Amazon Cancels I Love Dick, Jean-Claude Van Johnson, and One Mississippi
I never watched any of these, so I'm not shedding any tears. But starting with creatively ambitious projects to attract audience and then switching to more mainstream, commercial content seems to have been the plan of all of these streaming services.
[quote]" Amazon Studios has cancelled I Love Dick, Jean-Claude Van Johnson, and One Mississippi, Variety reports. The cancellations are part of a larger strategy coming from the top: Jeff Bezos has ordered the studio to back away from the kind of niche-y original programming they built their name on in search of broader material that performs better internationally.
[quote]One Mississippi was a semiautobiographical show from Tig Notaro and Diablo Cody about Notaro’s return to her hometown that adroitly mixed comedy and tragedy. I Love Dick, Jill Soloway’s follow-up to Transparent, was an adaptation of Chris Kraus’ novel about a female filmmaker’s infatuation with a male artist, relocated to Marfa, Texas. Jean-Claude Van Johnson was an action series from David Callaham—released just over a month ago—in which Jean-Claude Van Damme played an action star named “Jean-Claude Van Damme” who also works as an undercover agent. All three shows were developed under Roy Price, the disgraced studio head fired after allegations of sexual harassment, but this isn’t a case of sweeping out an old regime: Price had begun implementing Bezos’ strategy before his abrupt departure.
[quote]On its face, this is terrible news: there’s not exactly a surfeit of distinctive, critically-acclaimed female-developed television series, and Amazon just cancelled two in one day. But looking more closely, it’s even worse news: Amazon is consciously following the same international-led strategy that turned the major studios into superhero movie factories over the last decade. In that spirit—and in hopes of scoring their own Game of Thrones-size hit—the studio is developing a series based on The Lord of the Rings. (Peter Jackson’s six-film series ran to a paltry 22 hours in the extended editions; thank God the Tolkien universe will finally get the broader canvas of television!) We all know how this is going to play out: like Lord of the Rings, everybody already saw it at the movies. "
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 75 | March 2, 2018 1:52 PM
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[quote] in search of broader material that performs better internationally.
Translation, get rid of those depressing homosexuals and bring in superheroes, car chases, and explosions.
by Anonymous | reply 1 | January 18, 2018 5:26 PM
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I'm shocked that Jean-Claude Van Johnson even got picked up.
by Anonymous | reply 2 | January 18, 2018 5:29 PM
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This cannot bode well for Transparent.
by Anonymous | reply 4 | January 18, 2018 5:32 PM
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I wasn't interested in I Love Dick after seeing the pilot but I loved One Mississippi and that show must have been produced for pennies.
The fact that Bezos wants broader shows with international appeal doesn't really bode well for smaller, artsier shows in the future. I mean, would they greenlight The Handmaid's Tale or Ms Maisel if those two were pitched today? Bezos just has the next Game of Thrones in mind and that's it.
by Anonymous | reply 5 | January 18, 2018 5:43 PM
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I just remembered THT is on Hulu, never mind.
by Anonymous | reply 6 | January 18, 2018 5:45 PM
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I love Amazon's The Collection. But I believe there is no official word if there will be a second season. Season One ends with a couple of cliffhangers.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 7 | January 18, 2018 5:55 PM
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Surprised Transparent hasn't been cancelled yet. I guess they are trying to avoid incurring THE WRATH.
by Anonymous | reply 8 | January 18, 2018 6:01 PM
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I haven't watched Any of Amazon Originals because none of them look very interesting to me, and the rest of the Prime lineup is hard to find shows that don't cost money. There's no filter to exclude that from what you see, so I'm tired of seeing something appear in the suggestion list and then discovering I have to pay money for it.
by Anonymous | reply 9 | January 18, 2018 6:02 PM
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This makes sense because Bezos looks like Dr. Evil or some similar comic book movie villain.
by Anonymous | reply 10 | January 18, 2018 6:07 PM
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I loved ONE MISSISSIPPI but those other two were terrible. I also loved GOOD GIRLS REVOLT which they cancelled after one season.
