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Culture War Roundup for the week of May 1, 2023

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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.