National Geographic's 10th 'SharkFest' Brings Diverse Voices to the Table
July brings with it hot summer weather, swimming pools, beaches, and … SHARKS! Thanks to cable TV networks like Warner Bros. Discovery and National Geographic, people around the world have learned more about these fascinating underwater creatures and dispelled many myths that have given them a bad reputation. Warner Bros. Discovery was a pioneer when it began its robust programming around sharks over three decades ago with its production of SHARK WEEK, which has turned into a cultural phenomenon. SHARK WEEK premieres its 34th annual production on July 24, and Warner Bros. Discovery continues
AMC’s “Dark Winds” Features Native American Perspectives, On and Off the Screen
This summer, AMC and AMC+ premiered “Dark Winds,” an adaptation of the Leaphorn & Chee novel series written by Tony Hillerman. The series follows two Navajo police officers, Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee, in the 1970s southwest as they investigate a series of crimes plaguing Navajo Nation. At the Television Critics Association (TCA) press tour earlier this year, the team behind AMC’s latest hit talked about what the series meant to them and how they hoped the project would resonate with audiences in a way that westerns hadn’t before. “Dark Winds” has been decades in the making as Robert Redford
'All Rise' Finds a New Beginning on OWN
For two seasons, the legal drama series, "All Rise," which is based around Los Angeles judges, prosecutors, and public defenders working for justice, aired on CBS before its cancellation last year. But earlier this month, the show found a new home on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) when season three premiered, much to the delight of the show's loyal fan base and its new audience on OWN. With a Black female lead starring as a judge and former deputy district attorney, the show already had a lot of promise to push gender boundaries and to challenge social injustice. Now on a cable network, the
Honoring Juneteenth on TV
This Sunday, America will come together to celebrate Juneteenth, the second federal observance of the holiday that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans from Galveston Texas—the last state in the country with enslaved people—and which dates back to 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln. In honor of the holiday, cable TV networks have produced powerful programming to not only educate viewers about what this moment in history meant for America, but to spotlight and celebrate African American culture in
TV Stats: LGBTQ+ Representation on TV
Pride Month celebrations are underway, and as LGBTQ+ communities find themselves up against new waves of homophobia and transphobia, their stories remain as vital and valuable as ever. For decades, cable TV has been an important platform to tell LGBTQ+ stories. From the creation of the first LGBTQ+ focused network (Logo), to featuring groundbreaking series like “The L Word” and “Pose,” cable has been at the forefront of inclusive programming even at times when many other platforms were hesitant to feature these stories. Given its strong track record, let’s take a look at where the cable TV
TV Networks Focus on LGBTQ+ History for Pride Month and Beyond
Pride Month is here, and TV networks are celebrating the LGBTQ+ community with special programs, documentaries, and new shows that not only spotlight people who identify as LGBTQ+, but that explore how this community has been treated throughout history, in the media, and in today's culture. TV networks are offering curated programming, including AMC+'s "Stream with Pride," HBO Max's "LGBTQ+ voices" collection, and NBCUniversal's "Pride Is Universal: Better Together" campaign, that feature breakthrough shows for the LGBTQ+ community over the last couple of decades. And one programming event to
The HISTORY Channel Premieres Buffalo Soldiers, Theodore Roosevelt, and Bill Clinton Series for Memorial Day
To commemorate Memorial Day, The HISTORY Channel is premiering three special programs—two documentaries and a new series—that highlight different facets of American history and that pay tribute to the brave men and women who have served the United States. "Black Patriots: Buffalo Soldiers" is a one-hour documentary that tells the largely unknown story of the country's first all-Black peacetime regiments who fought to expand America's presence in the West and defend the United States on foreign soil. In the aftermath of the Civil War, Congress passed the Army Reorganization Act, which
HBO Returns to Baltimore in “We Own This City”
Over the past few years, the issues of police brutality and civil rights have come to a head, notably in the worldwide protests after the murder of George Floyd in 2020. For many, the issue wasn’t new, it was a reality that had been by and large ignored for decades. In the years since, many cable TV programmers have renewed their focus on addressing systemic failures that disproportionately impact Black Americans, including HBO with the new limited series, “We Own This City.” Showrunners George Pelecanos and David Simon were all too familiar with the bad behavior within the halls of power in
Cable TV Networks Spotlight AAPI Month Through Curated Programming
For Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, TV networks are recognizing and celebrating the contributions of the AAPI community in the U.S. by showcasing their stories in special collections throughout the month of May. Cable programmers are deeply committed to using their reach and influence to advocate for a more diverse and inclusive world, and this includes helping to increase representation of the AAPI community on screen, lifting the voices of people of AAPI descent, and condemning racism in all of its forms. Below is a small sampling of the programming and on-screen
Leaders in Sustainable TV Production
Today the world celebrates Earth Day, but more importantly, people around the globe come together to bring important environmental issues to the forefront and to advocate for more sustainable practices in how people live and work. The cable industry collectively takes great measures to ensure that its businesses minimize their carbon footprints and utilize energy efficient methods in their operations. Just like cable broadband providers, TV networks have their own divisions that focus on finding ways to lessen the impact their productions, operations, and facilities have on the environment and