<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"><channel><title><![CDATA[TV - SFist - San Francisco News, Restaurants, Events, & Sports]]></title><description><![CDATA[SFist is San Francisco's source for fun, witty, & serious news. With updates about restaurants, events, sports, politics & more, SFist reaches millions of users in California.]]></description><link>https://sfist.com/</link><image><url>https://sfist.com/favicon.png</url><title>TV - SFist - San Francisco News, Restaurants, Events, &amp; Sports</title><link>https://sfist.com/</link></image><generator>Ghost 2.12</generator><lastBuildDate>Tue, 09 Jun 2026 12:01:25 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://sfist.com/tv/rss/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><ttl>60</ttl><item><title><![CDATA[This SF-Invented Toy is Getting Its Own Animated TV Series]]></title><description><![CDATA[Fidget toy the Tangle was invented in 1980 here in the city, and 250 million units sold later, will be anthropomorphized into the the star of an upcoming animated children’s television show.]]></description><link>https://sfist.com/2021/12/24/this-sf-invented-toy-is-getting-its-own-animated-tv-series/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">61c64fd3f7acb950d994ebb5</guid><category><![CDATA[Arts & Entertainment]]></category><category><![CDATA[toys]]></category><category><![CDATA[children's toys]]></category><category><![CDATA[TV]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Joe Kukura]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 24 Dec 2021 23:01:06 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://img.sfist.com/2021/12/febd906d-97a2-41ee-9850-c6b02870da5f_1.1cdd2e8749bb8c6bf589e03f7e37b893.jpg" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://img.sfist.com/2021/12/febd906d-97a2-41ee-9850-c6b02870da5f_1.1cdd2e8749bb8c6bf589e03f7e37b893.jpg" alt="This SF-Invented Toy is Getting Its Own Animated TV Series"><p>Fidget toy the Tangle was invented in 1980 here in the city, and 250 million units sold later, will be anthropomorphized into the the star of an upcoming animated children’s television show.</p><p>A twisty toy called the Tangle was invented here in San Francisco in 1980, and has since spawned <a href="https://www.tanglecreations.com/">many different versions</a>. By 1996, updated versions of the Tangle were being sold in McDonald’s Happy Meals (See the commercial below!) And according to the Chronicle, the toy has since sold 250 million units. “A chrome version was among the first art toys sold by New York’s MoMA,” the Chronicle reports. “It has FDA endorsement as therapeutic for stress relief, hand therapy and smoking cessation. Michael Jackson posed for Italian Vogue wearing an unfurled 4-foot Tangle slung across his chest like a bandoleer. It got a boost from the national fascination with fidget toys. It’s a TikTok darling. And soon it will star in an animated series.”</p><div style="position: relative;width: 100%;height: 0;padding-bottom: 56.25%;">
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<p></p><p>Yes, the Tangle is being <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/This-S-F-toy-is-about-to-become-a-TV-star-Its-16719944.php">turned into an animated childrens’ show</a> per the Chron. The Canadian company Wow! Unlimited Media is producing the show, who are also behind the animated Netflix original movie <a href="https://www.mainframe.ca/barbie-princess-adventure/"><em>Barbie Princess Adventure</em></a><em>, </em>the DreamWorks <em>Madagascar</em> spin-off <a href="https://www.mainframe.ca/madagascar-a-little-wild/"><em>Madagascar: A Little Wild</em></a>, and the not-necessarily-for-children Youtube series <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/CartoonHangover"><em>Cartoon Hangover</em></a>.</p><p>“Tangle is a phenomenon that hasn’t received the attention it deserves,” Wow! Unlimited Media CEO Michael Hirsh told the Chronicle. He says Tangle inventor Richard X. Zawitz “has imbued it with the Taoist philosophy and insights he studied as a young man when building it. It manages to touch on so many aspects that are important to kids’ television today.” </p><p>This Richard X. Zawitz character is now a 75-year-old man, and his son, daughter-in-law, and grandson are all in on the family business that since moved to a giant warehouse in South San Francisco. The company’s premier line of products now includes spinoffs like the Tanglemaster, Sculptor, and Thaumaturgist.</p><p>“Over the years, I discovered I have some sort of magic object,” Zawitz told the Chronicle. “There’s no getting around it. What else could it be? How else could a twisty plastic noodle last 40 years in this world?”</p><p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href="https://sfist.com/2017/09/27/childhood_fave_jeffreys_toys_set_to/">Childhood Fave Jeffrey's Toys Set To Make A Return To San Francisco [SFist]</a></p><p>Image: <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Tangle-Jr-Classic-Sensory-Fidget-Toy-Set-of-3-Purple-Green-Pink-Blue-White-Blue/334433751">Walmart</a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[90s Nostalgia Mousses Up as 'Nash Bridges’ Reboot Premieres Saturday]]></title><description><![CDATA[The trailer for the ‘Nash Bridges’ reunion just dropped before Saturday’s premiere, and it might be worth tuning in just to see Willie Brown in a pot dispensary.]]></description><link>https://sfist.com/2021/11/22/90s-nostalgia-mousses-up-as-nash-bridges-reboot-premieres-saturday/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">619c1772b1ca0658664e0f26</guid><category><![CDATA[Arts & Entertainment]]></category><category><![CDATA[Nash Bridges]]></category><category><![CDATA[TV]]></category><category><![CDATA[Willie Brown]]></category><category><![CDATA[film shoots]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Joe Kukura]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 22 Nov 2021 22:30:49 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://img.sfist.com/2021/11/nash-bridges-joe-dominguez-movie-revival.jpg" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://img.sfist.com/2021/11/nash-bridges-joe-dominguez-movie-revival.jpg" alt="90s Nostalgia Mousses Up as 'Nash Bridges’ Reboot Premieres Saturday"><p>The trailer for the <em>Nash Bridges</em> reunion just dropped before Saturday’s premiere, and it might be worth tuning in just to see Willie Brown in a pot dispensary.</p><p>Your No. 1 movie at the U.S. box office right now is <a href="https://movieweb.com/ghostbusters-afterlife-box-office-opening-weekend/">a <em>Ghostbusters</em> sequel</a>. The most anticipated movie of the holiday season is <a href="https://sfist.com/2021/09/09/trailer-arrives-for-the-matrix-4-resurrections/">a <em>Matrix</em> sequel</a>. And television knows where its bread is buttered too, as nostalgia-soaked sequels and reboots are a far surer bet than creating original work these days. And so your most anticipated non-football television event of Thanksgiving weekend is the <a href="https://sfist.com/2021/05/04/the-nash-bridges-reboot-no-one-asked-for-is-on-its-way/"><em>Nash Bridges</em> reunion movie</a> that was <a href="https://hoodline.com/2021/05/nash-bridges-reboot-movie-shoot-electrifying-the-financial-district/">shot right here in San Francisco</a>, premiering at 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 27, on the USA Network, and whose trailer is seen below.</p><div style="position: relative;width: 100%;height: 0;padding-bottom: 56.25%;">
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<p></p><p><br>It appears to be a sort of a <em>Miami Vice</em> meets <em>Grumpy Old Men</em> with a very conspicuous San Francisco backdrop. Don Johnson is seen clearly hanging outside Bimbo’s 365, fishing off piers near the Embarcadero, and recklessly driving his Barracuda near the Caltrain station. The apparent premise is that there’s some sort of tech money-related mass murder spree that only ol’ Nash and Cheech Marin coming out of retirement can solve <em>in a world…</em> where the SFPD office has devolved into some sort of startup environment with standing desks and Sensadome exercise ball chairs. There’s clearly an “Old folks vs. Millennials” vibe to this thing, tailored to a demographic that does not realize that Millennials are now entering their 40s.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://img.sfist.com/2021/11/Screenshot-2021-11-22-1.27.58-PM.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="90s Nostalgia Mousses Up as 'Nash Bridges’ Reboot Premieres Saturday"><figcaption><em>Screenshot: Youtube</em></figcaption></figure><p>But what do we have here? There’s a Willie Brown cameo set in a marijuana dispensary! In the dispensary, we hear Joe (Cheech Marin) say, “I wouldn't pass the drug screening, man, I’m high most of the time.”</p><p><a href="https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/nash-bridges-is-back-on-the-streets-of-s-f-and-star-don-johnson-couldnt-be-happier">According to the Chronicle</a>, Da Mayor responds, “So am I!”</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://img.sfist.com/2021/11/Screenshot-2021-11-22-1.27.33-PM.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="90s Nostalgia Mousses Up as 'Nash Bridges’ Reboot Premieres Saturday"><figcaption><em>Screenshot: Youtube</em></figcaption></figure><p>A closer look shows that what is presented in the show as “Joe’s Barbary Coast” dispensary is in fact the Barbary Coast dispensary near Sixth and Mission Streets. The pot products shown all mimic the branding of that real-life dispensary, so management there must be quite pleased with the exposure.</p><div align="center" style="width:100%; max-width:100%"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Wait. Nash Bridges is back? Are they in retirement homes?</p>&mdash; SteelCityBlitz (@SCBlitz) <a href="https://twitter.com/SCBlitz/status/1462609143169224705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<p><br>And the city at large should be too. The Chronicle estimated in May that shooting of the two-hour, made-for-TV movie <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/local/article/Mayor-heralds-filming-of-movie-Nash-Bridges-16181692.php">generated $1.5 million</a> for the local economy. And it’s representative of a<a href="https://sfist.com/2021/03/11/the-bay-area-movie-and-tv-production-scene-is-heating-back-up/"> post-lockdown TV and film production boom</a> here in the city, among other visible franchises like the <a href="https://sfist.com/2021/04/19/marvels-shang-chi-trailer-arrives-with-a-muni-bus-martial-arts-battle/"><em>Shang-Chi </em>shoot</a>, and the releases of blockbusters shot here before the pandemic, like <a href="https://sfist.com/2021/09/24/matrix-4-will-have-a-red-carpet-premiere-in-san-francisco/"><em>The Matrix: Resurrections</em></a> and <a href="https://sfist.com/2020/02/17/venom-2-film-shoot-spotted-in-the-tenderloin/"><em>Venom 2</em></a>. </p><div align="center" style="width:100%; max-width:100%"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">No one.<br><br>Absolutely no one. <br><br>USA Network: “Hey, we should do a special ‘Nash Bridges’ movie!”</p>&mdash; DJ Hammer (@djhammer59) <a href="https://twitter.com/djhammer59/status/1462609251004784647?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<p><br>The <em>Nash Bridges</em> movie is currently just a two-hour TV movie, and is not yet a weekly episodic reboot of the show. It plays at 9 p.m. Saturday on the USA Network, then repeats again at 11 p.m., before that network returns to its regular programming of nonstop <em>Law &amp; Order: Special Victims Unit</em> episodes.</p><p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href="https://sfist.com/2021/05/04/the-nash-bridges-reboot-no-one-asked-for-is-on-its-way/">The ‘Nash Bridges’ Reboot No One Asked For Is On Its Way [SFist]</a></p><p><em>Image: Peacock</em></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Amazon Greenlights SF-Based Series 'Tong Wars', Wong Kar-Wai To Direct]]></title><description><![CDATA[It's not about kitchen utensils, but a crime drama set in 19th Century San Francisco Chinatown.]]></description><link>https://sfist.com/2017/09/18/amazon_greenlights_sf-based_series/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5c242bab44ad066cdcf693de</guid><category><![CDATA[Arts & Entertainment]]></category><category><![CDATA[amazon]]></category><category><![CDATA[Chinatown]]></category><category><![CDATA[man in the high castle]]></category><category><![CDATA[sense 8]]></category><category><![CDATA[TV]]></category><category><![CDATA[wong kar-wai]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Joe Kukura]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 18 Sep 2017 12:20:17 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://img.sfist.com/assets_c/2017/09/tongwarschinetown-thumb-640xauto-1013065.jpg" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://img.sfist.com/assets_c/2017/09/tongwarschinetown-thumb-640xauto-1013065.jpg" alt="Amazon Greenlights SF-Based Series 'Tong Wars', Wong Kar-Wai To Direct"><p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;">  </span></p>

