In a tumultuous year for Hollywood, ‘The Bear’ and ‘The Diplomat’ were among TV's bright spots
CHICAGO — We close the book on a year that saw Hollywood weather a writers and actors strike, resulting in almost no work for nearly six months. Tough times for anyone who makes a living in TV.
But it also functioned as an overdue course correction. Streamers have been loathe to admit they’re churning out more shows than audiences can keep up with — and providing inadequate budgets to market them all — and the 2023 work stoppage was an excuse to cut back on things instead. How convenient.
The strikes hit TV networks the hardest. Broadcasters resorted to an unsatisfying mix of reruns and reality. But weekly episodic TV was already in a diminished state, and this is ironic considering older seasons of these very shows, from “NCIS“ to “Grey’s Anatomy,“ are among the most popular on streaming platforms. Only NBC managed to premiere new shows in the fall (completed