by Anonymous | reply 11 | January 18, 2018 6:07 PM
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Suddenly Netflix starts to look good again.
by Anonymous | reply 12 | January 18, 2018 6:36 PM
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Bezos wants to fashion himself after Bob Iger.
by Anonymous | reply 13 | January 18, 2018 6:37 PM
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I Love Dick sounds like a show we all would love but dick means Kevin Bacon who has shown his dick but will never again. I watched one episode and completely forgot about it.
by Anonymous | reply 14 | January 18, 2018 7:26 PM
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DL fave Tig Notaro was on this week's "Fresh Off the Boat."
by Anonymous | reply 15 | January 18, 2018 8:08 PM
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I liked ONE MISSISSIPPI and ALPHA HOUSE (which already got cancelled).
by Anonymous | reply 16 | January 18, 2018 8:46 PM
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I find Notaro similar to Lens Dunham in the sense that, based on the PR push around them, you'd think they were some amazing perceptive comedic geniuses, that you've somehow missed on and that you must correct that mistake immediately. And then you see their act which quickly turns tired and exhausting. And to be honest, at least Dunham can be self-deprecating (on "Girls", at least) while, with Tig, there was always a sense that she was an incredibly thin-skinned grudge collector, i.e. not something that makes a great comedian. She does have a great team around her to aggressively push her, I'll give her that.
by Anonymous | reply 17 | January 18, 2018 9:48 PM
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R'17 very true.. She has the best PR that billionaire friends can buy. Same people that saved Weinstein for decades, actually
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 18 | January 19, 2018 10:53 AM
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R17 I would actually disagree with the first part because I think she does have a special and subtle comedic take on just how absurd everyday life situations can be. Took me a while to get used to it but I found myself loving it eventually.
However, she absolutely does strike me as someone who has thin skin and can't take a joke at her own expense. And that's definitely off-putting.
by Anonymous | reply 19 | January 19, 2018 10:58 AM
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Guess I'm in the minority, but I was fascinated by I LOVE DICK, at least in the beginning, and got hooked in early.
But then it was the TWIN PEAKS syndrome: it became clear that the storytellers didn't know or care how to resolve their own story.
It was such a letdown by the end..
by Anonymous | reply 20 | January 19, 2018 11:36 AM
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Not only can't she take a joke but if she sees you as any kind of threat(in a career or social sense) she will do anything to get you out of town. Read the link. Datalounge makes a guest appearance.
by Anonymous | reply 21 | January 19, 2018 11:48 AM
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I can not stand Tig Notaro . I can not believe this woman has so many people, fans, friends that think she is funny or entertaining
by Anonymous | reply 22 | January 19, 2018 12:43 PM
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Tig is a nasty and sour dyke, good riddance.
by Anonymous | reply 23 | January 19, 2018 12:55 PM
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The Jean-Claude series only has 6 episodes? I thought it ran for two seasons. -
by Anonymous | reply 24 | January 19, 2018 12:56 PM
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All the streaming services (Amazon, Hulu, Netflix) are crap. You're paying for crap
by Anonymous | reply 25 | January 19, 2018 1:12 PM
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"this is terrible news: there’s not exactly a surfeit of distinctive, critically-acclaimed female-developed television series"
Oh please - just because a woman creates or produces a "distinctive" show does not mean it is any damn good. If women are going to produce shows , well then they have to be good an not just have "niche appeal", whatever the hell that is - all of these shows deserve to be cancelled.
by Anonymous | reply 26 | January 19, 2018 1:32 PM
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Tig is finding out what goes around comes around.
We all know that Louis CK is a creep, but he's the reason why anyone even heard of her. When he went down, she bent over backward to discredit & bad mouth him. I guess she forgot who promoted her. Now she's gone and there's no space for her material.