<p>San Francisco is getting some of its big-budget TV location cred back after the <a href="http://sfist.com/2017/06/30/good_news_sense_8_fans_there_will_b.php">disappointing cancellation</a> of Netflix's local darling series <em>Sense 8</em>. Amazon is stepping into the void, <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/amazon-armisen-rudolph-wong-1202552683/">according to Variety</a>, ordering a new hour-long drama series called <em>Tong Wars</em>, to be directed by respected Hong Kong director Wong Kar-Wai, written by Paul Attanasio (<em>Donnie Brasco</em>, <em>Quiz Show</em>) and set right here in San Francisco Chinatown during the infamous <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tong_Wars">Chinese mob wars over the opium, prostitution, and gambling trades</a> that lasted from the late Gold Rush-era through the 1920s.</p>

<p>The big name here is of course Wong Kar-Wai, a super well-respected indie director best known for the late 90s Hong Kong cinema hits <em>Happy Together</em> and <em>Chunking Express</em>. According to Variety, “The series is set against the Tong Wars of 19th century San Francisco and tells a story spanning a significant period of time about Chinese immigrants and the clashes between organized-crime families in the city’s Chinatown.” I would like to think this will involve several excellent kung fu battles!</p>

<p>Of course, the series was just greenlit last week, with only the announcement of a writer and a director. We have no information yet on featured performers or shooting locations. So it’s not a complete certainty that the series will be shot in San Francisco, but given the presumed budget, it does seem a likelihood. (While Amazon’s <em>Man In the High Castle</em> is partially set in San Francisco, we are not listed among <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1740299/locations?ref_=ttfc_sa_5">the series’ filming locations</a>. So I guess those scenes are all CGI?)  </p>

<p><a href="http://www.sfgate.com/tv/article/Amazon-orders-Tong-Wars-a-drama-set-in-19th-12195181.php">The Chronicle’s announcement the the <em>Tong Wars</em> are coming</a> digs deep into the paper’s own archives, with some writing on the Tongs dating back to 1912. “The members of these lawless societies are men with no definite occupation living as best they can a keepers of evil resorts, gamblers and criminals generally," the Chronicle wrote of the Chinatown Tong gangs at the time. "Clearly their existence is a constant menace to the peace of the community, and should not be permitted." That assessment may be seen through the xenophobic-colored lenses of that era’s journalism, but <a href="http://sfist.com/2013/03/06/the_gangs_of_san_francisco_the_tong.php">SFist has also looked back on the Tong gangs</a> of the early 1900s.</p>

<p>The other series Amazon confirmed ordering in last week’s announcement are an untitled 30-minute Fred Armisen-Maya Rudolph comedy, something called <em>Upload</em> from <em>The Office</em> creator Greg Daniels, and a comedy called <em>Making Friends</em> from the mediocres who brought you <em>How I Met Your Mother</em>.</p>

