A special message from the White House. https://t.co/YxFcHfA5qy
— House of Cards (@HouseofCards) December 1, 2014
And now, a special message from the White House: Kevin Spacey’s Frank Underwood returns to our screens on February 27, 2015. The official House of Cards Twitter account revealed the season three premiere date on Monday with a silent clip embedded here. All 13 episodes will launch at once, naturally, on Netflix.
#221back #Sherlock #notkidding pic.twitter.com/iTfDqfJI0R
— BBC One (@BBCOne) November 25, 2014
Over the summer, Sherlock EPs Steven Moffat & Mark Gattiss made it official that they’re working on Series Four of the acclaimed BBC One show starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. They also slipped that a 90-minute special is in the works, too. The tweet embedded above, featuring Detective Sherlock Holmes and his once-again (?!) mustached partner-in-solving-crime Dr. John Watson, is a first look at said special.
What’s in store? Moffat previously teased, “A special, plus a new series of three episodes – it’s a record-breaking run! Of course, it’s far too early to say what’s coming, but we’re reasonably confident that the very next thing to happen to Sherlock and John, is the very last thing you’d expect…”
Like Watson reprising his maligned mustached?! An airdate for the special has yet to be pinned, but rumors point to Christmas 2015.
Quick update for those of you keeping score: ABC Latino sitcom Cristela is the second comedy to get a full season order this fall following ABC’s African American sitcom Black-ish.
Elsewhere, Fox is pulling hospital drama Red Band Society from its schedule after the low-rated series’ fall finale airs next week on Dec. 3. The network hasn’t officially cancelled it yet, but with its latest airing logging a dismal 0.7 rating in the adults 18-49 demo, all signs point to this being the end.
Selfie fans, are you out there? Though ABC already axed the Karen Gillan/John Cho quirky sitcom, series creator Emily Kapnek tweeted out news that the remaining six unaired episodes will see the light of day on Hulu. They will premiere on the streaming site on a weekly basis between Nov. 25 and Dec 30.
Update (12/2): Another canceled ABC rom-com, Manhattan Love Story, will also play out the remainder of its first and final season on Hulu. Starting Dec. 4 the remaining seven unaired episodes will unspool every Thursday on the streaming site.
Stuart Pritchard is never one to bow out without a fight. Though HBO cancelled the low-rated but highly enjoyable comedy Hello Ladies last January, creator and star Stephen Merchant (The Office, Extras) managed to put together an 80-minute special that promises to wrap up the short-lived series. Hello Ladies was a uniquely qualified show in that it would effortlessly swing the pendulum between uproarious laughter and more-than-subtle sadness, grief, and despair. Merchant’s protagonist Stuart played this gawky, frequently awkward Englishman transplanted in Los Angeles always on the prowl for women way out of his league. “Cringe-worthy” is the term that always came to mind when friends asked me to describe the series to them. It’s true: some scenes were so awkward that they forced me to turn away in utter embarrassment for poor Stuart who could never win at his own game (episode 5, “Pool Party,” instantly comes to mind). But across all eight episodes of the first and final season of the show, I grew to feel empathy for Merchant’s odd character who–at his core–was a dickish yet romantic guy reaching too high. Friends including divorced Wade (Nate Torrence), wheel-chair bound, profane Glenn (Sean Wing), wacky work colleague Rory (Kyle Mooney), and tenant/love interest Jessica (Christine Woods) helped elevate Hello Ladies to its cult status. I’m happy to report all are returning for the special. On a final note, it’s definitively sad to see this promising young series leave the airwaves prematurely, but not every cancelled show gets the chance to properly wraps things up like this. We’ll always have eight episodes and a movie.
The logline for Hello Ladies: The Movie goes like this: “When Stuart learns that his British ex-girlfriend is planning to visit Los Angeles with her husband, he sets out to impress them with his glamorous lifestyle, enlisting a Russian model he’s just met to play the role of his beautiful girlfriend. What could go wrong?”
As much as I want Stuart to “get the girl” or simply get with a girl (whether it be Woods’ Jessica or just a smokin’ hot model), I am largely expecting the series to conclude with poor Stuart sprawled out on his couch at home, alone. This is, after all, Hello Ladies. (P.S. Jenny Slate reprising Jessica’s arch-nemesis Amelia would be the cherry on top!)
Hello Ladies: The Movie airs this Saturday night (11/22) at 10PM on HBO. Hop after the break to watch a new promo and an invitation to the set with commentary from Merchant and other members of the cast. Continue reading Stephen Merchant’s cringe-tastic HBO series ‘Hello Ladies’ returns to wrap things up
Showtime and the creative team behind Homeland have done a spectacular job rebooting the series. In seasons past, Damian Lewis’ Nicholas Brody played a major role opposite Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes). Intertwining plots would shift between Carrie’s work at the CIA and Brody’s involvement with terrorists. Brody’s emotional demise at the end of last season also meant the phasing out of his family since they, ultimately, served to support his character. Now the show focuses solely on Carrie and the relationships she has formed over the past three seasons with Saul (Mandy Patinkin), Quinn (Rupert Friend), and Fara (Nazanin Boniadi). That small anti-terrorism group is expanding this year with more input from Senator Lockhart (Tracy Letts) and newcomer Laila Robins (she plays US ambassador Martha Boyd). Homeland has managed to let go of its typically trotting plotlines (read: Dana Brody) and refocus squarely on Carrie. The show is as intense as ever, and every episode thus far has kept me on the very edge of my seat. #SaveSaul
The premium cable network is celebrating Homeland‘s recent creative successes by renewing it for a 12-episode fifth season. Additionally, Showtime has granted a second season to freshman The Affair. The subtle drama about an intermarital affair swiftly proved to be an addictive character piece with unique storytelling and scenic direction. Though I’m not sure what another season would explore, I have faith in creators Sarah Treem and Hagai Levi to continue this uniquely captivating love affair.
