If you weren’t already infuriated enough by the collapse of California AG Rob Bonta’s efforts to stop the Paramount merger, the news over the past few days won’t improve your mood.

What’s clear is that David Ellison’s finances are even shakier than outsiders might have guessed, which makes the decision to settle the case before the $7 million a day ticking fee kicked in even more distressing.

Ellison has been frantically attempting to raise additional funds as the merger gets closer to taking place, which is a troubling turn of events.

Paramount is now issuing $44.4 billion in new bonds (plus a $7.5 billion loan), which will put immediate financial pressure on the company.

The pricing for the bonds is almost financial suicide: $12.4 billion of the offering is allocated to what is referred to as high yield junk bonds, which will pay a yield in the low 9% range. The remainder of the offering will be tied to the current market average yields, which will likely be 5.75% to over 7.00%, depending on various economic factors.

This is a troubling prospect, given that Paramount was already promising spending cuts of as much as $6 billion post merger. And that was before it committed to another round of financing and interest payments.

When Paramount beat out Netflix for Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix executives estimated the actual cuts by Paramount would be more in the $12-14 billion range. And that seems more likely now. Which is devastating, given the two companies have laid off thousands of employees over the past several years.

This is not going to end well.

A film production incentive bill is slated to be introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives within the next few weeks, aimed at keeping American movie and television productions in America.

Assuming the bill’s final version tracks with what is being proposed, the new federal incentives (which can be stacked on top of local incentives) will provide a real theoretical advantage for the U.S. industry, as is shown in this chart from Stat Significant:

But there are a few big caveats to keep in mind.

I think the unspoken belief in Hollywood is that these federal incentives will not just bring some production back to the U.S., but also spark additional production. And I don’t see any indication that would happen. I think it’s much more likely that production companies and studios would see these incentives as lowering their costs, which allows them to be more profitable, repurchase stock and even boost executive pay. That’s certainly been the track record when tax credits have been given to other American industries. And I would expect the big media companies to respond in the same way.

Secondly, there are a number of factors beyond just the level of incentives that lead to production moving to another country.

The cost of labor is substantially less in many countries. It places like Eastern Europe, the saving can be more than a third. And several countries (like Serbia) encourage the use of local crews by offering special incentives that are applied specifically to labor costs. These countries also has much weaker labor protections, which allow production companies to save money on things such as overtime.

And on the streaming side, the situation is even more complicated. A number of countries now require streamers to devote a percentage of the revenue that make in a specific country on productions using local crews. It’s also true that subscribers are expecting some level of original local or regional productions. Which means that even if the U.S. production incentives are financially attractive, that might not be enough to bring substantial production back to America.

I don’t mean to be pessimistic about the impact of these federal incentives. I have no doubt they will have some impact. But I suspect it will be a lot less significant than many people in Hollywood are hoping to see.

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Law&Crime, the “leading multi-platform destination and authority for true crime and legal content,” has announced six new shows for the fall, in partnership with Court TV, which it acquired earlier this year.

Here is a rundown of the new shows, which includes one from remarkably busy Ashley Banfield:

Boze Vs. The World
Premieres December 2026 on YouTube, Law&Crime+ app, and social platforms
Ericka Bozeman has built one of the most magnetic voices in true crime. More than a million people follow her for a reason: she takes the cases dominating the conversation and tells them with a clarity, honesty, and instinct for the details that matter that keeps audiences coming back episode after episode. Now, Law&Crime is partnering with her to launch a co-branded YouTube channel and show.

Code 3 With Ashley Banfield
Premieres November 2026 on YouTube, Court TV FAST & linear, Law&Crime+ app, and social platforms
Code 3 with Ashleigh Banfield provides authoritative, real-time analysis of high-stakes law enforcement incidents using real, raw bodycam footage. Named after the official emergency response protocol requiring lights, sirens, and immediate deployment, the series reflects that same level of urgency and critical focus. For four decades, Ashleigh has covered cops, confronted killers, and exposed the cracks in America’s biggest criminal cases. In doing so she has become the definitive authority on true crime and law enforcement. Her direct, no-nonsense perspective bypasses speculation and candidly evaluates split-second field decisions and complex police procedures in real time.