<p><strong>Related: </strong><a href="http://sfist.com/2017/09/12/video_ant-man_the_wasp_raids_russia.php"><em>Ant-Man &amp; The Wasp</em> Raids Russian Hill To Shoot Car Stunts</a>   </p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Video: Hundreds Show Up For 'American Idol' Audition In Oakland]]></title><description><![CDATA[On Sunday, the American Idol crew swung through the Bay Area -- sans celebrity judges -- to do a first-round audition for the upcoming season.]]></description><link>https://sfist.com/2017/08/21/video_hundreds_show_up_for_american/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5c242f6a44ad066cdcf8891e</guid><category><![CDATA[Arts & Entertainment]]></category><category><![CDATA[American Idol]]></category><category><![CDATA[Oakland]]></category><category><![CDATA[TV]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Barmann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 21 Aug 2017 16:15:05 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://img.sfist.com/assets_c/2017/08/american-idol-oak-thumb-640xauto-1009994.jpg" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://img.sfist.com/assets_c/2017/08/american-idol-oak-thumb-640xauto-1009994.jpg" alt="Video: Hundreds Show Up For 'American Idol' Audition In Oakland"><p><iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://abc7news.com/video/embed/?pid=2330860" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>

<p>On Sunday, the <em>American Idol</em> crew swung through the Bay Area  sans celebrity judges  to hear some local folks audition for the (is it still popular?) ABC singing competition. As <a href="http://abc7news.com/entertainment/bay-area-shines-at-american-idol-auditions-in-oakland-/2328296/">local affiliate KGO shows us</a>, <em>Idol</em> hopefuls came out in force in Oakland's Jack London Square, some lining up as early as 4 a.m. yesterday to sing their hearts out to producers, with the hopes of getting an invitation to audition for the celebrity panel of judges  which this season will include Katy Perry  at a later date.</p>

<p>Other auditions happened over the weekend in Portland, OR and in Florida, and more in-person opportunities can be <a href="http://abc.go.com/shows/american-idol/audition-alerts">found here</a>. But if you know a talented future star who missed the Oakland open call, producers are also <a href="http://abc.go.com/shows/american-idol/online-auditions">accepting online auditions</a>.</p>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmericanIdol?src=hash">#AmericanIdol</a> bus is driving all over the country looking for the next singing superstar. Open auditions in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Oakland?src=hash">#Oakland</a> today! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/abc7now?src=hash">#abc7now</a> <a href="https://t.co/dsZh53VYAO">pic.twitter.com/dsZh53VYAO</a></p>— Elissa Harrington (@ElissaABC7) <a href="https://twitter.com/ElissaABC7/status/899288690266062848">August 20, 2017</a>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hopefuls will sing in front of producers in Jack London Square. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmericanIdol?src=hash">#AmericanIdol</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/abc7now?src=hash">#abc7now</a> <a href="https://t.co/efu11Ozb18">pic.twitter.com/efu11Ozb18</a></p>— Elissa Harrington (@ElissaABC7) <a href="https://twitter.com/ElissaABC7/status/899289576438513664">August 20, 2017</a>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">People starting lining up at 4 a.m. for a chance to be the next <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmericanIdol?src=hash">#AmericanIdol</a>. Open auditions in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Oakland?src=hash">#Oakland</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/abc7now?src=hash">#abc7now</a> <a href="https://t.co/CZF6yUUj64">pic.twitter.com/CZF6yUUj64</a></p>— Elissa Harrington (@ElissaABC7) <a href="https://twitter.com/ElissaABC7/status/899297375474270208">August 20, 2017</a>
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</div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[House Used For MTV's Original SF 'Real World' Season Hits Market For $7M]]></title><description><![CDATA[As you can see from the photos, pretty much all the vestiges of the house used by Puck, Judd, Pam, Pedro, Rachel, Mohammed, and Cory are gone thanks to multiple remodels.]]></description><link>https://sfist.com/2017/08/17/house_used_for_mtvs_original_sf_rea/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5c24334a44ad066cdcfa7a16</guid><category><![CDATA[Arts & Entertainment]]></category><category><![CDATA[Real Estate]]></category><category><![CDATA[Real World]]></category><category><![CDATA[real world house]]></category><category><![CDATA[TV]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Barmann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 17 Aug 2017 15:50:10 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://img.sfist.com/assets_c/2017/08/sf-real-world-house-thumb-640xauto-1009592.jpg" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://img.sfist.com/assets_c/2017/08/sf-real-world-house-thumb-640xauto-1009592.jpg" alt="House Used For MTV's Original SF 'Real World' Season Hits Market For $7M"><p><br>
The Russian Hill house that was home to seven strangers getting "real" on MTV in 1994, also known as 949-953 Lombard Street, is hitting the market again at the eye-popping price of $7 million  but bear in mind it's three-unit investment property at the moment, and newly remodeled. <a href="http://www.realtor.com/news/unique-homes/real-world-house-san-francisco/">Realtor.com brings news of the listing</a>, via listing agent Stephanie Ahlberg with Hill &amp; Co., and you can <a href="http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/949-953-Lombard-St_San-Francisco_CA_94133_M28817-59700">see the full listing here</a>.</p>

<p>As you can see from the photos, pretty much all the vestiges of the house used by Puck, Judd, Pam, Pedro, Rachel, Mohammed, and Cory are gone thanks to multiple remodels and <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/S-F-home-made-famous-by-MTV-s-Real-World-goes-3058069.php">a fire in June 2000</a>. Coincidentally, at the time, the upper two levels, which had been used by the <em>Real World</em> cast for the show, were being rented out by a doomed local dot-com startup called Spotlife.com that had seven strangers in their 20s living together for free and being watched by webcams 24 hours a day, with viewers invited to chat with them and read their online journals. Sounds like a totally sustainable business!</p>

<p>These days, the lower level, which was the unit occupied by the building's owner during the shooting and used to store MTV's equipment, is now a 3-bedroom, 3.5-bath unit with a new kitchen, French doors, limestone patio, and a small garden. The second unit on the middle floor is a two-bedroom with its own balconies and newly redone kitchen and baths. And the upper level unit has a great room, two bedrooms, two full baths, and access to a 1500-square-foot roof deck.</p>

<p>"All three units have sweeping Bay and city views," says Ahlberg. "Even the lowest unit has the big sweeping view."</p>

<p>She suggests that a buyer might want to combine the upper two units into one and then rent out the lower unit, or just live in one unit and rent the other two.</p>

<p>This house is of course not to be confused with the second SF <em>Real World</em> house, when MTV came back to SF for one more round in 2013. That space is at <a href="http://sfist.com/2013/08/22/inside_the_real_world_house.php">1244 Sutter Street,</a> and no, I did not watch that season.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Step Aside, YouTube: Facebook To Launch Its Own TV Shows In August]]></title><description><![CDATA[Staying on FB while watching TV is about to get even easier.]]></description><link>https://sfist.com/2017/07/27/facebook_will_launch_television_sho/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5c24323444ad066cdcf9e8f5</guid><category><![CDATA[Arts & Entertainment]]></category><category><![CDATA[facebook]]></category><category><![CDATA[social media]]></category><category><![CDATA[TV]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Beth Spotswood]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 27 Jul 2017 13:45:01 GMT</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p>

<p>Staying on FB while watching TV is about to get even easier. </p>

<p>Next month  or maybe later because it's already behind schedule  social media giant Facebook will launch its own television section, mercifully outside of users' news feeds. </p>

