Streaming services are not only here to stay, they are now viable competitors with the broadcast and cable networks in terms of original properties. The latest evidence of that debuts this week with Hulu's first miniseries, 11.22.63. This is based on Stephen King's 2011 best-selling novel about a time-traveling schoolteacher who tries to prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Executive producer Bridget Carpenter, whose last project was the TV version of Friday Night Lights, collaborated with King to forge an eight-part series from King's mammoth 849-page original work, with The Last King of Scotland's Kevin Macdonald directing. The casting also reflects Hulu's determination to make its initial miniseries a blockbuster. Jake Epping, the contemporary time traveler, is portrayed by James Franco. Oscar winner Chris Cooper plays Al Templeton, his friend who has a time-hopping portal in the pantry of his diner. Josh Duhamel and T.R. Knight are two other name actors with sizable roles in the production, which Hulu is showing in traditional weekly fashion, with new episodes every Monday.
In addition to various dramatic cliffhanger problems and situations, there's a romantic subplot. Franco's character falls for Sadie Dunhill (Sarah Gadon), an abused wife who is estranged from Knight. Both Knight and Duhamel are playing bad guys, in a shift from their usual film personas.
The production also references the "butterfly effect," the notion even a very tiny change in the past causes dire consequences as it alters the future. "The butterfly effect is both aspirational and a huge red-light warning, and Stephen looks at that contradiction brilliantly," Carpenter told TV Guide recently. "When you have material this epic and thought-provoking, you need to do it right."
Whether the miniseries does justice to King's work remains to be seen. But from the ambitious and frequent promotion on Hulu to the effort made in casting and production (including two days shooting in Dallas' Dealey Plaza), it is clear Hulu wants to demonstrate it's every bit as capable of producing memorable original content as Netflix or Amazon Prime.
Survivor survives
There are many things to be said about the impact of Survivor — not much of it good, in my view — but no one can deny it is a broadcast institution. Everything some love about "reality television" and others despise can be seen on any episode, from outrageous spectacles to manufactured crisis, unknown personalities turned into sudden celebrities, and constant fodder provided for message boards and online controversies.
It seems almost unreal, but when the show returns 7 p.m. tonight on WEVF-Channel 5, it begins its 32nd season. That is both a triumph and an indictment. Once again the premise features 18 castaways split into three tribes, with selections based on a variety of categories from physical ability to attractiveness and (supposedly) intelligence.
This edition also has some familiar thematic overtones, as the show returns to Cambodia and revisits the "brains vs. brawn vs. beauty" subplots of the past. "This will go down as the toughest season we've ever had," host Jeff Probst told TV Guide. There have already been promo shots of a medical evacuation. "It was a perfect storm of high temperatures, bug bites that didn't heal, small cuts that turned into infections and not enough drinking water. People were in a bad way from Day 1."
Per usual, there's a million-dollar prize for the winner. This year's group includes both one of the youngest and oldest contestants in college student Julia Sokolowski (19) and former FBI agent Joseph Del Campo (72). There's also a former Big Brother contestant, Caleb Reynolds. It's not something I'll be watching, but Survivor has legions of fans and has performed well for CBS over three-plus decades.
