Launching a new show, the expansion of live television, storytelling in a time of binge TV, the global marketplace and using data to target today’s audiences were all part of Variety’s exploration of Peak TV during their recent TV Summit. Executives, creatives, marketers and researchers discussed the current state of television as well as what they see coming next.
While the Marvel movies and the upcoming “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” show get the headlines, if you flip channels enough you will find that Disney has not wasted any opportunity to get a return on their investment in Marvel. These under-the-radar shows are animated and appear on Disney-owned cable channels. I knew about (and hate, for the cutesy comments by a cartoony Spidey) “Ultimate Spider-Man.”
I have also come across shows that are set in Japan and seem to be sub-contracted out to a Japanese animé studio. One featured Iron Man and another the X-Men. (I don’t know if Disney can use the X-Men in animation when another studio owns the movie rights. What the corporate relationships are behind the Japanese shows I couldn’t tell you.)
Yesterday, on an early Sunday morning cruise through the desolate wastes of cable TV, I stopped on a show I hadn’t seen before. “Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.” is the title. It has a fully talking and thinking Hulk teaming up with other iterations of himself, including Red Hulk, She-Hulk, and A-Bomb. A-Bomb, you say? It’s Rick Jones in blue armor. If you don’t know who Rick Jones is, I don’t have time to tell you.
There’s funny, and there’s not funny. Guess what’s not funny:
This is a joke, right?
Wait, let’s put it another way: This better be a joke.
The studio’s trying to get a reading on how this will go down with the audience. At least, that’s the only explanation we can come up with for this particular interweb speculation:
ABC And Marvel Eying ‘Avengers’-Themed TV Series – by Nellie Andreeva (Deadline.Com)
EXCLUSIVE: After scoring huge at the box office with its Avengers movie, Marvel is looking to explore the mythology on the small screen too. I’ve learned that Marvel’s TV division is in conversation with ABC and ABC Studios about doing a drama series in the Avengers world. I hear that the connection to the Avengers franchise would be light as the project is expected to be set in the universe and feature some of its themes and feel, but may not include any characters from Joss Whedon’s blockbuster.
Yes, I know. I’m late seeing this, but, thank the Great God Netflix, see it I did.
And I thought it was great.
Not as much action as Wheedon’s AVENGERS. Nor as much comedy, but to quote another classic, “What’s there is cherce.”