<p><a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/facebook-tv-could-debut-in-august-with-cheap-shorter-clips/">CNet describes</a> Facebook's expected TV content as higher quality than that of YouTube but not yet on par with your Amazon Exclusive Series or Netflix Originals. </p>

<p>CNet explains:</p>

<blockquote>It [Facebook] reportedly has signed deals with Buzzfeed and Vox as well as social-cause-focused Attn and Group Nine Media (known for Thrillist, NowThis and The Dodo). The companies will make scripted shows running about 20 to 30 minutes as well as shorter clips lasting 5 to 10 minutes, and Facebook will own the longer episodes but not the shorter clips. All the video will include commercials.</blockquote>

<p>The first show in Facebook's new lineup of scripted entertainment will be "Loosely Exactly Nicole," a show previously cancelled by MTV. </p>

<p><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-26/first-facebook-tv-episodes-are-said-to-be-ready-for-mid-august">Bloomberg</a>, meanwhile, claims that Facebook will offer its two billion users both scripted and user-generated content. Don't we already upload our dumb videos? It's unclear how user-generated content will differ from what's already on Facebook but we'll have to wait a month or so to find out. </p>

<p><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/c1gtBC5Na48" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>

<p>Facebook has hired a bunch of TV executives to run this new and growing entertainment arm, aimed to dip into the massive television advertising bucket of money. While the company is funding original content shows now, it won't forever. With ads, Facebook Television is designed to fund itself. </p>

<p>There's no word on whether or not FBTV will run previously released full-length films like Netflix and Amazon do, but if it does, Facebook should definitely launch that feature by screening <em>The Social Network.</em></p>

<p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href="http://sfist.com/2016/03/02/netflix_hiring_professional_instagrammers.php">Good At Instragram? Netflix Wants To Pay You $2K A Week To Photograph Film Sets</a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Good News, 'Sense8' Fans: There Will Be A Finale Movie]]></title><description><![CDATA[It appears that it was, in fact, all the emails, lamenting tweets, and general caterwauling by devastated fans that changed Netflix's mind about the show's fate.]]></description><link>https://sfist.com/2017/06/30/good_news_sense_8_fans_there_will_b/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5c24303244ad066cdcf8e74b</guid><category><![CDATA[Arts & Entertainment]]></category><category><![CDATA[netflix]]></category><category><![CDATA[sense 8]]></category><category><![CDATA[TV]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Barmann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 30 Jun 2017 11:30:28 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://img.sfist.com/assets_c/2017/06/sense8return-thumb-640xauto-1003583.jpg" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://img.sfist.com/assets_c/2017/06/sense8return-thumb-640xauto-1003583.jpg" alt="Good News, 'Sense8' Fans: There Will Be A Finale Movie"><p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;">  </span></p>

<p>Following an outpouring of tears and outrage in reaction to Netflix's cancellation of cult favorite series <em>Sense8</em>, it was revealed Thursday that they will be letting the Wachowski sisters give the fans some closure. Co-creator Lana Wachowski penned a public letter to fans <a href="https://twitter.com/sense8/status/880495946370568194">on Twitter</a> and Facebook saying, "Improbably, unforeseeably, your love has brought 'Sense8' back to life." </p>

<p>It appears that it was, in fact, all the emails, lamenting tweets, and general caterwauling by devastated fans that changed Netflix's mind about the show's fate, and much the way HBO canceled <em>Looking</em> but allowed the creators to produce a two-hour movie to wrap up their storylines, Netflix is letting the Wachowskis make a two-hour finale for <em>Sense8</em>.</p>

<p>"In this world it is easy to believe that you cannot make a difference; that when a government or an institution or corporation makes a decision, there is something irrevocable about the decision; that love is always less important than the bottom line," writes Lana Wachowski. "But here is a gift from the fans of this show that I will carry forever in my heart: while it is often true that those decisions are irreversible, it is not <em>always</em> true."</p>

<p>Wachowski says that following the announcement of the cancellation she "often found myself unable to open my own email" and that she "fell into a fairly serious depression." She also says that Netflix "loves the show as much as we do but the numbers have always been challenging."</p>

<p>Given the globe-spanning plot lines of the show, things got pretty expensive. As <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/29/15894848/netflix-sense8-two-hour-special-2018-uncancelled-fan-campaign">The Verge reports</a>, some estimates put the ticket price of each episode at $9 million.</p>

<p>The two-hour finale will be released sometime next year, Wachowski says. It remains to be seen if any of it, like parts of the first two seasons, will be shot in San Francisco, but maybe!</p>

<div align="center">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Death doesn't let you say goodbye. 2 hour finale episode in the works. Tell your cluster. <a href="https://t.co/GHZgGuHwS0">pic.twitter.com/GHZgGuHwS0</a></p>— Sense8 (@sense8) <a href="https://twitter.com/sense8/status/880495946370568194">June 29, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
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<p>The cancellation of <em>Sense8</em> after two seasons came alongside the cancellation of two freshmen series at Netflix, the <a href="http://sfist.com/2017/06/26/sf-set_girlboss_is_latest_casualty.php">SF-shot <em>Girlboss</em></a>, and the Baz Luhrman hip-hop drama <em>The Get Down</em>. Speaking generally about the cancellations, Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos was quoted as saying, "Relative to what you spent, are people watching it? That is [a] pretty traditional [test]... A big, expensive show for a tiny audience is hard even in our model to make that work very long."</p>

<p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href="http://sfist.com/2017/06/29/something_is_finally_going_right_ta.php">'Tales Of The City' Is Coming Back, Via Netflix Reboot</a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Video: Every Tiny Tech-World In-Joke Hidden Within The Title Sequence Of 'Silicon Valley']]></title><description><![CDATA[There are MANY little hidden jokes that we've all likely missed unless we took the time to obsessively pause and examine the thing.]]></description><link>https://sfist.com/2017/06/27/video_every_tiny_tech_world_in_joke/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5c242c7944ad066cdcf6fe8a</guid><category><![CDATA[Arts & Entertainment]]></category><category><![CDATA[HBO]]></category><category><![CDATA[Silicon Valley]]></category><category><![CDATA[silicon valley season four]]></category><category><![CDATA[TV]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Barmann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 27 Jun 2017 14:50:16 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://img.sfist.com/assets_c/2017/06/silicon-valley-titles2-thumb-640xauto-1003141.jpg" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://img.sfist.com/assets_c/2017/06/silicon-valley-titles2-thumb-640xauto-1003141.jpg" alt="Video: Every Tiny Tech-World In-Joke Hidden Within The Title Sequence Of 'Silicon Valley'"><p><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MpPP0ekIdVU?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>

<p>Part of the reason that HBO's <em>Silicon Valley</em>  which just had its fourth season finale on Sunday  has such a short, rapid-fire opening title sequence is that creator Mike Judge didn't really want to have a title sequence at all. But, as the YouTube show <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJfbGr89xfSAH44KKu448TA/videos">Shots Fired</a> explains, HBO has a reputation to uphold for acclaimed title sequences, so they hooked him up with LA-based design firm <a href="http://yuco.com/">yU+Co</a> to conceive the quick, 10-second animation that charts the ever-changing landscape of the Valley's most notable companies, some large and some not so large. </p>

<p>With each new season, they've revised the sequence to depict the way companies have merged or made headlines  for instance, the overshadowing of Yahoo's sign with Alibaba's, and the growth of the Alphabet sign over Google's headquarters.</p>

