Netflix loves zombie shows

Internet television network Netflix has a thing for zombie shows.
The subscription video-on-demand service has produced five original zombie series in less than two years and has at least one more on the way.
The zombie shows currently on the service include “Black Summer” (2019) and “Daybreak” (2019) from the U.S., “Kingdom” (2019) from South Korea, “Betaal” (2020) from India and “Reality Z” (2020) from Brazil. Netflix also is working on a second South Korean zombie series called “All Of Us Are Dead.”
Plus, Netflix offers reruns of U.S. series “The Walking Dead,” “Z Nation” and “iZombie” as well as British series “Dead Set.”
My guess is that zombie shows play well to international audiences.

Photos: still and poster from “Reality Z.” (Netflix)

CES 2021 considering Covid-19 screenings for attendees

The organizers of CES 2021 are surveying past attendees of the massive consumer electronics show to gauge their feelings about attending next year’s show amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
For now, the Consumer Technology Association is sticking with its plans to hold an in-person CES 2021 show in Las Vegas Jan. 6-9. It expects next year’s show to be smaller than usual and to have a major online component for those who don’t attend physically.
The online survey first asks respondents how likely they are to attend CES 2021.
It then asks them whether their business travel is being restricted by company policy and when they expect those restrictions to be lifted.
The poll asks potential attendees when they expect to make up their minds about going to CES 2021.
One question gets right to the point: “How concerned, if at all, are you about attending CES 2021 in Las Vegas due to the coronavirus pandemic?” It gives five possible answers ranging from “Not at all concerned” to “Extremely concerned.”
The remaining questions pertain to what steps CES organizers could take to lessen the concerns of attendees regarding the coronavirus.
About venues and logistics, the survey asks respondents what they think about limiting the number of attendees, reducing the capacity of conference rooms and press events, and using thermal imaging cameras at various checkpoints.
Other options include wider aisles at exhibit halls to promote social distancing, plentiful hand sanitizer stations and increased cleaning, and limited touch points at convention facilities.
As for on-site policies, the CES poll asks respondents for their opinions on requiring face masks, restricting use of business cards and distribution of giveaways, having a no-handshakes policy, and deploying contact-tracing measures.
The survey also addresses Covid-19 testing of attendees before, during and after the show.
In one question, the survey asks respondents whether they are “comfortable” or “not comfortable” with certain measures to provide proof that they are free of Covid-19.
Those measures are:

• Paying and taking a rapid Covid-19 test requiring a saliva swab and testing for sense of smell
• Participating in a health screening prior to entering CES each day
• Being tested for Covid-19 within 72 hours of attending CES 2021 in Las Vegas
• Taking a 10-minute antibody test for Covid-19 antibodies (this would require a drop of blood)

Another question addresses which pre-CES screenings would lessen the concerns of potential attendees. Respondents are asked to say if the options are “must have,” “nice to have” or “do not need to have.”
Those options are:

• Require proof of a negative Covid-19 test before entry to the show
• Require proof of Covid-19 vaccination, should one be made publicly available
• Require a health screening of all participants before they enter CES 2021 convention and meeting facilities

The Consumer Technology Association has a lot to figure out before CES 2021 can take place.

Previous articles on CES 2021:

CES 2021 organizers pressing ahead with in-person conference (June 17, 2020)

CES 2021: Will it happen? And if so, how different will it be? (May 23, 2020)

Photos: Screenshots of CES 2021 poll by the Consumer Technology Association.

