Last year, the highlights of the summer TV season included “Succession,” “Stranger Things” and “Pose.” In 2020, however, nothing looks the way it did in 2019, TV included. Following guidelines meant to slow the spread of coronavirus, TV and movie productions hit the pause button this past spring. As a result, the summer schedule has been missing some of TV’s best series.
Admittedly, this summer it was often hard to focus on entertainment, when life felt so grim, with the pandemic, racial justice protests, and waves of unemployment dominating the news.
That said, the summer TV season had its share of highlights and lowlights. Before we wade into fall, let’s take a moment to look back and reflect on summer TV winners and losers.
WINNER
Zoom and other video conference technology: With traditional production off the table, TV went remote. Late-night hosts and morning shows hosts interviewed guests via Zoom calls. Sometimes, the need for remotely produced shows, and the lack of an audience, led to oddball innovations, as when a talking painting of a sea captain became part of the nightly routine on “Late Night With Seth Meyers.”
Related: TV in the coronavirus era: A surreal mix of news, video chats and shows where characters still hug
LOSER
Viewers weary of Zoom: After enduring months of socially distanced Zoom visits and meetings, the idea of watching even more Zoom conversations can feel about as appealing as eating a bowl of gravel. When the ever-chipper hosts of the “Today” show have to awkwardly fill time as a celebrity chef’s image freezes or the sound goes out, it makes us yearn for the good old days of frothy cooking demonstrations conducted in person.
WINNER
“Hamilton”: It was a smart move for Disney Plus to spotlight “Hamilton” -- the show zillions of people dreamed of being able to see -- which began streaming on the service on July 3. Edited together from performances filmed before live audiences and between shows in June 2016, this “Hamilton” gave everyone who saw it the best seat in the house. Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom, Jr., Daveed Diggs, Phillipa Soo, Renée Elise Goldsberry and other members of the original Broadway cast were in top form, and the show’s vivid blend of history, musical theater razzle-dazzle, and contemporary music were electrifying.
Related: ‘Hamilton’ on Disney Plus: The original Broadway cast soars in a thrilling show (review)
LOSER
Ellen DeGeneres: The host of the syndicated hit, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” built a brand around a “Be Kind,” positive attitude. But with this summer’s allegations of a toxic work environment, misconduct, harassment and racism, the don’t-worry-be-happy image of DeGeneres and her show is looking pretty thoroughly smudged. Three senior producers have left in the wake of the accusations. In a letter to staff following reports of the allegations, DeGeneres wrote, “My name is on the show and everything we do and I take responsibility for that,” adding, “As we’ve grown exponentially, I’ve not been able to stay on top of everything and relied on others to do their jobs as they knew I’d want them done. Clearly some didn’t.” While DeGeneres pledged to “correct the issues,” some criticized her initial response for seeming to deflect blame, and throw others under the bus. Recently, it was announced the show would return for a new season on Sept. 21. In a statement, DeGeneres said, “I can’t wait to get back to work and back to our studio. And, yes, we’re gonna talk about it."
WINNER
“Yellowstone”: It may not get critics yakking, or earn awards show recognition, but “Yellowstone” continues to be a bigtime ratings hit for the Paramount Network. The contemporary western saga starring Kevin Costner ended its third season with an episode that ranked as the most-watched cable telecast of the year, according to Nielsen.
LOSER
“NOS4A2”: The horror series ended its second season on Aug. 23. That turned out to be the final season when, not too long after, AMC announced the show wouldn’t be renewed. In case you weren’t watching – and apparently, not enough people were – the series was burdened with a bad title (“NOS4A2” sounds like “Nosferatu,” the title of the classic 1922 movie about a vampire). The storyline, according to the official AMC description, centered on Vic McQueen (Ashley Cummings), who “discovers she has a supernatural ability to find lost things. This ability puts her on a collision course with Charlie Manx (Zachary Quinto), a seductive immortal who feeds off the souls of children, then deposits what remains of them into Christmasland – an icy, twisted Christmas village of Manx’s imagination where every day is Christmas Day and unhappiness is against the law.” I’ll have to take AMC’s word for it, since I never watched “NOS4A2” either.
Michaela Coel and Franc Ashman in "I May Destroy You." (Photo: Natalie Seery/HBO)
WINNER
“I May Destroy You”: The British-made HBO series created by and starring Michaela Coel was, on one level, the story of a young woman in London dealing with the aftermath of being drugged and sexually assaulted. But Coel’s series was also a drama, a comedy, a commentary on social media, and an exploration of the complicated intersection between sex and consent. It wasn’t for everyone, but “I May Destroy You” was both one of the most talked-about shows of the summer, and a testament to Coel’s talent.
LOSER
2020 Democratic and Republican national conventions: Instead of the hoopla and confetti-strewn mass gatherings that we expect from presidential nominating events, the 2020 conventions were stripped down, as a result of the coronavirus. Sadly, and predictably, viewership reflected the deep partisan divide in the country. As The New York Times reported, Fox News Channel, which features a primetime lineup of shows that target conservatives, dominated ratings for the Republican convention. And MSNBC, which features primetime shows featuring liberal hosts, was tops in viewers for the Democratic convention.
WINNER
Ian Karmel: The former favorite of the Portland stand-up comedy scene scored some primetime national TV exposure with the spring premiere of the CBS competition, “Game On!,” a comedy game show hosted by Keegan-Michael Key, featuring athletes Venus Williams and Rob Gronkowski, along with comedians Karmel and Bobby Lee, competing in various physical challenges and trivia showdowns. Karmel, who’s the co-head writer for “The Late Late Show,” also got some on-camera time once host James Corden and other members of the team moved back into their studio in August, to perform the show without an audience.
LOSER
Portland: This summer, images of unrest at Portland protests have become a political football, making the Rose City look like an apocalyptic hellscape. For President Donald Trump, the scenes of demonstrators vs. law enforcement have helped shape a “law and order” narrative, which Trump is pushing in the weeks leading up to the presidential election on Nov. 3. Opposing that characterization are those who say that Portland is far from consumed by 24/7 violent protests. The result? Another example of painful partisan divides that all too often feel impossibly daunting. And the tragic reality is, in the midst of all this political posturing, people have been injured, and lives have been lost, with the killing of Aaron Danielson, and the death of Michael Reinoehl, who was himself killed by members of a federal fugitive task force near Lacey, Washington.
More of our coverage:
-- Kristi Turnquist
kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist
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