<p>There are also, as Shots Fired shows by pausing and scanning across the complicated moving image, MANY little hidden jokes that we've all likely missed unless we took the time to obsessively pause and examine the thing. For instance: A couple of <a href="http://sfist.com/tags/soylent">Soylent</a> trucks with a bunch of porta-potties next to them, and several FBI vehicles pulling up outside of <a href="http://sfist.com/tags/theranos">Theranos</a>, referring to recent PR and legal disasters at both companies. And did you catch the little Snapchat ghost hovering over/haunting Facebook?</p>

<p>With the debut of last season's sequence, in 2016, <a href="https://www.wired.com/2016/05/silicon-valley-title-sequence/">as Wired noted at the time</a>, there's a mostly hidden, obscure reference to an incident in which housing/gentrification protesters vomited on a purple Yahoo commuter shuttle bus.</p>

<p>For comparison, check out the Season 1 sequence below. Remember Myspace?</p>

<p>[h/t: <a href="https://laughingsquid.com/silicon-valley-title-sequence-breakdown/">Laughing Squid</a>]</p>

<p><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DNp1ullIXP4?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>

<p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href="http://sfist.com/2017/05/25/no_tj_miller_announces_hes_leaving.php">No!!! T.J. Miller Announces He's Leaving HBO's 'Silicon Valley'</a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[SF-Set 'Girlboss' Is Latest Casualty In Netflix Cancellation Spree]]></title><description><![CDATA[#Bye #Girlboss.]]></description><link>https://sfist.com/2017/06/26/sf-set_girlboss_is_latest_casualty/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5c24229444ad066cdcf1e085</guid><category><![CDATA[Arts & Entertainment]]></category><category><![CDATA[netflix]]></category><category><![CDATA[TV]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Barmann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 26 Jun 2017 11:05:16 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://img.sfist.com/assets_c/2017/06/netflix-girlboss-thumb-640xauto-1002925.jpg" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://img.sfist.com/assets_c/2017/06/netflix-girlboss-thumb-640xauto-1002925.jpg" alt="SF-Set 'Girlboss' Is Latest Casualty In Netflix Cancellation Spree"><p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;">  </span></p>

<p>#Bye #Girlboss.</p>

<p>The Netflix series <em>Girlboss</em>, shot in San Francisco last year in and around the Haight and elsewhere, has been canceled after just a single season, the latest in a wave of cancelations several of Netflix's high-profile new original series.</p>

<p>As <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/girlboss-canceled-netflix-1202477802/">Variety reports</a>, the show based on Sophia Amoruso's memoir of the same name (except with hashtag), about how she built her multi-million-dollar Nasty Gal brand out of an eBay store when she was in her mid-20s, will not be returning despite only telling a piece of Amoruso's story in 13 half-hour episodes. It stars Britt Robertson as Amoruso, and the cancellation has prompted a flood of sad responses from Amoruso's large Instagram following.</p>

<p>The show was amusing in parts but largely more frustrating than anything because of the portrayal of Amorouso's character as a fairly petulant, egocentric, and unlikable young woman  but I will say that the way the writers and director chose to dramatize chatroom comments using actors around a roundtable was hilarious.</p>

<p>Amorouso posted an Instagram "story" over the weekend discussing the cancellation, saying, "So that Netflix series about my life got canceled. While I’m proud of the work we did, I’m looking forward to controlling my narrative from here on out. It was a good show, and I was privileged to work with incredible talent, but living my life as a caricature was hard even if only for two months. Yes, I can be difficult. No, I’m not a dick. No, someone named Shane never cheated on me. It will be nice to someday tell the story of what’s happened in the last few years. Ppl read the headline, not the correction, I’ve learned."</p>

<p>The cancellation follows on the axing of <em>Sense 8</em>, which was also show partly in SF, and the Baz Luhrman hip-hop drama <em>The Get Down</em>. <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/netflixs-ted-sarandos-1202461684/">Per Variety</a>, Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos talked about those two shows at a recent conference, saying, "Relative to what you spent, are people watching it? That is [a] pretty traditional [test]. When I say that, a big expensive show for a huge audience is great. A big, expensive show for a tiny audience is hard even in our model to make that work very long."</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Video: Cal Grad Makes Total Fool Of Himself On 'The Bachelorette']]></title><description><![CDATA[The internet is laughing loudly at 30-year-old Lucas Yancey, who hails from Woodside.]]></description><link>https://sfist.com/2017/05/24/whaaboom-guy-went-to-cal/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5c24277f44ad066cdcf475d0</guid><category><![CDATA[Arts & Entertainment]]></category><category><![CDATA[Cal]]></category><category><![CDATA[lucas yancey]]></category><category><![CDATA[Television]]></category><category><![CDATA[TV]]></category><category><![CDATA[uc berkeley]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Barmann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 24 May 2017 13:45:51 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://img.sfist.com/assets_c/2017/05/whaaboom-lucas-thumb-640xauto-998897.jpg" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://img.sfist.com/assets_c/2017/05/whaaboom-lucas-thumb-640xauto-998897.jpg" alt="Video: Cal Grad Makes Total Fool Of Himself On 'The Bachelorette'"><p><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tweGkXK_-qo?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>

<p>The internet is laughing loudly at 30-year-old Lucas Yancey. The Cal grad and Woodside resident is one of the contestant bachelors on the latest edition of <em>The Bachelorette</em>, and if the above video is any indication, he was cast on the show in order to inspire "what a douche" comments on social media and to irritate the rest of the cast until he makes it to the final three.</p>

<p>The Bachelorette this time is Rachel Lindsay, the first African-American bachelorette in the franchise's history  and that's out of 33 combined seasons of <em>The Bachelor/The Bachelorette</em> on ABC. Rachel is an attorney from Texas, and as they've done with previous seasons, they plucked her out of the last round of <em>The Bachelor</em> in which she vied for the love of four-time failed marriage prospect Nick Viall. </p>

<p><a href="http://uproxx.com/tv/the-bachelorette-rachel-lindsay-whaboom-lucas/">Uproxx pegs Lucas</a>, with his megaphone entrance, Jim Carrey-esque forced zanyness, and "Whaboom" catchphrase, as a bit of hate-watch casting, and they're likely spot-on. Did I mention that in addition to introducing himself with a catchphrase, "Whaboom" is also a t-shirt line that he's pimping  he steps out of the limo in his first episode wearing one of his own t-shirts bearing the word/brand. He also lists Whaboom as his occupation in <a href="http://abc.go.com/shows/the-bachelorette/cast/lucas-2017">his bio</a>. He also needed to say it and act insane during the rose ceremony. </p>

<div align="center">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lucas. 🌹 Whhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaabbbbboooooooooooooooooooooooommmmmmmmmmm. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheBachlorette?src=hash">#TheBachlorette</a> <a href="https://t.co/aBYFwr1WC6">pic.twitter.com/aBYFwr1WC6</a></p>— DAN (@danWorthington) <a href="https://twitter.com/danWorthington/status/866848908974182400">May 23, 2017</a>
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<p>Vulture, which dug up the easily findable video below  some kind of spec commercial Yancey made for Doritos  <a href="http://www.vulture.com/2017/05/who-is-the-bachelorette-lucas-whaboom-yancey.html">suggests</a> that casting Yancey, with his obvious thirst for showbiz fame, is "an extremely cynical casting move" even for this show, which long ago gave up on the ruse that anyone's really on it to find love.</p>

<p><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VJlwKKxrxQg?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>