Later, bitch!
by Anonymous | reply 28 | January 19, 2018 11:53 PM
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Bezos is a moron. He overpaid for the rights to Middle Earth. Amazon should have picked up Oasis from Spring 2017, I think the show could have been something for them.
by Anonymous | reply 29 | January 20, 2018 2:11 AM
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I wanted to like Mozart in the Jungle but I didn't.
by Anonymous | reply 30 | January 20, 2018 2:22 AM
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R22 TIg doesn't have any significant fan base. She has friends who are very savvy and connected and she has better PR than A list stars and she has an in with many press outlets due to her friendship/business relationship with Nick Kroll. So many will read ton of articles on how loved and famous she is but it's all a fake. Google Weinstein Kroll for just one example of the kind of "reputational managment" Kroll specializes in.
by Anonymous | reply 31 | January 21, 2018 11:19 AM
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Bye Tig...guess you will return to 'behind the scenes' for a while...
I will miss only the brilliant acting of John Rothman and Sheryl Lee Ralph and their storyline from One Mississippi.
Tig's face, looks like she is constantly en-excreta.
What a shame she was so quick to turn her back on Louis CK.
by Anonymous | reply 32 | January 21, 2018 12:14 PM
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Can’t say I’m impressed really with anything on Amazon. Same with Netflix. They churn out show after show but nothing really outstanding.
by Anonymous | reply 33 | January 21, 2018 4:09 PM
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I loved One Mississippi. Never did get the Tig Notaro hate.
by Anonymous | reply 34 | January 21, 2018 4:13 PM
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I've worked there so I can assure you guys the only reason they cancelled these shows was a shift of business model. Amazon studios was a vanity project from Jeff bezos and it was envisioned as a sort of a streaming Sundance Festival. Thierry main goal was to cater to the consumers who paid for prime shipment of which Amazon video was a perk. So their target audience was 35-40somethings who paid for that services. It has since changed last year after the firing of Roy Price and Joe Lewis and it's now focusing on global buzzy shows to rival Netflix, eying Brazil Mexico and global markets that are the biggest Netflix markets outside the US.
So expect some Netflix shit from now on. They also have much more budget and money than Netflix ever will.
by Anonymous | reply 35 | January 21, 2018 4:29 PM
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Thierry = Their (autocorrect)
by Anonymous | reply 36 | January 21, 2018 4:33 PM
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R8 before Jeffrey Tambor's ridiculous sexual assault allegations (hyperbolic accusations according to everyone I've talked to), Transparent had zero chances of being cancelled. The show is Amazon's biggest pride and Bezos' biggest accomplishment of creating a show that was unique and unlike anything else done before. Rumor has it they will continue next season killing his character, which I suspect will put an end to the series, I doubt anyone will watch this show without its main character that made it distinct and unique.
by Anonymous | reply 37 | January 21, 2018 4:42 PM
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Did G's Amazon pilot get picked up? Does she have to work part time in the shipping warehouse too?
by Anonymous | reply 38 | January 21, 2018 4:54 PM
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Thanks, R35. The 'bait and switch' business model has been around for so long I'm surprised that people haven't picked up on how it is never about the consumer. But what could be done about it?
Yesterday, I read that the cost of monthly Amazon Prime membership is going up. It's to force those who have a monthly subscription to sign up for a yearly membership. It's hard to break a habit, so most people are going to do exactly what Amazon wants them to do.
by Anonymous | reply 39 | January 21, 2018 5:10 PM
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[quote] I doubt anyone will watch this show without its main character that made it distinct and unique.
No one watched it before that. it was Amazon's lowest rated show. The only people who did watch it were the ones stealing it off bittorent sites. The only reason Amazon kept it around was for awards and buzz, but no one actually watched it.
by Anonymous | reply 40 | January 21, 2018 5:17 PM
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Tig Notaro’s standup is bitter and unfunny and One Mississippi was rarely funny, but I enjoyed it for its production and supporting cast (the supporting cast was outstanding). It’s a show that grows on you. Well, up until the “very special episode” in the second season where a guy masturbates under a desk and the show went from attempting comedy to drama without first laying the groundwork for the transition.
by Anonymous | reply 41 | January 21, 2018 5:35 PM
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I tried watching "One Mississippi," because I like Tig's stand-up, but the show was just so dark and depressing and maudlin. I gave up after three episodes. Too bad about Jean-Claude's show; I thought it pretty clever and I appreciated how he poked fun at his image.
