This is (finally) Part 1 of the Top 10 Stories of the 2021-22 TV Season.

I know I was going to start it last month, but due to circumstances beyond my control, I was unable to do it.

So here it is, Part 1.

1. The return to normalcy
For the first time since 2019, everything - it seemed - was back to normal on TV. Many a show had their seasons conclude in May, as usual. The sports calendar was back to where it should be - on time, and with no COVID disruptions (like the Masters in April, the Kentucky Derby and Indianapolis 500) and in front of capacity crowds. Not even the omicron variant of COVID couldn't stop production. Favorite shows like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Stranger Things returned with new episodes to Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, respectively. We will have a new season on September - on time.

2. Streaming reckoning?
The streaming services continued their restless expansion throughout much of the year. Apple+ got attention when their Ted Lasso won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, and CODA won the Academy Award for Best Picture.. In addition to returning, Stranger Things brought Kate Bush back to prominence. CNN got into the ring with a streaming service called CNN+. They lured Chris Wallace away from Fox News Sunday to do an interview show. But then came April 20. Netflix reported a loss of subscribers for the first time, and the stock - which had been $700 a share -plummeted about one-third. Then CNN+, thanks to a merger between Warner Media and DIscovery, announced it would shut down after only getting 150,000 subscribers. It became the streamers' version of the Edsel, New Coke and the Fyre Festival. The question now was: how many streaming services does one need?

Next: Part 2.

Cincy43235@yahoo.com - RATV's pro wrestling ambassador
-----

"I loves the hot sauce." - David Letterman