<p>I know. Big news, right? Attention-hungry, wannabe famous actor goes on reality show to get attention/fame.</p>

<p>But this time, he's from the Bay Area. So, we're all to blame.</p>

<div align="center">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Producers: We can't do overkill on whaboom<br>Also Producers: Give him a megaphone and 100 ccs of redbull <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bachelorette?src=hash">#bachelorette</a> <a href="https://t.co/mmQdJF7wLc">pic.twitter.com/mmQdJF7wLc</a></p>— Adam Sharples (@sharpstick5) <a href="https://twitter.com/sharpstick5/status/866835998847770624">May 23, 2017</a>
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<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">When the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/whaboom?src=hash">#whaboom</a> gets a rose <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheBachelorette?src=hash">#TheBachelorette</a> <a href="https://t.co/hVeRKAj6xx">pic.twitter.com/hVeRKAj6xx</a></p>— ∞ taylor (@t_mccorm) <a href="https://twitter.com/t_mccorm/status/866848600067801088">May 23, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Maybe it's just the stupid <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/whaboom?src=hash">#whaboom</a> thing, but I see a resemblance <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheBachelorette?src=hash">#TheBachelorette</a> <a href="https://t.co/VumNsusW8R">pic.twitter.com/VumNsusW8R</a></p>— Chris Yonush (@Yonush1) <a href="https://twitter.com/Yonush1/status/866842409405222913">May 23, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Me when Lucas got a rose <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/whaboom?src=hash">#whaboom</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bachelorette?src=hash">#bachelorette</a> <a href="https://t.co/PI7RRGaRdF">pic.twitter.com/PI7RRGaRdF</a></p>— Maddy Campbell (@Madcam67) <a href="https://twitter.com/Madcam67/status/866848634268258304">May 23, 2017</a>
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<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The waboom guy is literally just the kaboom guy from parks and recreation <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheBachelorette?src=hash">#TheBachelorette</a> <a href="https://t.co/jidmUTdz7R">pic.twitter.com/jidmUTdz7R</a></p>— Tracy Trapman (@corihealey) <a href="https://twitter.com/corihealey/status/866841149520175104">May 23, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">No one understands the amount of hatred I have for this Lucas dude on the bachelorette</p>— Em. (@_emilyvaughn_) <a href="https://twitter.com/_emilyvaughn_/status/867056911400783872">May 23, 2017</a>
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</div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA['Not Hotdog' App From HBO's 'Silicon Valley' Now Available For Download]]></title><description><![CDATA[The pivot from Sunday's episode of Jian Yang and Erlich's SeeFood app, which ends up being called Not Hotdog, now exists in the App Store, and it works (kind of).]]></description><link>https://sfist.com/2017/05/15/not_hotdog_app_from_hbos_silicon_va/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5c24291344ad066cdcf5419c</guid><category><![CDATA[Arts & Entertainment]]></category><category><![CDATA[funnies]]></category><category><![CDATA[HBO]]></category><category><![CDATA[Silicon Valley]]></category><category><![CDATA[tech sector]]></category><category><![CDATA[TV]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Barmann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 15 May 2017 14:40:54 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://img.sfist.com/assets_c/2017/05/not-hotdog-app-thumb-640xauto-997561.jpg" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://img.sfist.com/assets_c/2017/05/not-hotdog-app-thumb-640xauto-997561.jpg" alt="'Not Hotdog' App From HBO's 'Silicon Valley' Now Available For Download"><p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;">  </span></p>

<p>Sunday night's episode of <em>Silicon Valley</em> was another winner for the continuously hilarious series, and one that had some of the series' characteristic comic twists involving the sometimes absurd pivots that tech companies must make as they chase venture capital [spoilers ahead!]. In this case, Jian Yang and Erlich's SeeFood startup, originally spun as "the Shazam for food," turns out only to be capable of identifying hot dogs and distinguishing everything else as "not hot dog." Via a funny moment in which Erlich uses the app to snap of a pic of his own genitals, one of the VCs at Raviga Capital  which, by the way, has <a href="http://www.raviga.com/">its own fictitious website</a>  Monica's rival Ed Chen, decides to pitch the app to Periscope as a bot that can filter out images of penises, and it's immediately sold for a major profit.</p>

<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"> <img alt="'Not Hotdog' App From HBO's 'Silicon Valley' Now Available For Download" src="http://img.sfist.com/attachments/SFist_Jay/7a7bf78d-c04d-4e42-870c-3d3f267cde6c.gif" width="640" class="image-none"> </span></p>

<p>Now the crew has created, clearly with the help of some of their real-life engineer technical consultants, a downloadable version of the Not Hotdog app, which is <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/app/not-hotdog/id1212457521">live now in the Apple App Store</a>, and <a href="https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2017/5/14/15639784/hbo-silicon-valley-not-hotdog-app-download">according to The Verge</a>, the thing seems to marginally work when it comes to identifying hot dogs and things that are not hot dogs  however in my own test for SFist, that was not the case.</p>

<p>While I did not have any actual hot dogs in my fridge, I did grab an item off the shelf to see if the app would be fooled, and I tricked it on the first try  so, IRL, Jian Yang's code may not be worth the millions that Twitter/Periscope paid for it on the show.</p>

<p>Observe:</p>

<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"> <div class="image-none"> <img alt="'Not Hotdog' App From HBO's 'Silicon Valley' Now Available For Download" src="http://img.sfist.com/attachments/SFist_Jay/not-hotdog-sriracha.jpg" width="640" height="711"> <br> </div> </span></p>

<p><a href="https://consumerist.com/2017/05/15/you-can-really-download-the-not-hotdog-app-from-silicon-valley/">Consumerist notes</a> that this is just the latest in a series of working apps connected to TV comedies, dreamed up by their marketing teams.<br>
</p><blockquote>
<br>
Real versions of fictional apps have happened before: Netflix developed an official version of the FakeBlock app from <em>Arrested Development</em>. The woodblock simulator is longer available, but there are unofficial alternatives still on various app stores.

<p>A storyline on the Fox comedy <em>Brooklyn Nine-Nine</em> involved cops addicted to a Candy Crush-type game called <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/app/kwazy-cupcakes/id949658958?mt=8">Kwazy Cupcakes</a>, which is still available, and surprisingly playable. </p>
</blockquote>

<p>Go ahead, try to fake-out Not Hotdog for yourself!</p>

<p><strong>Related: </strong><a href="http://sfist.com/2017/03/29/full_silicon_valley_season_4_traile.php">TJ Miller Mansplains Mainsplaining In Full 'Silicon Valley' Season 4 Trailer</a></p><i> Photo: SFist</i>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hacker Steals Upcoming Season Of 'Orange Is The New Black,' Releases Most Of It Online After Ransom Isn't Paid]]></title><description><![CDATA[The breach happened late last year, and though the new season wasn't supposed to come out until June 9, this may force Netflix to release it sooner.]]></description><link>https://sfist.com/2017/04/29/hacker_steals_upcoming_season_of_or/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5c242ff144ad066cdcf8cad3</guid><category><![CDATA[Arts & Entertainment]]></category><category><![CDATA[hackers]]></category><category><![CDATA[netflix]]></category><category><![CDATA[orange is the new black]]></category><category><![CDATA[Television]]></category><category><![CDATA[TV]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Barmann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 29 Apr 2017 09:30:22 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://img.sfist.com/assets_c/2017/04/orange-netflix-thumb-640xauto-995453.jpg" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://img.sfist.com/assets_c/2017/04/orange-netflix-thumb-640xauto-995453.jpg" alt="Hacker Steals Upcoming Season Of 'Orange Is The New Black,' Releases Most Of It Online After Ransom Isn't Paid"><p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;">  </span></p>

