9, 2022

Nothing can ruin baseball… and then Apple TV + came along

— Evan Roberts (@EvanRobertsWFAN) April 9, 2022

There was mixed reaction for the Apple TV+ broadcast booth:

Apple TV Mets-Nats: early returns: pxp has potential but has yet to take a breath and sounds like radio. Analyst referred to Pete Alonso's helmet face shield as a "chin strap." And turning the walk-up music into a promo for Apple Music reeked of the Home Shopping Network: C-

— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) April 8, 2022

Really impressed with Apple’s production quality for this first broadcast. And really liking the broadcast team for this Mets-Nats game.

— Maury Brown (@BizballMaury) April 9, 2022

They are talking the merits of analytics in the 7th in a game where there was a bench clearing brawl.

Focus, Apple.

— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) April 9, 2022

I think Melanie Newman has potential. It's a big jump from Orioles to national. It is hard to parachute in on two teams. A little too much radio. But people in biz I trust said she has some chops. And I hear it. There is room to grow.

— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) April 9, 2022

Chris Young is absolutely right on this, which is rare and refreshing: if you can't control your pitches inside, don't throw inside.

— Kate Feldman (@kateefeldman) April 9, 2022

“Alonso sends this one high…it’s over the infield.” #appletvplus

— The TV Answer Man (@TVAnswerMan) April 9, 2022

Love to tune in to the Washington Nationals game to hear Derek Jeter lore.

— (@NationalsLiker) April 9, 2022

I love Apple products, & have invested in Apple stock. However they’re going over the top with Apple cross selling. Feels like long infomercial. This was my go to radio for Mets California road trips. It still works as backup during power outages. Dialing @HowieRose #LGM #Mets pic.twitter.com/AL4vRu56EY

— MetsUniverse (@MichaelNegrn2) April 9, 2022

I do like the use of the iconic Apple San Francisco font for Friday Night Baseball graphics. Nicely done.

I thought Melanie Newman did a good job on the Mets game. Hannah Keyser added some good tidbits.

Katie Nolan has to learn when to interject during a live game. pic.twitter.com/1a9WhKo5lT

— Ken Fang — Get your shots!!!! (@fangsbites) April 9, 2022

Following Newman’s call of Mets infielder Jeff McNeil‘s game-tying solo home run in the third inning:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEFF MCNEIL pic.twitter.com/bJbUHGwAFR

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 8, 2022

Nats Park is one of the worst places in MLB to call a game because the broadcast booth is so far from the field. The perspective from that high up makes it difficult to tell the difference between a lazy fly ball and a long home run.

— John Ourand (@Ourand_SBJ) April 8, 2022

We’re in the third inning and I can confidently say this is one of the worst calls I’ve ever heard

— Brian McKeon (@_brianmckeon) April 9, 2022

Some opined on Apple TV+’s unique on-screen approach to airing an MLB game:

Apple broadcast is fully leaning into gaming and analytics with a stat or odds line for each AB. Just showed the pre-game HR odds for Soto’s AB.

— Maury Brown (@BizballMaury) April 9, 2022

I'm obsessed with Apple TV+'s wildly fluctuating event probability stats in the bottom right corner.

— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) April 9, 2022

The picture quality on the Apple TV game is fantastic. Going to be very noticeable when the other broadcasts don’t have it.

— Judy Battista (@judybattista) April 8, 2022

I don't totally understand why the Apple games seem so much crisper and clearer, but these cameras rule.

— Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) April 9, 2022

The AppleTV scorebug is very Apple-y. As somebody deep in the Apple universe, I don’t hate it. pic.twitter.com/nHHAlvOpkn

— Cork Gaines (@CorkGaines) April 9, 2022

Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV+ (which is produced by MLB Network) feels like watching the MLB App on an iPad.

Simple and clean gfx. Very on-brand for Apple; down to the fonts.

Combined w/ 1080p and the shallow DoF camera around the dugouts, the overall show is crisp. pic.twitter.com/N4ANJug3KK

— Brandon Costa (@SVG_Brandon) April 9, 2022

Screenshots of Apple TV +'s inaugural #FridayNightBaseball telecasts. I like the scorebug and the graphics – the font is nice, but the wording is a bit small. No local rotating advertising behind home plate, but the computer-imposed green screen national advertising instead pic.twitter.com/odqBL21mFI

— T Dog Media (@tdogmedia) April 9, 2022

Following Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor getting hit in the helmet — the fourth Mets hitter to get plunked by Nationals pitchers within a span of 14 innings — which led to the benches of each team to clear:

Great audio of Francisco Lindor after he got hit in the face by a pitch.

He thanked his teammates for having his back.

