Tyrades!

Maybe it’s a good thing that my teenage dream of becoming a TV programmer never materialized.

Analysts have regarded the over-the-air free TV networks as dinosaurs for years, but now even the cable channels and streaming services are watching over their shoulders for asteroids.

Oh, the new Golden Age was nice while it lasted – with companies trumpeting ambitious 5-year plans for special-effects-heavy prestige projects, offering new life to niche programs dumped by the traditional networks and luring big-name movie stars over to the small screen. (“I don’t care what his asking price is – I want...