GAME OF THRONES - Effect on Fantasy Genre

"What blockbuster ‘Game of Thrones’ meant for the fantasy genre" PBS NewsHour 5/17/2019

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  For the millions of viewers around the world addicted to HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” winter is coming, this weekend.  The television phenomenon, which upwards of 17 million people watch per episode, concludes its eighth and final season with no shortage of attention or critique.  Jeffrey Brown reports on how the series became a sensation, where it fell short and what it means for the fantasy genre.

COMMENT:  I have read may complaints on Twitter/Facebook about season 8 ending, but from what I see many have forgotten that it's "The Game of THRONES."  The show was not about the 'coming winter' or any other issue than who will sit on the "Iron Throne."



Game of Thrones Season 8 - Official Trailer

TELEVISION - Best of 2017

"The best, bingeable shows 2017 had to offer" PBS NewsHour 12/22/2017

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  If you’re planning a little TV binge-watching this holiday, there are plenty of great shows from the past year to catch up on.  Eric Deggans of NPR and Jen Chaney of Vulture join Jeffrey Brown to offer their top picks of 2017 for best TV and streaming shows.

TELEVISION - ABC's 'Fresh Off the Boat' TV Series

"Will ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ turn the tide for Asian Americans on TV?" PBS NewsHour 2/14/2015

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  The new ABC sitcom "Fresh Off the Boat" debuted to winning ratings and marked the first time in 20 years you could watch a network series centered on an Asian-American family.  But will the popular sitcom clear the path for more exposure of Asian Americans in pop culture?  NewsHour's Mori Rothman reports.

MORI ROTHMAN (NewsHour):  Like millions of Americans, Jeff Yang watched the recent premiere of “Fresh Off the Boat.”  Yang is a columnist for the Wall Street Journal online and has written about Asian-American issues and America’s changing demographics for decades.

JEFF YANG, Wall Street Journal:  Asian-Americans are disproportionately educated, which means that there’s a growing middle-class and upper-middle class, white-collar population of Asian-Americans, affluent with disposable income.  The kind of demographic that marketers historically have been seeking to reach.

MORI ROTHMAN:  According to the 2010 Census, which defines Asians as people originating from dozens of countries, including China, India and the Philippines, Asian Americans account for a small segment of the U.S. — just over 17 million people.  But a Nielsen report on the Asian-American consumer says Asians are the fastest growing group in the U.S., having grown 58 percent from 2000 to 2013.

That’s why Yang believes TV lineups are diversifying.  Networks made a splash last year by announcing 10 new shows this season with non-white characters or non-white show creators.  But Yang is paying special attention to one show, and not just because he studies demographics.  He’s watching for his son.

JEFF YANG:  I can’t even claim to be a dispassionate observer here, and nor would I want to.  You know, my son, of course, is the lead kid.  He plays 11-year-old Eddie Huang in “Fresh Off the Boat.”

EDDIE HUANG, FRESH OFF THE BOAT:  That’s me, your boy Eddie Huang, check it, 11-years-old…

JEFF YANG:  I could never have imagined that it would be my offspring, the next generation who would be at the very center of a moment that I’ve kind of looked forward to for all of my adult life.