Category Archives: Television

Sony’s cloud-based TV service PlayStation Vue launches in three major U.S. cities

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Four months after detailing its very own cloud-based TV service, Sony let loose PlayStation Vue in three major U.S. cities on March 18. If you own a PS3 and/or PS4 and live in Chicago, NYC, or Philadelphia, boot up your console to take it for a test run. As long as you have the latest firmware update running, you’ll find a new PS Vue app icon in your dash; click it to sign up for the service or start a seven-day trial.

Essentially, PS Vue streams live and on-demand TV (including TV shows, movies and sports) to your console and the service is boosted by a cloud-based DVR, all without a cable or satellite subscription. If you’ve been on the fence about cutting the cord, PS Vue may be your answer. Of course, you won’t find all of your favorite channels here; that being said, Sony is doing a fine job at boosting content provider support as new channels have been populating the service since launch. Click here to view the current channel lineup. Thanks to the cloud-based DVR, you won’t ever have to worry about recording conflicts or storage space; that’s the power of the cloud! PS Vue also makes it easy to record and get to your preferred content; by tagging a show you’ll have access to previously aired episodes of that show for 28 days.

The monthly subscription starts at $49.99 for the “Access” base package of channels; “Core” ($59.99) and “Elite” ($69.99) offer up additional content. See the breakdown here. Note that PS Vue does not lock consumers into contracts, and you’re free to switch between the packages at will. Sony says it’s hard at work on expanding the service’s outreach in the U.S., and you can expect support for iPad “in the near future.”

After fiddling with service for some time, I’m happy to report that the UI is slick and forward-thinking with its smart search tools and filters. Whether or not you’re ready to cut the cord today, services like PS Vue and Sling TV are the future of television and you best be ready.

[Via PlayStation Blog]

‘The Walking Dead’ companion series gets two season order from AMC

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I’ve got an update on the shrouded-in-mystery, hotly anticipated Walking Dead companion series. Following its surprise announcement in 2013 and a pilot greenlight in 2014, The Walking Dead spinoff is definitively a-go at AMC with an early two-season pickup order by the network. The first season is set to premiere in late summer and it will follow in the flagship series’ footsteps with a truncated six episode start. Season two will air in 2016 and its episode count is still TBD. The series’ title is also being kept under wraps, though IMDb is calling it Fear the Walking Dead.

What is there to know about the series so far? Not much. AMC is calling it a “companion series” as opposed to a “spinoff” because although it will take place in The Walking Dead universe, it will feature an entirely new cast and fresh storylines. It will take place in Los Angeles, showing how the zombie outbreak affected that other part of the country (we’ve hovered around Atlanta for the most part with Rick and the gang). Actors tagged to the show include Cliff Curtis (Gang Related, Trauma), Kim Dickens (House of Cards, Sons of Anarchy, Treme, Lost, Deadwood), Frank Dillane (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), and Alycia Debnam Carey (The 100). Sources say Curtis is the male lead and will be playing Sean Cabrera, a divorced teacher trying to do right by everyone; learn more about the potential list of characters at TVLine. See Curtis, Dickens, and Dillane in a production still above; another one hangs after the break.

Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Greg Nicotero, and David Alpert from The Walking Dead are serving as executive producers of the companion series. Dave Erickson (Marco Polo, Sons of Anarchy) is showrunner and an EP; he co-created and co-wrote the pilot with Kirkman.

AMC president Charlie Collier said this in a statement: “We take incredibly seriously the notion of building a satisfying companion series to the number one show on television. From the beginning of The Walking Dead on AMC, we’ve been asked questions about what was going on in other parts of the zombie apocalypse, and what it looked like as the world really did ‘turn.’ Through this new series, we’re going to find out. Robert Kirkman, Dave Erickson and their writing team, along with an incomparable set of producers, cast and crew have created something remarkable and clearly distinct. We respectfully follow the request of Monty Python as we bring out (the latest of) our Dead.”

Kirkman added: “We feel empowered by this two-season commitment, a serious show of faith from our network partner AMC. I personally take it as a sign that they believe, like we do, that we’ve accomplished our goal of developing something original that can pay tribute to the original show and expand the world I created while at the same time having something new to say with this story. I’m very grateful that we now have the opportunity to tell this amazing story and show the fans that we really haven’t scratched the surface yet when it comes to The Walking Dead.”