“In its fourth season, Homeland has brilliantly reinvented itself. It continues to capture the attention of a devoted fan base, and has provided an enviable platform for the successful launch of The Affair,” said Showtime head David Nevins. “With thought-provoking, relevant and addictive storylines, both series have been embraced, dissected and much debated week after week. We’re excited to see more from these complex shows in 2015.”
Elsewhere, TBS has proven to be a fine home for Seth MacFarlane animated series American Dad since it left Fox for the cable network; it’s been renewed for a 22-episode 12th season. Also of note, CBS cancelled Will Arnett/Margo Martindale sitcom The Millers.
I’ll be brief, because the video hanging above is quite possibly the greatest thing to take the Internet by storm. This week Adult Swim filled 11 minutes of late-night airtime (at 4am, to be exact) with a short called Too Many Cooks. Directed and written by Casper Kelly, it starts off as an innocuous parody of classic 80s sitcoms like Family Matters. Give it time, and soon enough it spirals into a TV genre parody mashup that gets more bizarre and definitively disturbing by the second. It’s best if you go into it knowing not much more than this. So with that, you’ve been warned.
Editor’s note: Get through the entire thing to fully appreciate it! Because when you realize its brilliance, that’s the most profound reward.
For the fourth year running, late-night host Jimmy Kimmel challenged parents to pretend they ate all their kids’ halloween candy and uploaded their recorded reactions to YouTube. Here are 2014’s submissions; once again, it’s a riot filled with mad children, disappointed children, and the occasional “I’m okay with it” kids. And in case you missed the gems from years prior, or if you want to relive the magic that is parents taking away from their children the thing they covet most: 2011, 2012, 2013.
Perhaps this will help you ride out the anticipation for Vince Gilligan’s next AMC project: it’s a behind the scenes look at Better Call Saul, the highly anticipated Breaking Bad prequel/spinoff starring Bob Odenkirk as sleazy lawyer Saul Goodman small-time lawyer Jimmy McGill. In the clip you’ll hear from Odenkirk, other cast members including Jonathan Banks (reprising Mike Ehrmantraut) and Michael McKean (he’s playing Jimmy’s brother Chuck McGill), as well as members of the show’s crew.
Better Call Saul premieres in February.
Orphan Black is coming. But not soon enough. In the meantime, enjoy this first teaser hyping the sci-fi action show’s upcoming third season. The song: Leslie Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me.” How appropriate.
BBC America has yet to set an air date, but if prior seasons are any indication, you can expect Clone Club to reconvene this spring.
Marvel’s next live-action TV show is Agent Carter. It’s inspired the Marvel One-Shot short film that came packed inside Captain America: The First Avenger way back when. Hayley Atwell reprises her role as Peggy Carter, an agent of the Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR)–S.H.I.E.L.D.’s predecessor. The show takes place in the 1940s when America is disengaging from WWII, and just after her love Steve “Captain America” Rogers gets dislodged from his time period. Hanging above is a first look clip featuring Carter, Iron Man’s father Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper, also reprising his role from the first Cap movie), and Father Stark’s butler and inspiration for Tony’s advanced AI, Jarvis (played by James D’Arcy). Watch a scene from the pilot and then a quick montage of Agent Carter kicking ass and taking names now.
ABC will debut Agent Carter in January 2015. The 8-episode season will air in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s Tuesdays-at-9 timeslot while that show is on winter hiatus.
If you watch a ton of television like I do, you must be at least a little interested in how it’s all made. Well, a new documentary is here to satiate your curiosity. It’s called Showrunners and it explores the creative teams and decisions that go into the making of a formidable TV program. The docu features exclusive interviews with some of the most successful producers, writers, and creators around including J.J. Abrams (Lost), Jane Espenson (Once Upon a Time), Hart Hanson (Bones), Mike Kelley (Revenge), Robert and Michelle King (The Good Wife), Damon Lindelof (The Leftovers), Jonathan Nolan (Person of Interest), Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman (Fringe), Bill Prady (The Big Bang Theory), Joss Whedon (Firefly), and many more.
Director Des Doyle’s Showrunners promises to be an intriguing and informative look behind the scenes at what it’s like to build television drama and comedy, from a percolating idea to production to premiere. Learn more about the doc here, or head over to iTunes today to stream and watch.
November is a relatively quiet month in terms of flashy new premieres, but there are two you simply cannot miss.
First up is an ABC special called Marvel 75 Years: From Pulp to Pop! Emily VanCamp (Revenge, Captain America: The Winter Soldier) hosts the hour-long special celebrating Marvel’s 75th anniversary with exclusive interviews and an exploration of the company over the years. It promises to shed light on comic book/movie studio enterprise’s history, as well as peek into its future; perhaps viewers will be privy to new looks at Avengers sequel Age of Ultron or even the now-in-production Ant-Man. It airs this Tuesday (11/4) at 9pm on ABC.
And then there’s the final season of HBO’s award-winning political drama The Newsroom. The final episodes kick off Sunday, November 9 at 9pm. Fans of the fictional News Night with Will McAvoy will get to say goodbye to Aaron Sorkin’s journalistic jamboree over the course of six tight episodes that conclude on December 14. “Every story needs a final word” reads the tagline of the show’s third season, and it’s certainly sad to say that time has come now. Click here to watch a trailer.