Hotline Feature – Kristyn Burtt: New Year’s TV Ratings, Awards Season Kickoff, and the End of Stranger Things

Entertainment journalist Kristyn Burtt joins Dave Weekley on Hotline to kick off the new year with a wide-ranging look at television and Hollywood trends. The two break down why ABC dominated New Year’s Eve ratings, whether the CNN Anderson Cooper–Andy Cohen format is losing momentum, and how live events continue to outperform scripted programming. Kristyn also recaps the Critics’ Choice Awards, including early Oscar-season favorites and Chelsea Handler’s well-reviewed hosting turn, before explaining why Mayor of Kingstown is ending despite strong popularity as Taylor Sheridan begins winding down his Paramount+ era. The conversation closes with reactions to the Stranger Things series finale, fan expectations, and how Netflix plans to extend the franchise through animation, stage productions, and spinoffs — even as the original story officially comes to an end.