And Erikson chimed in: “This vote of confidence from our partners at AMC is gratifying, to say the least. We’ve been blessed with amazing writers and a stellar cast — and we can’t wait to build this apocalyptic drama over the next two seasons and hopefully beyond.”

Stick it here as more details leak out. Currently, The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 10pm on AMC.

Update (3/14): Robert Kirkman briefly discussed the Walking Dead companion series this month during a panel at SXSW. Jump after the break for choice quotes. Continue reading ‘The Walking Dead’ companion series gets two season order from AMC →

BBC renews ‘The Fall’ for third & final season; CBS holds onto three sitcoms

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Quick updates here on the TV series renewal front. On Tuesday, the BBC made it official: Allan Cubitt’s addicting and binge-tastic drama The Fall will return for a third and final season.

“The cliff-hanger ending of season two was conceived in the hope of further exploring the characters and the themes that are at the heart of The Fall. We’re grateful to be given this opportunity by the BBC,” said creator-writer-director Cubitt in a statement.

At the end of season two (spoiler alert!), the game of cat and mouse between Gillian Anderson’s detective superintendent Stella Gibson and Jamie Dornan’s serial killer Paul Spector finally came to a gripping conclusion. That massive cliffhanger Cubitt’s referring to? In the final moments, Spector is shot and fights for consciousness in Gibson’s arms.

Will The Fall live on after a third season? According to BBC Drama controller Ben Stephenson, it doesn’t appear so. “The story is far from over. Allan has known the end game from the beginning – the cat and mouse game between Gillian and Jamie has one last act to play out. Who will win?,” he postulated (I added the emphasis there).

What can viewers expect to unfold when The Fall returns? The action continues in “Belfast as the complex relationship between Det Supt Stella Gibson and Paul Spector intensifies and the story of the investigation into the murders becomes more “complex and intricate”.” Read into that what you will. And as soon as the BBC announces its U.S. launch on Netflix, you’ll hear about it here. Watch a teaser after the break.

Elsewhere, CBS has renewed sitcoms Mom, Mike & Molly, and 2 Broke Girls for a third, sixth, and fifth season, respectively. Continue reading BBC renews ‘The Fall’ for third & final season; CBS holds onto three sitcoms →

NBC schedules ‘Hannibal’ season 3 for June (2 new posters inside!)

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Calling all Fannibals, it’s nearly time to feast once again. Today the Peacock network penciled in the season 3 premiere date of Bryan Fuller’s bloody good drama Hannibal. Will Graham’s hunt for Hannibal Lector begins Thursday, June 4 at 10pm. So mark your calendars and sharpen your kitchen knives, but not before watching the season 3 trailer!

Fuller confirmed the news with a simple tweet stating “TUCK IN” and using the hashtag #HannibalReturnsJune4. He also mentions actress Gillian Anderson, now a series regular, because she’s featured in the new Hannibal poster plastered above. Anderson plays Hannibal’s shrink Bedelia du Maurier, and at the very end of last season she’s seen escaping the States on a plane sitting next to Dr. Lector. Take in the beautifully simple poster, and then, jump after the break to see a leather jacket-clad Mads Mikkelsen.

One more thing. Here’s a super fun fact: NBC additionally scheduled new summer drama Aquarius starring David Duchovny for Thursday, May 28 from 9-11pm. The following week it will fall into its regular Thursdays-at-9 timeslot preceding Hannibal. Do you get what I’m hinting at here? Duchovny’s new show serves as an appetizer (ahem, apéritif) to one starring Gillian Anderson; it’s an X-Files reunion…of sorts! Continue reading NBC schedules ‘Hannibal’ season 3 for June (2 new posters inside!) →

FXX renews ‘Man Seeking Woman’ for a second season

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Man Seeking Woman, FXX’s bizarre relationship comedy from Simon Rich and starring Jay Baruchel and Eric André, will return for a 10-episode second season in 2016. The series, based on Rich’s book of short stories The Last Girlfriend On Earth, is an absurd and hilarious look at the life-and-death stakes of dating. In a recent episode, Baruchel’s Josh Greenberg dates the luminous Minka Kelly only to be cockblocked by a Japanese penis monster named Tanaka. It’s different and weird and best of all it works. If you’re a single 20-something trying to find love in the big city, you may be surprised at how relatable this fantastical show can be.

