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Fashion As word comes that BCBG Max Azria prepares for bankruptcy , it's no surprise to mall retailers, some operating in the department store channel, who are closing low performing stores with a few opting to sell online only. However there's also talk about how online  shipping prices  will hasten the demise of brick and mortar stores. The rise in online shopping, in some way, can be attributed to Amazon's phenomenal retail success.  However most analysis of the current retail environment also point to the lifestyle and shopping habits of millennials as the main reason mall retailers are taking a huge hit in foot-traffic. 

Awards Well should we begin with the end or the beginning of last night's 89th Academy Awards . The night got off to a good start with Jimmy Kimmel  using a mix of diversity and political humor (with a few biting jabs) throughout.  As most viewers knew some of the awardees would make their own political statements, Kimmel's lighthearted approach was perfect. However, the " tour bus people " segment was awkward and a little weird. Not sure who came up with that bright idea. Some say a millennial, of course! The most striking acceptance speech of the night was Viola Davis , who won Best Supporting Actress for her role in  Fences .  Now on to the end of 2017   Oscars . For those who stayed up until the end of the broadcast, they were treated to a jaw-dropping experience as Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway were given the wrong  envelope  for best picture. Once the mistake was realized, the " La La Land " producers were an example of a ...

Recap 2024 We more or less celebrated Presidents' Day  first by reliving happier times with  Pete Souza's Presidents' Day Pic , then heading into lots of fashion. Considering there are always so many Presidents' Day sales, we felt justified. Two standouts for us were  Burberry Deconstructs the Past  and the  ICYMI Michael Kors Fall/Winter Fashion Show . TCC is probably not done with Fall/Winter RTW yet! YouTube to Stop Annoying 30-Second Unskippable Ads  was pleasant news. Justified or not, the 30-second ads feel like the endless movie trailers when you go to the theater. Good move. On the television front the first full week of  Syndication Sweep Numbers In  and " Judge Judy " is still ruling the world! We read a fascinating piece,  Star Power Strategy At NBC , in Vanity Fair that helped explained a subject that been a recurring subject for us,  Is Tamron Hall Being Forced Out of 'Today' Show , apparently it was part of a gr...

Television What We're Reading There's an interesting piece in Vanity Fair , written by Sarah Ellison , that delves into the " battle for the future of NBC ". Over the past few weeks TCC has written about Tamron Hall Out At NBC and MSNBC , and what that meant for " Today " in the 9am timeslot. It would seem certain that Hall's audience and Kelly's would be different. So the need for Kelly to bring viewers to NBC is crucial. Ellison's piece takes a deep dive into the players at NBC and Today, (specifically Matt Lauer ) and what Andy Lack's , NBC News Chief and "old-school newsman", strategy of "star power" will mean for the network.

Ratings - Sweeps For those keeping up with syndication ratings  ‘Feud,’ ‘Judy’ Rule First Full Week Of Sweep . " Family Feud " added 4% and " Judge Judy",  on a long-running highest rater roll, hit nearly 5 rating points ahead of her nearest competitor. While on the talk show from " Dr . Phil " remains on top.

Fashion Backtracking to see what we missed. Some collections really do look different on models. Michael Kors ' use of updated classics, olive and gray (great subs for black), neutrals and camel is refreshing.  Kors also had a plus-size model walking. Fashion Opening To Plus-Size Market Visibility

Fashion In Brand Talk , Burberry was added to our list because of its fabrication quality and attention to detail. Impressed by the iconic tartan pattern, which is so subtle in some designs, it is possible to wear the luxury brand without screaming anything but quality. Fast forward to Burberry's Autumn 2017 RTW collection, and as Tim Blank 's review puts it, there is a " defiant direction at Burberry ". Always a fan of asymmetrical, not so much deconstruction, there were a few pieces that provoked interest. We can only assume the quality of the fabrics is superb, but the overall collection if far from what TCC has become accustomed to seeing from Burberry.

Online Finally  YouTube has gotten the message about those annoying 30-second unskippable ads. When waiting for a video, as the ad runs, it feels like enduring a feature film (slight exaggeration) first. Apparently research has proven, particularly for mobile device usage, viewers will click away from the video rather than wait for the ad to run. TCC would argue there's no place for unskippable ads on YouTube that are more than 15-seconds.

