This Week in TV News: Charlie Brown and “Die Hard”

This will be our final entry for 2018. Thanks for reading the TV news of the week with us – see you in 2019 with more news on streaming, entertainment, TV advertising, the latest data on media consumption and technology and features we’re reading. For now, enjoy more trends from 2018:

It’s a Charlie Brown Christmas. Well, not necessarily. But Apple now has the rights to the Peanuts brand and is rumored to be working on specials and animated shorts, exclusive to Apple TV. (Hollywood Reporter)

How Netflix gave CPR to rom-coms. Matt Brodlie and Ian Bricke, both directors of acquisitions at Netflix, did a Q&A with the Hollywood Reporter about their approach to finding good romantic comedies. From building fanbases to targeting demographics, the pair dives into their approach to finding the next “My Best Friend’s Wedding.” Regarding targeting, what matters most is what you’ve watched before, Brodlie said. (Hollywood Reporter)

See 2018’s top-viewed ads on Youtube.  Nike ’s “Dream Crazy” featuring Colin Kaepernick, ranked fourth on YouTube’s annual ranking of ads, with 27 million views. Amazon’s “Alexa Loses Her Voice,” garnered 50 million YouTube views since its Super Bowl debut, getting the top spot. Second and third place went to YouTube Music’s “Open the World of Music. It’s All Here,” with 40 million views and Oppo F7’s “Real Support Makes Real Hero,” with 32 million views, respectively. (Wall Street Journal)

Roku’s top-searched Christmas movies. The Home Alone franchise took two of the top ten spots (No. 1 and 5), and “Elf,” “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” and “The Polar Express” made the list of popular holiday movies. “Die Hard” came in at No. 10, maybe settling the argument once-and-for-all of whether the first entry in the John McClane saga is or isn’t a Christmas film. (Cord Cutters News)

See last week’s TV recap.