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Culture War Roundup for the week of May 1, 2023

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Id question if the number of decent shows is actually low these days.

We may be past Peak TV but there's still plenty of stuff to watch on cable.

There have always been hacks and pandering but TV is actually very competitive and, unlike the films, it isn't all cookie cutter PG stuff like Marvel or cookie cutter PG stuff aspiring to be Marvel (why not make a Universal Horror franchise instead of an action-horror abomination? The money was right there...)

Euphoria probably doesn't deserve its budget (Sam Levinson should be kissing Zendayas feet) but that show as a film would be relegated to the $10 million indie ghetto.

It's fine if you just treat it as a melodrama.

But its reported budget is totally out of whack with its quality imo. As I said, Levinson is benefiting from a Zendaya premium (as well as the view that it's an insightful or trend-setting show, which I think has kind of died down after all of the criticism of S2)

But it’s not just special effects-laden period pieces shot in exotic locations that are hastening price increases. Even contemporary dramas with lesser-known stars aren’t always cheap: HBO’s “Euphoria” is said to have cost around $11 million per episode, for example

That's Game of Thrones money. Half of that sounds unbelievable.