Fall TV season 2020: Covid-19 pandemic limits new shows

Many people get excited about the start of sports seasons. As for me, every year I get excited for the start of the fall television season.
It is true that the fall TV season is becoming less of a thing thanks to Netflix and other subscription streaming video services premiering new shows year-round. And this year there will be more returning shows because the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the development of new TV series for broadcast and cable networks.
Most of the roughly 50 pilots ordered by the networks for this year were never shot, the Washington Post reported. Network executives typically choose new series from the best received pilots.
To fill its schedule, the CW has decided to air modern fairy-tale series “Tell Me a Story,” which streamed for two seasons on CBS All Access. It also will air “Swamp Thing,” a show that streamed for one season on the DC Universe service. Those shows will be new to me since I didn’t subscribe to those services.
Among new shows from the traditional networks, the only one that interests me is “Next,” a CBS science-fiction drama about a rogue AI. “Next” is set to premiere in September.
On the streaming services, I’m looking forward to Marvel series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” It will premiere in August on Disney+.
Last year, the best new shows to emerge in the fall TV season were “Evil” on CBS and “The Mandalorian” on Disney+. New seasons from both series are coming this fall.

Photos: Posters for “Tell Me a Story” and “Swamp Thing.”

CES 2021 organizers pressing ahead with in-person conference

As 2020 progresses, more and more planned gatherings of people for entertainment, sports and business are being canceled because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The most recent cancellations are for events that had been scheduled for this fall, when a second wave of the coronavirus is forecast.

• On May 26, video game publisher Blizzard Entertainment canceled this year’s BlizzCon fan show, which usually takes place every year at the beginning of November.
• On May 29, organizers of the CEDIA Expo home electronics conference canceled this year’s show which had been set for Sept. 8-12 in Denver.
• On June 4, organizers of Milwaukee’s Summerfest, the largest music festival in the U.S., canceled this year’s event, which had been rescheduled to September from late June and early July.
• On June 12, TAITRA, the Taiwan organization that oversees the Computex Taipei tech show, canceled this year’s show, which had been scheduled for Sept. 28-30.
• On June 15, Disney-owned Lucasfilm canceled the 2020 Star Wars Celebration convention slated for Aug. 27-30 in Anaheim, Calif.
• That same day, the GSM Association canceled its MWC Los Angeles 2020 wireless industry event, which had been scheduled for October 28-30.

CNet has a comprehensive list of the events that have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
So far, the Consumer Technology Association is sticking with its plans to hold CES 2021 in Las Vegas. The 2020 consumer electronics show attracted over 175,000 attendees from more than 160 countries.
On June 15, Karen Chupka, executive vice president for CES at the Consumer Technology Association, posted an update on CES 2021 planning.
As of now, CES 2021 is still planned as an in-person event running Jan. 6-9. The physical event will be augmented by an enhanced online presence.
“In January, we plan to convene the technology industry, both physically in Las Vegas and digitally online,” Chupka said. “Though we do expect the show to be smaller, many of the world's leading tech brands are confirmed to showcase the latest technologies, and we will be announcing soon the tech luminaries who will speak on our CES stages.”
CES 2021 will feature new health and safety protocols. They will include new sanitization and social distancing measures.
CES 2021 also will cover the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. That will include discussions about tech for battling pandemics and digital health initiatives like telemedicine, she said.

See also:

CES 2021: Will it happen? And if so, how different will it be? (May 23, 2020)

X League is latest rebranding of Lingerie Football League

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused the cancellation or delay of many college and professional sports. That includes the postponement of the premiere season of the Extreme Football League, a U.S. women’s tackle football league.
The X League is the second rebranding of the former Lingerie Football League, which ran four seasons from 2009 through 2012. The league changed its name to the Legends Football League in 2013 and it ran through last year.
In December, it changed its name to the Extreme Football League, or X League, with plans to start its first season in April 2020. When Covid-19 started shutting down the sports world, it pushed the start date until June. On May 22, the X League delayed the inaugural season to April 2021.
When it began as the Lingerie Football League, it leaned heavily on the sex appeal of its players, who wore skimpy outfits and risked frequent wardrobe malfunctions. It was more on par with foxy boxing and Jell-O wrestling than the National Football League.
With each rebranding, the league has tried to become a more legitimate sport. It now is emphasizing the athleticism and skill of its players, rather than their looks.
As a follower of fringe sports, I’m surprised the LFL, now X League, has lasted this long.

Photos: Promotional art of X League teams Chicago Blitz and Denver Rush. (X League)