Laughing on President's Day. A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on Feb 20, 2017 at 9:21am PST

Recap 1317 Our week actually kicked off over the weekend. Just before TCC got caught up with the Run Up To the 2017 Grammys and   Grammy Awards 2017 Kickoff , we ran across a piece of fashion news  Horyn on Wang  that was a little devastating to say the least. We also said goodbye  R.I.P Al Jarreau , the jazz great died not long after coming off the road and days before the Grammy Awards 2017 Kickoff , and here's the  2017 Grammy Night and Winners List . 2017 Grammy Numbers Are In  and there was no doubt the Grammys were a hit. Still on the ratings front,   For SNL Political Mockery is Rating Gold  and it really has become must-see-tv! From ratings to fashion,  'The Row' is Brand Talk Understood  TCC was impressed with this NYFW 2017Autumn RTW collection, and news of  Fashion Opening To Plus-Size Market Visibility . In  Brand Talk , it's 70 years of Dior and The Business of Fashion  got access to a new strate...

Television As ShondaLand continues its reign over Thursday night programs, airing on ABC known as TGIT , TCC is reminded of the mega television producers in the 60s and 70s. During that period it was not uncommon for viewers to be familiar with writer/producers such as, Aaron Spelling , Norman Lear ,  Stephen J. Cannell and Garry Marshall . Now  Shonda   Rhimes is most certainly added to the group of television producing wonders. With ShondaLand's early triple renewal for its shows, " Grey's Anatomy ", " Scandal " and " How To Get Away With Murder ", (no word if ABC will continue to run the programs back to back),  and a new drama project in the works, there is little doubt of Rhimes' place in television producing history and her growing legacy. Rhimes has also found success in the publishing world with her bestselling book, " Year of Yes ", and her follow up " Year of Yes Journal ". Rhimes will also be teaching a...

Cable Amazon has taken over retail, actually forcing some mall stores to close, now it appears the online retailer wants more than just its video service, Amazon Prime. Reports are Amazon his mulling over its own cable network . Seemingly encouraged by its strong viewership numbers last year and high quality content. Should Amazon get into the cable network business it would compete with HBO and Showtime ,  both known for presenting groundbreaking material. With Jeff Bezos ', founder of Amazon, previous success with high-profile hollywood types, the challenge will be consistently delivering groundbreaking diverse programs and that may involve a lot more risk taking. 

Fashion Week NYFW opening up to the plus-size market and models.  NYFW Gets Real About Plus-Size, Kelly Slater Says #itsnotok and More... https://t.co/EzdBFPVkF3 via @BoF — MediaMarketalk (@ConversationCir) February 16, 2017

Fashion Week For the past several weeks TCC been focused on fashion and pinning  it. And once again, The Row's Shapes and Sweaters Speak Volumes " The Row's" , Ashley and Mary Kate Olsen , Fall 2017 RTW peaked our interest the most. In  Brand Talk  TCC defines its fashion sense as, "a brand that satisfies our quest for refinement, investment, the classic, the simple, the timeless, the elegant, and sometimes a little bit of fun". So we're all over The Row's fall collection. It's quiet, luxurious, minimalist, and speaks to the work dress code we aspire to. (It also reminds TCC of its love for Jil Sander's sense of style.) The collection bucks the current trend of embellishments (on everything) and allows the fabric and styling to speak for itself. TCC looks for timeless. This may be it.

Ratings More record highs in ratings. It what really has become must-see tv, NBC's SNL has found ratings gold with Alec Baldwin (as Donald Trump) and Melissa McCarthy (as press secretary Sean Spicer), segments. Now it appears a primetime " Weekend Update " could be relaunched, simply because viewers are interested in political humor and so many actors ready to make guest  appearances as figures in the Trump Administration.