Court Junkie
Premieres November 2026 on Court TV FAST & linear, Law&Crime+ app, and social platforms
For 10 years, Jillian Jalali has taken listeners inside America's biggest trials, from opening statements to the final verdict and every twist in between. Now her hit podcast, Court Junkie, is stepping out from behind the mic and onto the screen through a new partnership with Law&Crime and Court TV. For the first time, audiences can watch the fact-first storytelling that built one of true crime's most loyal followings, backed by the reach of Law&Crime and Court TV.

Justice With Matt Johnson
Premieres November 2026 on YouTube, Court TV FAST & linear, Law&Crime+ app, and social platforms
Emmy Award-winning correspondent Matt Johnson delivers breaking, real-time coverage of the true crime cases shaping the national conversation, including high-profile murder trials, missing persons investigations, and the courtroom developments defining today's headlines.

Missinformation
Premieres November 2026 on Court TV FAST & linear, Law&Crime+ app, and social platforms
MissInformation debunks the misinformation surrounding crime and legal cases and offers viewers the truth behind the story. In a world where AI-generated images and videos, fake narratives swirling online, and unvetted viral posts spread faster than the facts, digital-first journalist Marcella Baietto digs into how each claim took hold and sets the record straight. Marcella brings in expert voices across law, technology, cybersecurity, and media literacy to pull the two apart, cut through the noise, and show viewers exactly what the evidence proves.

Court Wars With Cody Thomas
Premieres October 2026 with new, one-hour episodes airing every Saturday at 7:00 p.m. EST. on YouTube, Court TV FAST & linear, Law&Crime+ app, and social platforms
In the courtroom, justice isn't given, it’s fought for. Join Court TV’s Cody Thomas as he takes viewers past the mystery of the crime and right onto the frontlines of the ultimate legal showdown. Covering cases from decades past to yesterday’s headlines, Court Wars reveals the calculated game of strategy, risk, and psychological warfare played out by prosecution and defense teams.

Given the collapse of search engine web traffic, I really wonder if attempts like this to grab search-driven traffic still work? Or do organizations like The Hollywood Reporter still doing it out of habit?

BTW, these were the top three “Latest TV” stories in the news section of THR’s web site early Monday.

The 2026 Video Music Awards (VMAs) took place last night and if you missed it, here is a list of the winners.

This was the first time the awards had been simulcast on CBS and MTV and despite the claim by executives of both networks that the awards still had the “spirit of MTV,” the fact that 68-year-old won seven awards is a pretty serious indication the event is as much about nostalgia as it is about celebrating excellence.

Having Madonna win the most awards of the night is a bit like tuning into a mid-1980s VMA broadcast and discovering the big winner that year was Neil Diamond. It’s not that Madonna isn’t still releasing interesting music (although I’d argue the music is more along the lines of “not embarrassing.”) But she’s past the time when she’s creating groundbreaking music or videos and that used to be what the VMAs represented.

I’d also argue that MTV has lost whatever little bit of pop culture cachet it used to have. Not only is MTV not airing videos (for the most part), it’s cut back its production of original unscripted shows to the point where it has become a semi-zombie channel. In 2026, having MTV present video music awards is a bit like having Life Magazine present awards for photography. Both MTV and Life Magazine are names that are more hollow brands than vital cultural influencers.

Here is a look at some of the recent stories posted on TooMuchTV.com:

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH:
Outside Series Premiere (Netflix)
Still Flipping Out Series Premiere (Bravo)

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH:
Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen 20th Anniversary Special (CBS)
Frontline: Scammed (PBS)
Lego One Piece Series Premiere (Netflix)
Miller Night Football (HBO)
Mononoke The Movie: Chapter Ⅲ - The Curse Of The Serpent (Netflix)
Moonshiners Season Premiere (Discovery)
Sam Morril: Incorrect (Netflix)
Secret Life Of A Vegas Casino Series Premiere (Discovery)
The Amazing Race: 25 Years Around The World (CBS)
The Swan: Behind The Mirror (Hulu)