by Anonymous | reply 42 | January 21, 2018 5:37 PM
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R39 to be honest, I don't believe it was a bait and switch scenario. As I said before, it was a vanity project from Bezos and originally it was meant to produce the shows under a collaborative matter. Amazon Studios was launched to offer full participation of Amazon costumers in creating their shows. It was bold, innovative and unlike anything done before. Unfortunately it became nearly impossible to separate the wheat from the chaff once thousands of people dreaming of breaking into the business swarmed to the site and they had to narrow it down to the point of it becoming just like any other production company. Amazon Studios still is one of the few outlets that continues to accept unsolicited material from non professionals who want to sell a movie or a series idea.
by Anonymous | reply 43 | January 21, 2018 5:52 PM
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R40 you don't know what you're talking about. Transparent was extremely popular among Prime members when it premiere, I should know since I've worked there. Obviously the awards and buzz it got helped its longevity but what you don't understand is that Prime was never meant to generate viewers. No one at Amazon cared about numbers, because the strategy was, till last year to only cater to the costumers paying the prime shipment. The main focus was to create anything to please people who had already paid for prime, so it was never about getting new subscribers. This model has since changed in the last couple of months.
by Anonymous | reply 44 | January 21, 2018 5:58 PM
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It's unclear whether Tambor will return. They should have one more season in which Maura is accused from back in her Mort days of sexual assault. They'd go out having won the intersectional topics BINGO game.
by Anonymous | reply 45 | January 21, 2018 6:18 PM
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R34 She deserves to be loathed by all good humans. She's a monster and that's understatement.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 46 | January 21, 2018 6:21 PM
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R32 she is so cynical and heartless that she thought distancing herself from CK had to happen. Typical sociopath's inability to behave in acceptable ways.
by Anonymous | reply 47 | January 21, 2018 6:25 PM
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Hey, R44, there you go, sweetheart. You might want to read this quickly before your next shift begins in the packaging department.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 48 | January 21, 2018 7:20 PM
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R28 she is so well connected, ambitious, and ruthless that she will do just fine. She has a way of manipulating influential people. It's almost impressive.
by Anonymous | reply 49 | January 21, 2018 7:50 PM
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R49 everyone meets their match sometime. Thanks to social media things are leaking about Tig that she has tried to keep hidden.
by Anonymous | reply 50 | January 22, 2018 9:34 AM
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R50 can you elaborate please. What kinds of stories are leaking etc.
by Anonymous | reply 51 | January 22, 2018 11:06 AM
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I liked I Like Dick but had no idea it was supposed to go for more than one season. The plot was so slight it really had no where to go. The creator who also does Transparent has gone from straight and married to I think a person who is a they. The show reflected that confusion well.
by Anonymous | reply 52 | January 22, 2018 11:25 AM
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Loved Dick. Anything with Katherine Hahn is worth my viewing time.
by Anonymous | reply 53 | January 22, 2018 12:01 PM
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R46, can you explain what this is about.
I tried to read it, got to the part where he started throwing up links and I still had no idea what the hell he was ranting about.
by Anonymous | reply 54 | January 22, 2018 12:07 PM
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I Love Dick was an adaptation of a novel. Where was it supposed to go next? Were they going to mine the intraoffice politics of Semiotext{e}?
by Anonymous | reply 55 | January 22, 2018 12:09 PM
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I liked both I LIKE Dick and ONE MISSISSIPPI. They were different and it's refreshing to see shows like that. Too bad.
by Anonymous | reply 56 | January 22, 2018 12:13 PM
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I love Katherine Hahn, Amazon(or someone)should build a show around her.
by Anonymous | reply 57 | January 22, 2018 3:10 PM
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Kathryn Hahn is awful. The only thing they need to build around her is a wall.
by Anonymous | reply 58 | January 22, 2018 4:11 PM
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I only ever saw Kathryn Hahn in the worst show ever created- Happiness. She was terrible in it but so was Steve Coogan and he's a genius.
by Anonymous | reply 59 | January 22, 2018 4:34 PM
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Louis CK must be thrilled. She thought if she used the #Metoo movement she'd secure another season. Loser!