Ratings The 59th Annual Grammy Awards hit a 3 year high according to updated ratings from Nielsen. Perhaps it was the trifecta of James Corden , host of "The late Late Show with James Corden", Adele and Beyone  who were both nominated for record and album of the year. Overall the Grammys were up 4 percent.  2017 Grammy Night and Winners List

A handmade card or note from a loved one. A box of chocolates with no discussion of calories. A quiet moment to whisper I love you, and flowers are always appreciated.  TCC

Awards The 59th Annual Grammy Awards are over. TCC loved:  Jennifer Lopez quoting Toni Morrison "This is the time when artists go to work",  Bruno Mars and The Time's   tribute to Prince , Adele's tribute (off key initially) to George Michael , the carpool karaoke tribute to Neil Diamond , however it was Adele who sweep the night with 3 Grammy awards. The 2017 Grammys was pretty good! For the complete winner's list click here .

Awards The 59th Annual Grammy Awards was hosted by James Corden , the English actor, writer producer and singer who hosts " The late Late Show with James Corden "on CBS, was a natural choice famous for his Carpool Karaoke segments. So how was Corden's kickoff? Adele opened the Grammys with "Hello", again fitting, since Adle and Corden had a rather famous carpool karaoke session, then, well, it was a bit of a planned disaster that Corden wrapped his way out of. Check out Variety's video: . @JKCorden opens the #GRAMMYs with a stumble pic.twitter.com/pQSxpE3oc2 — Variety (@Variety) February 13, 2017

Awards Host James Corden prep for 2017 Grammys https://t.co/71RNwOCgcA pic.twitter.com/Ceqp5IFzP3 — Los Angeles Times (@latimes) February 12, 2017

Fashion Cathy Horyn said the clothes at Alexander Wang reminded her of "Bebe, the mall chain" 😳 https://t.co/Xzu1MPAxy2 — Ashley Weatherford (@sincerelyash) February 12, 2017

In Memoriam The announcement that Al Jarreau , famed Jazz singer, passed was like losing a friend you could turn to when you needed to wallow in deep thought. Last week there was news that Jarreau had canceled his remaining tour dates, entering the hospital, due to exhaustion. One can only find comfort in the fact that Jarreau sang until the end. The songs " Susan's Song " and " We Got By ",  released on Jarreau's 1975 album " We Got By ", were TCC's first introduction to Jarreau and his music.

Recap 610 It seems TCC got caught up in a lot of television this week. Most notably, the NBC/Tamron Hall debacle. Everyone wanted to know why Hall was leaving "Today". The most definitive answer came from a People magazine exclusive, in which Hall answered questions and we learned  Tamron Hall Mulling Over Next Move . TCC still thinks if the  Megan Kelly's numbers don't add up, the finger pointing and blame game will begin! TCC was so captivated with the Hall story we suggested Oprah Joins '60 Minutes' Room for Tamron Hall Too? , and it appears  Nielsen Gets Approval Of Digital In TV Ratings  as the ratings giant makes progress with desktop and mobile measurement. Spike Rebranded to The Paramount Network  and we'll see if this means a wider audience, while Oxygen Rides Crime Wave ,  hopefully to growth. Will Conde Nast Buy The Hollywood Reporter , it appears the two are in talks again, after it was rumored earlier discussions e...

Cable Spike , which in name alone seemed to be more appealing to a male demographic, (hence, no reason not to flip by the channel), will be rebranded as The Paramount Network.  The integration with Paramount should lead to a more general type of entertainment and widen the networks' audience. The move to rebrand is unlike NBCUniversal who shut down Esquire Network, due to carriage renewals, and converted the cable network to a digital only service. Apparently the tagline "The Ones To Watch" did not help Spike gain viewers. The move to rebrand Spike comes as Viacom CEO Bob Bakish implements a company-wide strategy that will focus on six of the company's " flagship brands ".

Television In a People magazine exclusive,  Tamron Hall opened up about walking away from Today . As many suspected, in effect, Hall's hand was forced. Hall would have to surrender the 9:00 a.m. timeslot to Megan Kelly , something she reportedly felt was effectively a demotion, or leave the NBC . Is Tamron Hall Being Forced Out of 'Today' Show Apparently with the ability to position Kelly's new show with a Today lead-in and a third hour the network programs for affiliates, NBC brass could ensure the show would have all the keys for success. The only unknowable is, how many viewers will move with Kelly and how many existing viewers will stick around for a former Fox News host. Reportedly Hall is being wooed by CNN President Jeff Zucker . Which TCC thinks would be a great move. Some industry insiders are urging Hall to join " Live with Kelly ", however social media is full of remarks suggesting Hall learn from Michael Strahan 's experienc...

