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Jerrod Carmichael Teams With HBO for New Comedy-Documentary Series
Jerrod Carmichael’s had a big year. Since his Emmy-winning comedy special, Rothaniel, dropped in April 2022, he’s gained widespread attention with major gigs like hosting Saturday Night Live and the Golden Globes. The latter allowed him to publicly criticize one of the entertainment industry’s largest institutions (the Hollywood Foreign Press Association), a move that during a different time may have made him a pariah in the business. But Carmichael seems to be doing just fine, and continues to be celebrated for the authenticity of his comedy — HBO just announced a comedy documentary project starring Carmichael has been ordered to series.
Apple TV+’s Dear Edward Breaks the Rules for Catastrophe TV
Communities often form in the aftermath of a tragedy, from neighbors standing outside a burning house to survivors founding an advocacy group, and in 21st-century television, these ad hoc societies are often tinged with terror: Think of the cult on Yellowjackets, the smoke monster that chases the Lost islanders, or the troupe of artists that learns to kill on Station Eleven. Considering the anxiety that’s pervaded this century — and the catastrophes that have stacked up like leaves on the ground — this fraught tone might almost feel necessary. And that’s why Dear Edward is such a heartrending surprise. Though it begins in grief, it refuses to stay there.
How Hollywood Strikes Could Change the Fall TV Lineup
Contracts for the members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA), the Directors Guild of America (DGA), and the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) are up this summer. Contract negotiations have yet to begin, but already the effects of impending labor actions, such as a strike, are being felt across the industry, and could soon affect upcoming TV lineups.
King of the Hill Is Coming Back, But Should It?
It’s been 13 years since King of the Hill aired its final episode, but now the show will find new life with a reboot at Hulu after Fox dropped the project last year. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the revival has been in the works since 2017, when creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels reunited with the original cast at Sketchfest in San Francisco to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the series premiere. But as certain recent animated reboots have proven, not every beloved cartoon needs a modern update.
SXSW 2023: Donald Glover’s Swarm, David E. Kelley’s Love & Death, and Other Notable TV Premieres
Some of this year’s most anticipated series will make their debuts at the 2023 SXSW Film & Television Festival taking place March 10 through 19 in Austin, Texas. The festival kicks off with the first look at Donald Glover’s Swarm (yes, the Beyoncé-inspired show Malia Obama worked on) and closes with the premiere of the dark comedy Beef, starring Ali Wong and Steven Yuen. 10 more series representing every streaming service out there will screen in between.
Poker Face Owes Just as Much to The Fugitive as It Does to Columbo
If you pay any attention at all to TV reviews and news, you’ve likely heard by now that Poker Face’s creator Rian Johnson and its star Natasha Lyonne intend their Peacock mystery-comedy series to be a throwback to classic ’70s and ’80s detective dramas like Columbo and The Rockford Files. If you’ve watched the show, it’s hard to miss the influences. The opening credits’s font looks charmingly vintage, for one thing.
Jason Katims Reveals the Connection Between Dear Edward and My So-Called Life
[Editor's Note: This post contains a mild spoiler for Dear Edward Season 1, Episode 4.]. Apple TV+’s Dear Edward isn’t just an excellent drama. It’s also literally a “must-watch” series, meaning that if audiences look away from the screen for too long, they’ll miss something crucial. Though there’s plenty of dialogue, every episode has several scenes that play out in silence, sometimes without even music on the soundtrack. And in some ways, the lack of words heightens the impact, because the show trusts viewers to hear what’s unspoken.
The Watchful Eye's Mariel Molino Talks Finding a 'Challenging Rival' in Kelly Bishop
Series star Molino and showrunner Emily Fox tease what's to come for Freeform's new mystery. Editor’s Note: This interview contains spoilers for the first two episodes of The Watchful Eye, “Hen in the Fox House” and “Hide and Seek.”. After making her U.S. television debut in...
Jennifer Grey Goes Full Mommy Dearest in Lifetime's Gwen Shamblin Movie
Anyone eager for a sophisticated dramatization of the Gwen Shamblin story should wait until HBO Max releases its upcoming series with Sarah Paulson. However, those craving a tawdrier take on the life, death, and weight-obsessed ministry of the accused cult leader can fire up their screens now. Lifetime’s new movie Gwen Shamblin: Starving For Salvation may not be tasteful or even very artful, but it lays out the facts with gossipy zeal, like someone screen-grabbing the juiciest bits of a tabloid story and texting them to a group chat. And to be clear: That’s fine. Sometimes, lurid escapism can be just as satisfying as tony drama, and Shamblin’s story is compelling enough for both.
Peacock Is No Longer Offering a Free Subscription Tier
Peacock is getting out of the free streaming game. A sign-up page on Peacock's website reveals new customers are no longer able to create a free account, once a key component of the service's branding. As The Hollywood Reporter notes, NBCUniversal launched Peacock in 2020 with the promise that it...