“Simon Rich has delivered an incredibly smart and original take on the search for love,” said FX exec Nick Grad in a statement. “Critics and fans alike have embraced his unique storytelling, [EP] Jon Krisel’s stunning visuals and the brilliant performances of Jay Baruchel, Eric André and the rest of the cast that has made Man Seeking Woman one of the best new comedies on television.”

“Working on Man Seeking Woman has been the creative highlight of my life,” added Rich. “FXX gave us the freedom to make the show we love and they let us build some truly disgusting monsters. I’m so grateful to [FX Networks CEO] John Landgraf and his team for believing in us and I can’t wait to get back to work.”

Man Seeking Working airs Wednesdays at 10:30pm on FXX.

‘Community: Age of Yahoo’ trailer previews highly anticipated season six [Update: Premiere day arrives, here’s how to watch]

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Dan Harmon parodies The Avengers in the very first look at Community‘s new lease on life. The Community: Age of Yahoo trailer (get it?) runs nearly three minutes long and consists entirely of never-before-seen material plucked directly from the upcoming batch of new episodes. “You’ve saved Greendale, but you didn’t want it to change,” snarls the dramatic voice-over announcer. Thankfully, it looks like Community fans will continue to get the same show they fell in love with even after its relocation to the Internet. Though Pierce, Troy, and Shirley are MIA for season six, one Frankie Dart (aka “the new Shirley” played by Paget Brewster) and computer innovator Elroy Patashnik (Keith David) fill in the missing holes. The classic Community humor you know and love permeates throughout this extended first look, and just like that anticipation for the coveted sixth season jumped exponentially!

Community premieres Tuesday, March 17 exclusively on Yahoo Screen with two installments; new episodes will follow weekly on Tuesdays.

Update (3/17): Community is back in session! Here’s how you can watch. The fastest way to get started is by pointing your web browser to Yahoo Screen. On a tablet or smartphone? No problem. Download the free Yahoo Screen app for iOS or Android. Want to pretend like Community’s still airing on network TV and watch it on your big screen HDTV? You can totally do that, as long as you have an Apple TV, Roku, or Xbox 360; download the free Yahoo Screen app on one of those devices to get streaming. As mentioned above, Yahoo debuted the first two episodes of Community today (they both clock in at 27:26). Additional new episodes (13 total) will release weekly on Tuesdays.

[Via Yahoo]

‘Orphan Black’ season 3 trailer arrives (spoiler: so. many. clones.)

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Orphan Black is back this spring, so now is as good a time as ever to screen the official season 3 trailer. Sarah Manning and her Leda clones clash with Castor’s male doppelgängers and things are about to get hairy for all involved. And of course Mrs. S’ true motives remain a mystery; the clip reveals she will aid in Helena’s latest kidnapping. Oh and it looks like Rachel Duncan managed to survive that grisly pencil puncture to the eye.

Orphan Black returns April 18 on BBC America.

Update (3/25): Check out another new trailer that’s embedded after the break. Castor Clones is the theme here. Continue reading ‘Orphan Black’ season 3 trailer arrives (spoiler: so. many. clones.) →

TV reminder: 12 premieres to look out for in March

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There are so many super awesome cool amazing premieres falling on the schedule this month! Jump after the break to preview 12 you shouldn’t miss. Continue reading TV reminder: 12 premieres to look out for in March →

Lady Gaga joins ‘American Horror Story’ in season 5 lead role

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American Horror Story has found its star for season five and it’s Mother Monster.