X-rays and concussion tests were both negative. #LGM pic.twitter.com/MwqNO9n8DB

— Ryan Field (@RyanFieldABC) April 9, 2022

Having retired umpire Brian Gorman on the Apple broadcast is really good.

— Kristie Ackert (@ByKristieAckert) April 9, 2022

Gorman discussed the rules involved after the Lindor incident.

The biggest issue of the night occurred at approximately 8:10 p.m. Eastern — the game crashed for many Apple TV+ viewers:

Damn you, live streaming!!!! #AppleTV+ pic.twitter.com/MerOoIBYwG

— John Ourand (@Ourand_SBJ) April 9, 2022

Apple TV+’s first ever MLB broadcast crashing, thereby playing into the exact fears leagues and fans have with sports migrating* to streaming platforms, is poetic.

*This will get better in time.

— julia alexander (@loudmouthjulia) April 9, 2022

A single crash for Apple TV’s MLB debut will overshadow whatever else they show tonight, for better or worse.

— Jacob Feldman (@JacobFeldman4) April 9, 2022

The post Sports Media World Weighs In on Debut of ‘Friday Night Baseball’ on Apple TV+ appeared first on Programming Insider.

First, we’ll focus on the top five worst shows of 2021 in our opinion.

Douglas’ #5 — Ordinary Joe (NBC)
Among the fall entries, this drama takes this spot. The plot revolves around a guy who makes a decision on his graduation day and that sparks three more storylines. Unfortunately, all of them were unappealing.

Douglas’ #4 — Kenan (NBC)
There was much promise for this comedy. But this clone of CBS’ “The Unicorn” was absent of any laughs, which was surprising considering I’m a fan of Kenan Thompson on “SNL”.

Douglas’ #3 — Tiger King 2 (Netflix)
This falls into the category of trying to milk a dead cow. That cow is “Tiger King”, the wildly popular guilty-pleasure Netflix documentary from 2020. The streamer tried to extend that craze in November 2021, despite the absence of its two main personalities Joe Exotic (who’s in prison) and Carole Baskin (who refused to appear in new episodes). But its return was a mere rehashing of things we’ve already seen. I don’t want to revisit anything from the spring of 2020, let alone “Tiger King”. No thank you.

Douglas’ #2 — Pretty Smart (Netflix)
The inverse of “The Big Bang Theory” where an intelligent person resides with regular folk: a professor’s assistant (Emily Osment) gets dumped by her boyfriend long-distance while visiting her sister and her sister’s friends in Los Angeles. Every attempt at humor ventures towards cringey as any stereotype you could imagine about Gen-Z’ers is presented. By far, the worst scripted series of the year.

And my number one worst show of 2021, I’m coming for the king of romance reality shows…

Douglas’ #1 — The Bachelor/The Bachelorette (ABC)
To start the year, “The Bachelor” made history with its first Black bachelor. But what turned out to be the season’s top headline: the woman he selected once attended a plantation wedding. Shortly thereafter, Chris Harrison lost his hosting gig after 19 years following his combative interview with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay on the newsmagazine “Extra.” But even if Harrison never had that incident and remained as host, the show still would have deserved worst billing. Within the recent decade, this franchise went globe-trotting with its contestants and delivered some whirlwind romances which made each season distinct. But since the pandemic, production’s limitations exposed what was lacking. It relied on the same gimmicks, same formats of dates, and usually lame and corny participants — most notably, former “Bachelor” contestant turned “Bachelorette” Katie and her beau, former multiple “Bachelorette” suitor Blake.

If there ever was a year to peg “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” as THE worst, 2021 was the year to do it.

Scott Nolte’s Worst of 2021
#10 — Call Me Kat (Fox)
#9 — Kenan (NBC)
#8 — Mr. Mayor (NBC)
#7 — Alter Ego (Fox)
#6 — Tiger King 2 (Netflix)
#5 — Clarice (CBS)
#4 — Turner & Hooch (Disney+)
#3 — The Masked Dancer (Fox)
#2 — The Celebrity Dating Game (ABC)
#1 — American Horror Stories (FX on Hulu)
Don’t waste your time! Even though they revisit the first season’s murder house, these episodes are a different experience from the “American Horror Story” franchise.

And now, Douglas’ best shows of 2021:

Honorable mentions (in no particular order): HBO Max series: “Hacks”, “Succession” and “The White Lotus”; “Sex Education” (Netflix), “Physical” (Apple TV+), “The Big Leap” (Fox), fall edition episodes of “Saturday Night Live” season 47 (NBC), “Survivor 41” (CBS), “Monday Night Football: ManningCast” (ESPN2)

Douglas’ #5 — The Conners (ABC)
Consider me a nostalgic. I grew up at a time when the network sitcom was king. I thoroughly enjoy “The Conners” as it stands now as it’s the best written scripted show on the broadcast networks right now. This current season is top notch thus far.