<p>Those who engage in illegal file-sharing on pirating sites can already watch the first 10 episodes of <em>Orange Is the New Black</em> Season 5, thanks to a hacker using the handle "thedarkoverlord." Netflix was planning to wait until June 9 to release the new season, one of its biggest hits, but they may decide to move that date up now that pirated copies are out there in the wild as of 6 a.m. Saturday. <a href="http://variety.com/2017/digital/news/orange-is-the-new-black-season-5-hacker-piracy-leak-1202403760/">Variety reports</a> that the hacker released the episodes, perhaps to set an example, after one of several ransom demands had not been met.</p>

<p>"Thedarkoverlord" issued a ransom note saying that by breaching a single company  reportedly a small post-production vendor called Larson Studios that works with several major studios  they had stolen unreleased shows from ABC, Fox, National Geographic, and IFC, along with <em>OITNB</em>. The breach happened in late 2016, <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/hackers-leak-netflixs-orange-is-the-new-black-season-5-premiere-170429/">according to TorrentFreak</a>, and the hacker  or group of hackers  says they first approached Larson asking for a "small fee" on "the Eve of their Christmas." They claim that Larson responded to the threat and returned a signed contract but failed to pay the ransom as requested on New Year's Eve.</p>

<p><a href="http://kron4.com/2017/04/29/hacker-threatens-to-release-stolen-copies-of-netflix-series/">The Associated Press reports</a> that they contacted the hacker in February, at which point they said "no one really (cares) about unreleased movies and TV show episodes," suggesting that they'd given up on these ransom demands.</p>

<p>But that all seems to have changed this week  perhaps sparked by the <a href="http://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/759133/Orange-is-the-New-Black-season-5-release-date-netflix-new-series-out-cast">announcement of the Season 5 release date</a> of <em>OITNB</em>  and the AP reinforces the idea that <em>Orange Is the New Black</em> is important to the Los Gatos-based Netflix's bottom line and growth. If this breach impacts the company's growth projections, it could impact their stock price as well. </p>

<p>Initially, to prove what they had was authentic, the hacker(s) released only the first episode of the new season, titled "Riot FOMO." They only obtained the first 10 of the new season's 13 episodes because the final three had yet to be completed when the breach took place.</p>

<p>And thedarkoverlord has also been advertising their demands <a href="https://twitter.com/tdohack3r">via Twitter</a>.</p>

<div align="center">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">To those of you carefully watching this feed, allow the events that are but mere moments away to influence your choises.</p>— thedarkoverlord (@tdohack3r) <a href="https://twitter.com/tdohack3r/status/858053533668700160">April 28, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">And so let it be read that the loathsome giants do too fall. Hello Netflix, we've arrived: <a href="https://t.co/Fmb1gsZf4a">https://t.co/Fmb1gsZf4a</a></p>— thedarkoverlord (@tdohack3r) <a href="https://twitter.com/tdohack3r/status/858058801634738176">April 28, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Let's try to be a bit more direct, Netflix: <a href="https://t.co/xhS07xugGK">https://t.co/xhS07xugGK</a></p>— thedarkoverlord (@tdohack3r) <a href="https://twitter.com/tdohack3r/status/858059500921769985">April 28, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">We are releasing the remainder of OITNB Season 5. Direct link to DL episodes: <a href="https://t.co/kcQZvwEsnx">https://t.co/kcQZvwEsnx</a></p>— thedarkoverlord (@tdohack3r) <a href="https://twitter.com/tdohack3r/status/858255290608885760">April 29, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>

<p>The ransom demands, which the hacker's notes have called "modest," are reportedly in the tens of thousands of dollars (in bitcoin). And after releasing all ten of Netflix's episodes today, they wrote, "It didn’t have to be this way, Netflix. You’re going to lose a lot more money in all of this than what our modest offer was. We’re quite ashamed to breathe the same air as you. We figured a pragmatic business such as yourselves would see and understand the benefits of cooperating with a reasonable and merciful entity like ourselves. And to the others: there’s still time to save yourselves. Our offer(s) are still on the table — for now."</p>

<p>As the AP notes, Netflix was expecting <em>OITNB</em> to help them add 3.2 million new subscribers between April and June. </p>

<p>The company has yet to officially respond regarding the hack, but they told the AP that the FBI was involved.</p>

<p><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g3cv82rN-ts?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>

<p><strong>Previously:</strong> <a href="http://sfist.com/2016/07/19/netflix_stock_tumbles_amid_subscrib.php">Netflix Subscribers Depart In Droves As $2 Price Increase Finally Kicks In For Longtime Users</a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[KQED Sells Chunk Of Its Airwaves To FCC For $95 Million ]]></title><description><![CDATA[The boon is more than its annual budget.]]></description><link>https://sfist.com/2017/04/14/kqed_sells_chunk_of_its_airwaves_to/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5c242cde44ad066cdcf7376e</guid><category><![CDATA[SF News]]></category><category><![CDATA[fcc]]></category><category><![CDATA[kqed]]></category><category><![CDATA[local media]]></category><category><![CDATA[public radio]]></category><category><![CDATA[TV]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Caleb Pershan]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 14 Apr 2017 11:30:11 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://img.sfist.com/assets_c/2017/04/KQED-Post-Auction-Spectrum_web-thumb-640xauto-993595.jpg" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://img.sfist.com/assets_c/2017/04/KQED-Post-Auction-Spectrum_web-thumb-640xauto-993595.jpg" alt="KQED Sells Chunk Of Its Airwaves To FCC For $95 Million "><p></p>

<p>The Bay Area's public radio and TV broadcasting station KQED is selling six megahertz of broadcast spectrum to the FCC for $95.4 million — a figure that's seriously in excess of its $70 million annual budget, <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2017/04/14/kqed-sells-chunk-of-local-airwaves-back-to-fcc.html">the Business Times relays</a>.</p>

<p>"KQED is in the unusual position of holding three FCC television broadcast licenses comprising 18 megahertz of overlapping spectrum in the Bay Area, broadcasting from towers in San Francisco, San Jose and Salinas," the non-profit organization <a href="http://blogs.kqed.org/pressroom/spectrum/">said in a statement</a>. The federal government and wireless providers want to ease congested wireless networks and help enable 5G services, and the broadcast spectrum was sold to the FCC at auction.</p>

<p>Why did KQED have all those megahertz in the first place? "This extensive coverage made sense earlier in the 20th Century when television used analog technology and most viewers received the signal over the air. Today, the vast majority of Bay Area residents receive their television via cable or satellite services, and digital broadcast technology now supports multiple channels of programming from each tower."</p>

<p>Those who fear losing service can save their concern for, say, the Trump administration's threatened cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. In fact, the profit from the sale will come in handy. 90 percent of the 3 million people who tune into to KQED's TV station — the set using cable, satellite, or internet — won't need to do anything to continue receiving it. The 10 percent who still use an antenna might have to refocus their ranges on San Francisco or Salinas instead of San Jose. "KQED estimates that less than 1,000 might have reception issues after the change, and the station will work directly with those viewers to mitigate any problems," the release explained.</p>