Lady Gaga, hot off her Sound of Music tribute performance at the Oscars, is confirmed to be the lead in the next installment of FX’s American Horror Story. Like every season before it, the plot, as well as Gaga’s role in it, are being kept tightly under wraps. In a surprising move, however, in addition to revealing this exciting cast addition, series creator Ryan Murphy also deemed it time to announce the installment’s name: American Horror Story: Hotel. Murphy dropped numerous clues in last season’s Freak Show pertaining to Hotel; did you catch any? By my count, there were myriad references to space, but Murphy quickly shut that theory down since the show is tied down to taking place solely on American soil.

This marks Gaga’s first major acting gig. Following a small uncredited role in The Sopranos in 2001, she most recently made cameos on the big screen in Machete Kills and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. Even still, we all know the artist can hypnotize with sexy, captivating performances via music videos.

With Gaga locked in as lead, you must be thinking: what does this mean for franchise star Jessica Lange? Prior to Freak Show‘s debut, Lange announced that it would be her final run with the show. Since then, however, she has made whispers about a potential comeback. So then, her commitment remains up in the air until further notice. My guess: she’ll at least make her mark with a memorable cameo.

Watch Lady Gaga’s AHS: Hotel announcement video embedded above; and don’t worry, Ryan Murphy retweeted it to confirm its authenticity.

‘DuckTales’ cartoon returns with all-new episodes in 2017

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Who wants to go back to Duckberg? I know I do!

DuckTales, which produced 100 episodes during a 1987-1990 run on “The Disney Afternoon” syndicated cartoon block, is making a comeback with all-new episodes set to air in 2017 on Disney XD. Per a press release, here’s what we know:

The new series’ adventures will once again take viewers along as Scrooge McDuck, his curious and mischief-making grandnephews—Huey, Dewey, and Louie—and the optimistic-yet-temperamental Donald Duck embark on high-flying adventures worldwide. Other beloved characters slated to be in the new stories are: Duckworth, Gyro Gearloose, Launchpad McQuack, Flintheart Glomgold, Magica DeSpell & Poe, Ma Beagle and the Beagle Boys (Burger Beagle, Bouncer Beagle), Mrs. Beakley, and Webbigail Vanderquack.

“DuckTales has a special place in Disney’s TV animation history, it drew its inspiration from Disney Legend Carl Barks’ comic books and through its storytelling and artistic showmanship, set an enduring standard for animated entertainment that connects with both kids and adults. Our new series will bring that same energy and adventurous spirit to a new generation,” said Disney XD exec Marc Buhaj.

I grew up on this adventurous ‘toon, and I remember enjoying it so much that I also had to engross myself in the popular DuckTales video game it inspired. Missed out on the NES title? Capcom recently released a remastered version of the game for Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii U, so you can play catchup on one of those platforms.

As you eagerly await for the DuckTales animated series reboot, take a trip down memory lane by watching the oh-so-catchy original theme song and pray that the new version doesn’t stray too far from it.

‘Sesame Street’ parodies ‘House of Cards’ in surprisingly hilarious fashion

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Categorize this one under: what the!? … okay that was amazing.

Sesame Street has pulled off one of the best House of Cards parodies to date with House of Bricks, a four-minute adaptation of the classic children’s story about the three little pigs and the big bad wolf. The protagonist here is the wolf who goes by Frank Underwolf (points!) and he goes around blowing down the poorly constructed houses owned by the little pigs. Even if you’re slightly familiar with Kevin Spacey’s iconic character from the Netflix series, you’ll find this parody plenty funny. It recreates the opening credits sequence, Underwolf has a penchant to speak directly into the camera, and it’s as if the writers from the show had a hand in his Southern drawl dialogue. The best bit might be at the very end–did Sesame Street just predict the calamitous conclusion for Frank?

House of Cards returns for a third season this Friday, Feb. 27, to Netflix.

TV trailers: HBO’s ‘Silicon Valley’ and Netflix’s ‘Daredevil’ & ‘Bloodline’

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Mike Judge’s hysterical tech-infused comedy Silicon Valley returns for a second season April 12 on HBO. If you’ve gotten through the first batch of episodes, this minute-long teaser will have you in stitches because it quickly reminds you all about how absurdly funny and crude the show can be.

Jump after the break for trailers from Netflix. Continue reading TV trailers: HBO’s ‘Silicon Valley’ and Netflix’s ‘Daredevil’ & ‘Bloodline’ →