TV Talk: Streaming saves the mid-tier movie; WTAE-TV improves morning news lead in May sweeps

While Tom Cruise’s “Top Gun Maverick” was busy drawing movie fans back to theaters last weekend, making a record-breaking $160 million over four days, streaming services have reclaimed the middle-budget movie (films made for $5-$50 million) for their platforms.

And some of them are quite good. Disney+’s “Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers” proved to be a clever diversion that’s entertaining enough for kids and filled with jokes and allusions that amuse parents – seriously, if you haven’t seen it, this one is worth watching. The film also landed in the Top 10 streaming movies the week of May 20, per ReelGood.com, surrounded by movies that had been in theaters first.

At its upfront presentation last month, Disney+ touted the upcoming “Hocus Pocus” sequel (Sept. 30), reuniting Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy from the 1993 movie.

And Peacock will now be the home of Universal movies, including the upcoming “Jurassic World: Dominion” within four months of its theatrical release. Those Universal movies used to go to HBO.

This weekend, Hulu debuts “Fire Island,” a Joel Kim Booster-scripted comedy about a group of gay friends on summer vacation together. A “Pride and Prejudice”-style gay comedy, it’s not quite funny enough (and definitely too long) but it is an example of the kind of niche, mid-budget movie that’s no longer likely to be made for theaters. Theatrical films are likely to be flagpole events, Marvel and DC movies, sequels and big-budget projects based on existing IP.

And while streaming has gone all-in on original movies – including Netflix’s “Sweet Girl,” “The Pale Blue Eye” and “Rustin” and Apple TV+’s “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” which all filmed in Pittsburgh – there’s also been a slight uptick in made-for-broadcast movies with The CW’s “Waltons” movies and CBS, taking a page from Hallmark Channel’s success, ordering three holiday movies for Christmas 2022.

Local sweeps ratings

May sweeps ratings for weekday local TV newscasts showed a rising tide for WTAE-TV, with a first-place finish at 5 and 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. in households and the key demo of viewers ages 25-54. In the mornings, WTAE’s newly-configured, three-anchor newscast put the station further ahead of its rivals than it was in May 2021.

KDKA-TV came in first in households at noon, 4, 5 and 11 p.m. The station was first in the demo at noon and 4 p.m. And KDKA’s 10 p.m. newscast on WPCW-TV, now anchored by Royce Jones, was first at 10 p.m. in households (a hair ahead of WPGH-TV in the demo).

WPXI took first place in the demo at 5 and 11 p.m.

Ratings released last week by Nielsen include household ratings that reflect a measure of popularity and the more important-to-stations demographic ratings, including the key demo of ages 25-54, that are used to set ad rates.

Year-to-year, newscast ratings are generally down in most time periods with mornings holding up better than other daypart ratings.

At 4 p.m., the addition of newscasts on WPXI and WTAE cut KDKA’s ratings by almost three ratings points, compared to 2021 even though Channel 2 still came in first. WPXI’s 4 p.m. ratings were off by more than three ratings points compared to when it had “Judge Judy” in the time period in 2021.

The addition of WPXI’s 6:30 p.m. newscast on WPGH-TV drew a 0.4 rating and 1 share in household and 0.2/1 in the demo. A year earlier, reruns of “Two and a Half Men” drew 1.5/3 household and 0.7/3 in the demo.

Another ‘Great Ride’

WQED-TV will premiere “The Great Ride: Landmarks Along the Trail” (8 p.m. June 16), a follow-up to 2018’s “The Great Ride” about the Great Allegheny Passage bike trail from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Md. The sequel looks at key landmarks on the trail and their historical significance.

Prior to the TV premiere, WQED will screen the one-hour documentary at free, ticketed screenings along the trail June 7 (6:30 p.m. at Pump House, 880 East Waterfront Drive, Munhall), June 9 (6:30 p.m. at Tissue Farm, 446 Latrobe Ave., Confluence) and June 10 (7 p.m. at Palace Theatre, 31 East Main St., Frostburg, Md.).

‘Kingstown’ seeks extras

Season two of Paramount+’s “Mayor of Kingstown” will begin filming in Western Pennsylvania later this month (continuing through October) and the request for paid background actors (AKA extras) has gone out.

The production seeks kids, teens and adults of all ethnicities to play town locals, SWAT/FBI/cops, prisoners and diner patrons in the fictional Michigan town where the show is set.

This is the first local extras casting post-covid to say “vaccinations not mandatory” but covid testing will be provided. To apply or for details visit, movieextraspittsburgh.com.

‘Demon’ seeks more extras

Netflix’s untitled Lee Daniels horror film, formerly known as “Demon House,” seeks extras ages 6 and older to play African-American church-goers on June 20 in Sheraden. Pay is $175 for a 12-hour day. Covid-19 vaccinations (plus booster for adults) are required.

Email a photo of yourself, your name, phone number, age, location, height and weight to mosserextras@gmail.com with the subject line “Church Extra 6/20.”

The production also seeks full-time photo doubles for an 8-year-old African-American boy and a 15-year-old African-American girl to work multiple days per week starting June 20 to late August (no weekends). Pay is $300 per day. Details are available at mossercasting.com.

Channel surfing

The next “Star Wars” series, “Andor,” a prequel to the movie “Rogue One,” comes to Disney+ on Aug. 31 with season three of “The Mandalorian” returning in February 2023. “Mandalorian” spin-off “Ahsoka” will be joined in 2023 by a new series, “Skeleton Crew,” starring Jude Law and a group of children lost in the “Star Wars” galaxy. … The Weather Channel now offers a subscription app and live stream of its network for $2.99 per month available on Amazon Fire TV and Android TV and coming soon to Roku and Xfinity Flex; cable/satellite providers can access the app by authenticating their accounts using their cable/satellite credentials. … The upcoming sixth season of “The Good Fight” on Paramount+, premiering Sept. 8, will be the show’s final season.