Douglas’ #4 — Mare of Easttown (HBO)
One of the year’s best limited series. Starring Kate Winslet as a former high school basketball phenom turned police detective who tries to solve the murder of a teen mom in a small Pennsylvania town. Terrific acting all around by Winslet, an already-legendary film actress, as well as from recent greats of the small screen: Jean Smart and the Emmy-winning Evan Peters. Its ending was surprising and confirming of an intense thriller.

Douglas’ #3 — Only Murders In The Building (Hulu)
I would not have expected the odd grouping of legendary comedians Steve Martin and Martin Short with pop music star/former kid actress Selena Gomez to generate magic. But it turned out to be the most suspenseful show of the year and the funniest show of the year. It well incorporated celebrity guest roles (e.g. Sting, Nathan Lane), and provided an engaging take on the true crime podcast craze as well as on the old-fashioned murder mystery.

Douglas’ #2 — The Circle (U.S. Netflix/UK Channel 4)
The reality show that well reflects our current times by borrowing the many aspects of social media and incorporating them in to a highly competitive format. The game involved a group of contestants, each member residing in their own respective apartment and can only communicate via their TV screens through an app called The Circle. Even moreso than the similar “Big Brother”, social game is at a premium. Every discussion, talking point and contest (proving non-physical challenges can be very engaging) tested the bonds among the players and attempted to alter their dynamic ever-so-slightly to shift the game’s balance of power. In 2021, there were two civilian U.S. seasons, a civilian UK season and British celebrity edition. All four of the cycles were a treat to watch.

#1 — The Hustler (ABC)
Quite fitting that my top four shows of the year involved solving mysteries and none of them were a generic crime drama.

Two decades ago, ABC introduced the reality show “The Mole” where a group of contestants must accomplish several tasks for a grand prize. But to win the money, one must best identify the saboteur playing amongst them. Another ABC show at the start of 2021 took that format, sprinkled some comedy (in the form of host Craig Ferguson) and turned us viewers into amateur detectives. It became the best new game show of recent time, and personally, it was a welcome communal experience as I was involved in several weekly text chains with fellow TV Tuesday partner Scott Nolte and my Uncle Anthony in Florida attempting to identify “the hustler.”

Scott Nolte’s Best of 2021
#10 — B Positive (CBS)
#9 — Coyote (Paramount+)
#8 — Sex Education (Netflix)
#7 — The Conners (ABC)
#6 — You (Netflix)
#5 — Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
#4 — Marvel Studios: WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, Hawkeye (Disney+)
#3 — Yellowstone (Paramount Network)
#2 — Survivor 41 (CBS)
#1 — The Hustler (ABC)

The post The Best and Worst TV Shows of 2021 appeared first on Programming Insider.

In addition to starring, Sudeikis serves as executive producer, alongside Lawrence (“Scrubs”) via his Doozer Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television, a division of NBCUniversal Content. Doozer’s Jeff Ingold also serves as an executive producer with Liza Katzer as co-executive producer. The series was developed by Sudeikis, Lawrence, Joe Kelly and Brendan Hunt, and is based on the pre-existing format and characters from NBC Sports.

In this week’s new episode, Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) hosts the team’s annual charity benefit, where Ted stages a reconciliation between Roy (Brett Goldstein) and Jamie (Phil Dunster).

The post Apple TV+ Renews ‘Ted Lasso’ for Season 2 appeared first on Programming Insider.

“Palmer” joins Apple original films including the recently announced “Snow Blind,” with Jake Gyllenhaal; Martin Scorsese’s forthcoming “Killers of the Flower Moon,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro; “Emancipation,” starring Will Smith; “Sharper,” starring Julianne Moore; “The Sky is Everywhere,” based on the best-selling YA novel of the same name; and “On the Rocks” from Sofia Coppola, starring Bill Murray and Rashida Jones.

The post Apple TV+ Orders Film ‘Palmer’ with Justin Timberlake appeared first on Programming Insider.

For those shows you have watched, there are five options to choose from: zero (worst) thru 4 (best).

You don’t have to vote on every show.

Once all the votes have been cast, we’ll tally up the final results for each show and assign a final grade. The final rankings will be released sometime during the week of December 16.

Happy voting!

For mobile device visitors, you may visit https://forms.gle/vrGhFPpJvy3wGmUY7 for a more user-friendly experience.

The post Rate the Scripted Originals on Streaming for 2019 appeared first on Programming Insider.

The series will be written by Will Smith (“Veep,” “The Thick Of It”). Graham Yost will executive produce along with Will Smith. Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Gail Mutrux and Douglas Urbanski also serve as executive producers.

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