Hulu's Stolen Youth Centers the Victims of the Sarah Lawrence Cult
When the story broke in 2019 that a coercive sex cult had been uncovered on the campus of Sarah Lawrence College, you could practically hear the documentary cameras getting set up. There's a fascination with cults on TV — look no further than HBO's The Vow for proof — and, in particular, with how free-thinking, rational people can fall under the sway of a charismatic figure who convinces them to act in ways that both harm them and isolate them from their loved ones. The Sarah Lawrence cult had a grotesque but compelling character at its center in Larry Ray, who moved into his daughter Talia's campus housing and within a couple of years wreaked emotional, physical, and sexual damage on a small group of Talia's friends and classmates.
Everything You Need to Know About Creature Commandos, HBO Max's Animated Monster Mash
On Tuesday, DC Studios co-chairmen James Gunn and Peter Safran shared the 10 projects that will chart the “first chapter” of their all-new, all-different DC cinematic universe. And while the usual DCU suspects feature prominently in their plans — hello, Superman; hiya, Batman — Gunn and Safran seem just as interested in plumbing the depths of DC Comics’ vast catalog to pull out some truly deep cuts. In an interview with DC.com, Safran, speaking with Gunn, stated that this first slate of projects will, in essence, resemble the structure and continuity of Marvel Studios’ film and television Phases, but the DC duo promises that their slate will be a bit more freaky. Says Safran: “[This] first chapter’s called ‘Gods and Monsters.’”
Despite the Trailer, The Power Isn’t a Teen Girl Superhero Party
It’s all fun and games until somebody uses their superpowers to start a violent revolution. The trailer for Prime Video’s The Power goes hard on the show's high-concept premise, about all the teenage girls in the world simultaneously developing the ability to conduct electricity through their hands. Playing...
Freeform's The Watchful Eye Is an Addictive "Eat the Rich" Tale
Freeform thriller The Watchful Eye may look like a spiritual successor to Cruel Summer, the anthology that became an instant hit when it debuted in 2021, but viewers would be wise to resist comparing the two. While Cruel Summer’s first season examined grooming and the villainization of women by 1990s media culture, The Watchful Eye layers a Hitchcockian premise with the “eat the rich” sentiment that has taken hold of contemporary pop culture. The result is a young adult drama that’s both compulsively watchable and socially aware, a rare combination in the genre.
PBS's Fight the Power Only Tells Half of Hip Hop’s Story
When the Black vocal group The 5th Dimension released their 1969 anthem “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In,” they sought to capture their community’s skepticism about the government. Taken from the counter-cultural musical Hair, the song’s lyrics are a call to action: regain control of your environment, let the sun shine in, and you will have “no more falsehoods and derisions.” Three years later, when Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman to run for president of the United States, she echoed those sentiments in her announcement speech, calling for a need to “reshape our society and regain control of our destiny.” Music captured the feelings of a community, and the community responded with an organized social movement. The New PBS documentary Fight The Power: How Hip Hop Changed The World argues that this call and response helped hip hop become a tool for Black Liberation, but as it seeks to prove that thesis, it skims over the inherent challenge of advocating for radical political reform while trying to appeal to a mainstream audience.
Is This the Most Powerful Dog on TV?
He may have the silliest name, but Tricki Woo is the most powerful dog on TV. Consider this clip from “What a Balls Up!,” the Season 3 episode of All Creatures Great and Small that aired January 29 on PBS. Clip provided by Masterpiece. Those who watch the...
Paramount+ and Showtime Are Rebranding As One Merged Service
Just when you thought media executives couldn't get any less creative when it comes to naming streaming services, along comes Paramount+ with Showtime. On Monday, Paramount CEO Bob Bakish announced that Paramount+ and Showtime will be integrated, with Paramount+'s premium streaming tier and the Showtime linear TV network set to be rebranded in the United States.
The Last of Us Makes an Egregious Pivot Under the Guise of Positive Representation
[Spoilers abound for The Last of Us Episode 3, "Long Long Time," and both The Last of Us games.]. In the decade since its release, much has been written about representation within The Last of Us video game and, even more notably, its sequel Part II. The series has garnered as much praise for its handling of queer relationships in the midst of an apocalyptic scenario as criticism about the way the games approach everything from race to trans characters.
Netflix Backtracks On Widely-Criticized Account Sharing Policies
Netflix may not be cracking down on password and account sharing after all. Earlier this week the internet was abuzz when the streaming service announced new policies that would require Netflix users to verify home devices once a month. Devices that were not connected to the home wifi could be blocked unless the Netflix plan was upgraded at a higher cost. However, those policies are no longer on Netflix's website, and the company claims they were posted by accident.

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