For eight weeks, we’ve been blessed to watch episodes of Some Good News with actor John Krasinski hosting from his home, sharing some amazing things happening during a horrifically awful time in the world.
There was the Hamilton cast reuniting to perform for a fan. Joe Buck got to call play-by-play in one episode. Krasinski held a prom, a potluck, a graduation with big name celebrities participating and a wedding with The Office cast.
After it appeared he signed off for a while in episode 8, there was, uh, some news about Some Good News: ViacomCBS acquired it, with Krasinski reportedly bowing out as host but staying on as executive producer, per Deadline.
That led to some accusations of selling out from social media, and we here at For The Win have some thoughts on that. Here’s a debate on the topic:
No, Krasinski isn’t “selling out”
I honestly don’t know all the behind-the-scenes stuff with how Some Good News was produced. But I can imagine it was a heavy lift for Krasinski and whoever he was working with to put together these huge episodes and magical moments. There was the technical work to get everyone on video chat, the collecting of viral videos, writing the script, etc.
So it wasn’t going to last forever, and frankly, I’d rather have more SGN than no SGN. And let’s all remember entertainment is a business. Something as magical as this was never going to sit in its own bubble forever. My hope is with the actor still attached, it’ll keep its mostly amateurish feel to it and the heart that made us go back every Monday to see what Krasinski and Co. pulled off. — Charles Curtis
Krasinski should have let it be
Not everything needs to be flipped for a profit.
The appeal of Krasinski’s SGN was that it had a homemade, low-budget feel that gave the product it’s authenticity. Krasinski nailed the formula from the start — a Weekend Update style broadcast that focused on good things, was intermittently funny and relied heavily on famous guest stars.
That people immediately wanted to take it off his hands and repackage it for a ton of money is not a surprise. Neither is the fact that he sold it, though I really wished that he had let it die. SGN was a delightful internet show, and turning it into some kind of network packaged special is sure to backfire. What made his clips go viral was their sincerity. That’s impossible to replicate at the hands of a behemoth like Viacom. The show also had a singular editorial vision and zero advertising.
Now, all SGN viral clips are going to be brought to you by Tide or Geico or some other major company desperately trying to squeeze even more money out of you. SGN was a great thing because it was just Krasinski goofing around in his house and getting his famous friends together to spread a few smiles for people stuck at home. He should have just let it be that, and remain a positive, happy memory for people. Now, it’s going to turn into corporate, unwatchable schmaltz. But hey, at least a rich man got a few bucks richer. — Hemal Jhaveri
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