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 60 | March 1, 2018 5:45 PM
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That Tig horror show was not at all funny. I am shocked it made it this far.
by Anonymous | reply 61 | March 1, 2018 5:50 PM
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I love dick too. But what does that have to do with amazon?
by Anonymous | reply 62 | March 1, 2018 5:51 PM
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Why does it seem earlier to get project greenlighted with a trans theme than a gay male theme? How many gay male shows even get on the air? Crap like "Transparent" get six seasons but "Looking" get axed after two? No gay dramas at all...only sitcoms with a gay guy in a family situation, or with a female best friend a la Will and Grace.
by Anonymous | reply 63 | March 1, 2018 6:01 PM
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That should say "easier" not "earlier."
by Anonymous | reply 64 | March 1, 2018 6:02 PM
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R61 she has very wealthy and connected friends who bankroll her projects. Her best friend is Nick Kroll( google Kroll Weinstein for just one example) Her whole career is a fraud. She'd go nowhere without all kinds of funding deals and other shady ways to get famous.
by Anonymous | reply 65 | March 1, 2018 6:04 PM
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That explains a lot: Vanity fair really started pushing the Cancer Comedian at one point, a couple of years ago, which was strange, given how little she had accomplished up to that point. I've noticed that they also like to feature Nick Kroll on their online portal. Plus, most of their magazine Hollywood features were about whoever HW was pushing at the time (JLaw, Alicia Vikander.) Was she really a part of HW's circle through Kroll and, if so, why? What were they getting out of her in return?
by Anonymous | reply 66 | March 1, 2018 8:26 PM
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Loved "One Mississippi" so much. Funny show and amazing music. Love Tig's deadpan sense of humor and supporting cast was amazing.
by Anonymous | reply 67 | March 1, 2018 10:32 PM
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Tig Notaro has never been funny.
by Anonymous | reply 68 | March 1, 2018 10:38 PM
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[quote]Crap like "Transparent" get six seasons but "Looking" get axed after two?
The gays killed Looking. We saw it happen right here.
by Anonymous | reply 69 | March 1, 2018 10:48 PM
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R66 I don't think she has anything to do with Harvey W's circle but it's possible.I know that Nick Kroll is writing big checks and funding many projects so he and his friends get cast. If those friends get to be more and more famous the quid pro quo is that they cast him or push his name. His father also does due diligence work for Conde Naste publications so they feature Nick and friends. Harvey Weinsten bought N Kroll's self funded bullshit movie and Kroll worked for Weinsten, to keep him out of jail and to spy on his accuser so very good chance Notaro is able to get that kind of push. NPR, Pitchfork and many other publications are basically being bribed by Nick to write constant promos for him, Notaro and a few others. If you google NPR , Pitchfork, lots of comedy publications and their names you'll see what I'm talking about.
by Anonymous | reply 70 | March 1, 2018 10:51 PM
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What pains me is that someone infinitely more talented like Wanda Sykes would never get a tenth of the publicity or the opportunities that she's been given.
by Anonymous | reply 71 | March 1, 2018 11:22 PM
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Kroll's father is worth more than 10 billion. That kind of money can talk and talk. The goal for Nick is to get to the A list. Then, who knows what that POS will want next.
by Anonymous | reply 72 | March 2, 2018 11:15 AM
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R71 check this out. People can't stand her and a few comments mirror your own.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 73 | March 2, 2018 1:25 PM
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[quote] "Crap like "Transparent" get six seasons but "Looking" get axed after two?
Transparent is on Netflix, Looking was on HBO. Different management. However Netflix did cancel Sense8 after its second season.
by Anonymous | reply 74 | March 2, 2018 1:30 PM
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And then HBO carries "Arliss" for seven years.
by Anonymous | reply 75 | March 2, 2018 1:52 PM
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