TCA's; Wherefore Pilot Season; Duck Dynasty

What Are the TCAs?

We recorded this episode of The Spin-off at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena where Mike, Joe and AJ were attending the Winter press tour for the Television Critics Association (TCA). The purpose of the TCA's, as they're known, is for broadcast and cable channels to promote their new shows. But do they really mean anything in the era of Twitter?

Wherefore Pilot Season?

This is the time of year when the broadcast networks place orders for TV pilots that will cost them millions of dollars but may not yield many good shows. Our panelists question the value of this business model -- something the cable channels reject-- while noting that some, namely Fox, are changing their approach.

Duck Dynasty Drama

The public relations debacle brought on by the patriarch of the Duck Dynasty clan gave way to culture wars late last month. Now that the dust has settled and the show returns to the air, our panelists look back at what happened. Should AMC have handled it differently? Was the public backlash emblematic of the "outrage industry" in the media now? Is passive aggression the way to go?