Business For years in Hollywood it was Variety or The Hollywood Reporter. The industry players always had both, but upstarts and wannabes had to choose as buying both of the dailies was too pricey. Now it seems growth at The Hollywood Reporter , founded in 1930 as a daily entertainment newspaper, beyond just the entertainment industry, has made the multi-platform and trade magazine a good longterm investment for Conde Nast . Previous discussions around a buy reportedly broke down due to the asking price. Now the purchase appears to be back on the table.

FILM Just in time for Valentine's Day, Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson make a return as Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele in the second chapter,  "Fifty Shades Darker", based on “Fifty Shades”.  Fifty Shades Darker is directed by James Foley (Fear, House of Cards).  The screenplay is by Niall Leonard, based on the novel by E L James. Fifty Shades Darker arrives in theaters on Friday, February 10, 2017.

Ratings In an announcement today, ratings giant, Nielsen is making progress with its plan to include desktop and mobile devices for measurement. Nielsen Gets Approval Of Digital In TV Ratings

TCC recently read a piece about NBCUniversal 's cable network Oxygen revamping its programming to focus on crime-related programs that will appeal to "young women"(a demographic that is widely sought after). The move to fill its schedule with "crime time" shows is, of course, related to the ratings success and promise of crime shows. Oxygen is under pressure to grow and not just maintain its core audience. TCC just wonders why crime-related programs are the answer, as there is a proliferation of these shows, for young women and what the net effect will be over time.

Television Last week's news that Oprah would be joining CBS ' venerable " 60 Minutes ", as a special contributor, came roughly at the same time Tamron Hall was leaving NBC . Tamron Hall Out At NBC and MSNBC Oprah, who is known for her incisive interviewing skills, will definitely add a much needed punch and vitality to the long-running show. Oprah's contribution to 60 Minutes may also bring viewers who hadn't followed Oprah to her cable network OWN . However, the shock of Hall leaving NBC made TCC think, why wasn't Hall going to 60 Minutes? Clearly, Hall has a news background and has conducted hard-hitting interviews on " MSNBC Live with Tamron Hall ".  Perhaps Hall isn't interested in doing another news program and wants to try something completely different. As a Vanity Fair piece indicated, " she was very excited about her next chapter ." TCC hopes this talented journalist lands somewhere soon.

TELEVISION So about last night's SNL , ICYMI, last night's opener with Melissa McCarthy playing Sean Spicer at a White House press conference was hilarious. The writing was spot on and in some ways evoked a certain segment of America's frustration with the media's performance. Happy Sunday! Check it out:

Wow! Just wow. TCC did not see Nikki Finke 's return to Deadline.com coming. Ear was not to the ground on this. Apparently Finke was about to " start a new column with Mediaite ", and despite Jay Penske 's past public squabbles (lawsuits) with Finke, Penske was not about to let this lengandry hollywood writer set up shop anywhere else. Penske reportedly made a "massive offer", which Finke obviously accepted. Over the years there have been many rumors and stories concerning the Finke/Penske fallout/relationship, even a supposed film in the works. More on Nikki Finke and Jay Penske Penske purchased Deadline.Com from Finke in 2009. However, after what were reported to be editorial disputes, Finke left the company she started in 2013. Finke's job may be breaking news and using that sledge hammer (that is her words) to put those young hollywood moguls (please consult with your predecessors) in their place. TCC only hopes Finke won't be camera shy ...

Television For those keeping up with pilot season, as TCC likes to do especially when it comes to Upfront season,Variety does a terrific job updating information in  development scorecard . Get ready!

Television It appears Tamron Hall is not only out at NBC News , Hall is also out at MSNBC . It appears Hall's contract negotiations did not go well, or perhaps Hall was ready to leave the network after 10 years. Is Tamron Hall Being Forced Out of 'Today' Show In responding to her departure from NBC Hall indicated " It was beyond anything I could have imagined ". TCC also hopes that the decision to leave NBC was Hall's and not network brass seeing higher rating with Megan Kelly . Looks like the pressure will be on Kelly to bring in the numbers the network will need to quell any "finger pointing" and "blaming" should Kelly's show fail.