<p>“The KQED Board carefully evaluated the opportunity presented by the auction and we retained outside financial and technical counsel to advise us. After many months of deliberation, the Board decided this was a unique opportunity coming at a pivotal time in KQED’s history,”  KQED board chair Chuck Kissner said in a statement. The bulk of the proceeds are to be invested in KQED's endowment — doubling its size.</p>

<p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href="http://sfist.com/2017/02/21/watch_the_trailer_for_the_may_angel.php">Watch The Trailer For This Maya Angelou Documentary That Premieres Tonight On KQED</a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Trailer Finally Drops For 'Sense 8' Season Two, Two Years After Season One]]></title><description><![CDATA[There's only the briefest glimpse of the Golden Gate, but we know they also shot in Alamo Square, at the Castro Theatre, and at Billy Goat Hill Park in Glen Park.]]></description><link>https://sfist.com/2017/04/10/trailer_finally_drops_for_sense_8_s/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5c24257144ad066cdcf36400</guid><category><![CDATA[Arts & Entertainment]]></category><category><![CDATA[sense 8]]></category><category><![CDATA[Television]]></category><category><![CDATA[trailers]]></category><category><![CDATA[TV]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Barmann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 10 Apr 2017 11:45:14 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://img.sfist.com/assets_c/2017/04/sense-8-seas-2-thumb-640xauto-993048.jpg" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://img.sfist.com/assets_c/2017/04/sense-8-seas-2-thumb-640xauto-993048.jpg" alt="Trailer Finally Drops For 'Sense 8' Season Two, Two Years After Season One"><p><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/V8vd0AjdNbQ?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>

<p>After December's brief tease with that <a href="http://sfist.com/2016/12/19/watch_the_trailer_for_the_sense8_ch.php">Christmas special</a>, Netflix finally gives us a glimpse of the second season of the Wachowskis' <em>Sense 8</em>, the globe-spanning supernatural thriller in which San Francisco plays a featured role whose first season aired in 2015. The trailer offers only the briefest helicopter shot of the Golden Gate Bridge, but we know from reports last summer that director Lana Wachowski (Lilly mostly sat this one out) shot scenes in several locations around SF including <a href="http://sfist.com/2016/05/13/the_wachowskis_are_in_sf_filming_ne.php">the Westerfeld House on Alamo Square</a>, the <a href="http://sfist.com/2016/05/16/wachowskis_to_film_at_castro_theatr.php">Castro Theatre</a>, and Glen Park's Billy Goat Hill Park  where they <a href="http://sfist.com/2016/07/11/sf_shoot_for_sense8_hit_with_sancti.php">incurred a $1,000 fine</a> from Rec &amp; Parks because someone on set "accidentally got naked."</p>

<p>Via the Instagram post below, it looks like they also shot a street party scene, with drag queens, in downtown SF.</p>

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div>
</div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BQ275OzBCgA/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">The journey continues May 5. #Sense8</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Sense8 (@sense8) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2017-02-23T15:00:54+00:00">Feb 23, 2017 at 7:00am PST</time></p>
</div></blockquote> <script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>

<p><br>
It seems via the trailer that Rembrandt’s <em>The Night Watch</em> plays a significant metaphorical role in the new season, "An iconic work of individuals setting aside their differences for a common good." </p>

<p>And, perhaps echoing our current political moment, we hear the character Nomi declare, "Your life is either defined by the system, or by the way you defy the system."</p>

<p>Season Two of <em>Sense 8</em> will drop on May 5.</p>

<p><br>
<strong>Previously:</strong> <a href="http://sfist.com/2016/12/19/watch_the_trailer_for_the_sense8_ch.php">Watch The Trailer For The 'Sense8' Christmas Special, Airing This Week</a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[YouTube Launches $35 Streaming TV Service, But Will Anyone Watch?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Entering the fray of hopeful cable-killing streaming services today is YouTube with the launch of YouTube TV.]]></description><link>https://sfist.com/2017/04/05/youtube_launches_35_streaming_tv_se/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5c242a4944ad066cdcf5e311</guid><category><![CDATA[Arts & Entertainment]]></category><category><![CDATA[Television]]></category><category><![CDATA[TV]]></category><category><![CDATA[YouTube]]></category><category><![CDATA[youtube tv]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Barmann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 05 Apr 2017 16:05:00 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://img.sfist.com/assets_c/2017/04/youtube-tv-thumb-640xauto-992577.jpg" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://img.sfist.com/assets_c/2017/04/youtube-tv-thumb-640xauto-992577.jpg" alt="YouTube Launches $35 Streaming TV Service, But Will Anyone Watch?"><p><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qediav063xQ?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>

<p>Entering the fray of hopeful cable-killing streaming services today is YouTube with the launch of <a href="https://youtube.googleblog.com/2017/04/youtube-tv-is-now-live.html">YouTube TV</a>. Lots of people, especially younger people, already consume a ton of their TV programming via YouTube  especially in clip form from <em>Saturday Night Live</em> or <em>The Tonight Show</em>  directly alongside YouTube's own user-created programming, but they're used to doing it for free. Alphabet is now hoping to use the YouTube brand to capture some major market share at $35 a month when comes to cord-cutters and so-called "cord-nevers," offering up some of the basics of network TV, live sports, and some cable channels, though how many you're going to get depends on where you are. YouTube TV is still very much in its early beta stage, <a href="https://www.wired.com/2017/04/youtube-tv-review/">as Wired reports</a>, so you're probably going to have access to about 30 channels, give or take, including ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, and ESPN, but not including CNN, HBO, or HGTV.</p>

<p>At launch, YouTube TV is only available in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and the San Francisco Bay Area, and the number of local affiliates you get varies by region, meaning that catching your local sports team on the service is not a guarantee. </p>

<p><a href="https://consumerist.com/2017/04/05/5-things-you-should-know-about-googles-new-youtube-tv-35month-streaming-service/">As Consumerist notes</a>, the only premium cable channel currently available as an add-on is Showtime, though that may change later, and Sundance is reportedly coming on board soon.</p>

<p>The biggest appeal seems to be the ability to watch things on your phone, whenever and wherever, and to quickly and easily be able to stream things from phone to TV whenever you please, without spending hundreds of dollars on a real cable package.</p>

<p>As <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/business/technology/article/YouTube-TV-has-some-nifty-features-and-some-big-11052420.php">the Associated Press explains</a>, there is a cloud-based DVR, but unlike services like Hulu or Netflix, this is not a service where you can simply watch shows or movies from an online library  you can channel surf in real time on your phone, and record shows, but the search function still needs quite a bit of work, which is unfortunate for a service owned by Google. (Per the AP: "A search for 'nerd comed'" brings up 'The Big Bang Theory,' but 'comedy about nerds' does not. And a search for 'Modern Family episode on basketball' doesn't bring up the episode titled 'Basketball.'")</p>

<p>On the plus side, NFL games will be streaming live on YouTube TV to your phone.</p>

<p>For those who mostly only keep their Xfinity accounts to watch <em>Game of Thrones</em> and <em>Flip or Flop</em>, this is never going to cut it because of the above-mentioned channel exclusions. But as a cheap alternative that still gives you access to live events like the Super Bowl, it may be just enough to chase competitors like Dish’s Sling TV and Sony PlayStation Vue out of the game.</p>

<p>The next entry: Apple's long-anticipated TV subscription platform, which has only been in the works <a href="http://sfist.com/2016/02/12/apple_dr_dre_tv_series_vital_signs.php">for about eight years now</a>.</p>

<p>Below, The Verge's review of YouTube TV.</p>

<p><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3hxQPfAVPPY?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br>
</p>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>