Dear Andy-

I read your blog entry “A Fond Farewell” today with great disappointment.   The day Hulu launched back in March of 2008 was the day I canceled my DISH Network satellite service.  Like many other people, I’ve enjoyed the content you’ve provided.  I’ve seen the changes you’ve made…some good, some bad.  I understand that you have a business to run and that content licenses are sometimes complicated and change over time.

Yesterday, March 2nd 2010, you announced that “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report” would no longer be distributed on Hulu.  You said, “After a series of discussions with the team at Comedy Central…we ultimately were unable to secure the rights to extend these shows for a much longer period of time.”

It is no surprise to me, however, that you’re suddenly having difficulty negotiating with Comedy Central (or any other content provider for that matter.)   Why?

Because March 2, 2010 was the day you started producing your own content.

March 2nd, 2010 was the day you stopped being simply a content distributor, and became a content producer.

March 2nd, 2010 was the day you became competition to ALL of your content providers.

And for what?  So you can start streaming YET ANOTHER mindless, Simon Fuller-produced, “I Can Dream” REALITY TV SHOW?

Andy, you and Hulu are shooting yourselves in the foot.  You yourself said that quality content like the award-winning “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “The Colbert Report”  are consistently two of the top-watched shows on Hulu.  Why are they watched?

BECAUSE THEY’RE GOOD.  They’re NOT reality television.

You’re taking a huge step backwards.  HUGE.

Stop producing your own content.  Take the money that you’re throwing away at Simon Fuller’s idiot dreams project and hand it to directly to Comedy Central.  The Comedy Central shows are ANCHORS.  They will be with you for years to come. Focus on what Hulu does well:  simple interface, solid streaming technology, and distributing quality content…OTHER PEOPLE’S CONTENT.

Mark my words:  Unless you change this quickly, you’re going to lose the streaming online content race.  Heck, I’m not even in your business and it’s blatantly obvious to me.  Strategically you’ve put yourself in a terrible position.  Your other content partners will see you as competition and do the same thing Comedy Central has done:  Leave.

Sincerely,

Johnny Diggz
Hulu fan from Day 1

Jack Bauer Interrogating Santa

Here’s the full statement from the Conchords site:

“We’ve noticed the less we say about the future of the show, the more people want to talk about it, so in an effort to reverse this trend we are today announcing that we won’t be returning for a 3rd season. We’re very proud of the two seasons we made and we like the way the show ended. We’d like to thank everyone who helped make the show and also everyone who watched it. While the characters Bret and Jemaine will no longer be around, the real Bret and Jemaine will continue to exist.”

‘Flight of the Conchords’ is grounded – From Inside the Box – Zap2it.

YouTube – The Muppets: Bohemian Rhapsody [1080p].

I have only seen a couple mentions lately about the television project, Boldy Going Nowhere by Charley Day, Rob McElhenney and their fellow It’s Always Sunny in Philadephia crew.  (Hi Glenn)

Announced last year, Boldly Going Nowhere is  a sci-fi show set on a  spaceship and, according to Variety, is a “high-concept comedy set in the future and focused on the mundane world of a spaceship captain when he’s not on a mission.”  But according to Comic Mix,  “McElhenny, Day and Howerton do not consider the series as science fiction, but rather a unique twist on the workplace sitcom.”

David Hornsby, who Sunny fans know as Rickety Cricket, stars in the show along with Arrested Development’s Tony Hale (who plays a character named Robot).

I would just like to say…for the record…that this project sounds a lot like a project idea I submitted to Paramount during a Star Trek screenwriting contest a few years back.  I called it Star Trek: The Night Crew, which is a half hour sci-fi comedy about the “Second Stringer” crew that works the helm of the Enterprise when the primary characters are off duty.  Instead of fighting the Klingons they have to deal with mundane everyday problems like the ship’s toilets getting backed up or the Captain’s chair getting a stain on it.  The last thing they want to do is ever have to call a RED ALERT and wake up the Captain and the first string crew.

As for Boldly Going Nowhere, apparently a pilot was made and they weren’t all too thrilled so Fox ordered a second pilot and brought in heavyweight Larry Charles (Borat, Bruno, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm) to presumably make it better (and possibly more Sci-Fi-ey).

Where is it now?   Unfortunately according to io9, Glenn Howerton, doesn’t really know if this “pet project” will ever see the light of day.   Hey guys…if you’re stuck…I have a few ideas

Boldly Going Nowhere 2009 TV.

“It’s like looking into a mirror, after you’ve done a ton of coke off of it.  Clearly, Glenn Beck is as sincere in what he says and does as I am in believing that baby carrots are trying to turn me gay.“  — Stephen Colbert

“Because if they can take Glenn Beck’s burst appendix to save his life, who’s to say that they can’t take out your healthy appendix tomorrow and eat it in front of you and your children?“  – Jon Stewart

Stephen Colbert Compares Himself to Glenn Beck | Indecision Forever | Comedy Central.

Jon Stewart does Glenn Beck | Comedy Central.

My personal arch-nemesis, Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli, has upped the ante by starring in his own TV show on the National Geographic Channel.

The description of National Geographic Channel’s “Lonely Planet Roads Less Traveled: Spain” says:

“They’re sending one of their most intrepid photojournalists, Dominic Bonuccelli, into the country’s northern provinces. His mission, to get off the beaten track and discover what can be found down the road less traveled.”

Well played, Arizona.  Well played indeed.  You may have one this round, but ultimately Diggz shall emerge victorious.

Lonely Planet Roads Less Travelled | Programmes | Nat Geo AU & NZ.