Category Archives: Television

Ryan Murphy and FX team up again to tell ‘American Crime Story’

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From horror to crime, Ryan Murphy has more stories to tell. Murphy, whose latest iteration of American Horror Story debuted last night to franchise record-high ratings (6.1 million viewers and a 3.1 demo rating), is breaking ground on an AHS “companion series”–also of the anthological sort–appropriately titled American Crime Story. The new show will tackle notorious crime stories spanning U.S. history, starting with the infamous O.J. Simpson murder trial. According to a press released outed by FX:

American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson is a look at the O.J. Simpson trial told from the perspective of the lawyers that explores the chaotic behind-the-scenes dealings and maneuvering on both sides of the court, and how a combination of prosecution confidence, defense wiliness, and the LAPD’s history with the city’s African-American community gave a jury what it needed: reasonable doubt.

ACS: TPvOJS will air across 10 episodes and will be based on Jeffrey Toobin’s book The Run of His Life: The People V. O.J. Simpson. Production is set to begin early next year. Murphy is producing with Brad Falchuk, Dante Di Loretto, Nina Jacobson, and Brad Simpson. Episodes will be written by Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski (The People vs. Larry Flynt) and Murphy has signed on to direct the pilot.

“Time and time again, Ryan Murphy has transformed the medium of television by redefining genres and formats as he did with Nip/Tuck, Glee and the American Horror Story franchise, and we expect the same of American Crime Story,” said FX Networks CEO John Landgraf. “Scott and Larry have adapted Jeffrey Toobin’s book into a masterful 10-hour piece. I have no doubt that Ryan and his partners Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Brad Falchuk, and Dante Di Loreto are going to make something very memorable here – and that it will be a spectacular first entry in what is destined to become a series of great true crime-based miniseries.”

Added Murphy, “This is an exciting project for me, as I’ve been looking for the right property which could serve as an extension of the American Horror Story brand I love so much. The O.J. case was as tragic as it was fascinating — it seemed like everyone had a stake in the outcome. It was really the beginning of the modern tabloid age.”

ABC grants full season orders to ‘How to Get Away with Murder’ & ‘Black-ish’

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ABC is the first of the Big Four networks to announce full season orders for its new fall series. Drama How to Get Away with Murder, from Shonda Rhimes and starring Viola Davis, and comedy Black-ish starring Anthony Anderson and Laurence Fishburne, will both live to see full seasons this year. Murder will wrap up its first season with a grand total of 15 episodes, while Black-ish will play out over the course of a more typical 22 episodes. (Murder‘s debut season was always envisioned to have a shorter run; this allots movie star Davis to work on other projects if she so chooses.)

The pickups are no shocker. Murder was the fall’s #1 rated new series drawing 14 million viewers and a 3.8 rating among the coveted adults 18-49 demo. Black-ish debuted with 10.8 million viewers and a 3.3 rating and continues to attract Modern Family viewers in its plum post MF timeslot.

In the case of Shonda’s new show, it didn’t take any time to get completely invested. Viola Davis fully embraces her outside-the-lines criminal lawyer character Annalise Keating from the get-go, and her rag-tag students embroiled in a mysterious murder give way to tantalizing flashbacks and fun storytelling. Black-ish, on the other hand, took some time to accept but by the end of episode 2 it was easy to acknowledge its honest and rather unapologetic nature.

Murder airs Thursdays at 10pm, and Black-ish airs Wednesdays at 9:30pm.

Still no word on the fate of ABC’s other new comedies Manhattan Love Story and Selfie, but if ratings are any indication neither of them will be lasting that long.

AMC renews ‘The Walking Dead’, CBS renews ‘Under the Dome’ & ‘Extant’ [Update: ‘TWD’ record ratings]

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Days before AMC premieres the fifth season of its ratings juggernaut The Walking Dead, the network renews the zombie drama for a sixth season. It’s no surprise, really, since the show continues to perform spectacularly in the ratings and its popularity never seems to die down.

“We could not be more excited for October 12th as we share new episodes of The Walking Dead with fans around the globe,” said AMC President Charlie Collier in a statement released this past Tuesday. “In advance of Sunday’s season five premiere, AMC proudly confirms a sixth season order of this extraordinary series. Thank you to Robert Kirkman, Scott Gimple, the terrific executive producers, and the entire team who brings this compelling world and these rich characters to life. There’s plenty more Dead ahead thanks to their impressive, collective effort.”

At last, it seems as if the series has found a showrunner it’s sticking with. Following the abrupt exits of Frank Darabont and Glenn Mazzara, Scott M. Gimple is here to stay. Season 5 premieres this Sunday, Oct. 12 at 9pm.

Elsewhere, CBS is bringing back its summer dramas Under the Dome and Extant for a third and second season, respectively.

“We’re committed to delivering our viewers and advertisers year-round programming with a wide variety of storytelling,” said CBS Entertainment Chairman Nina Tassler in a statement today. “We continue to see summer as a great place for unique concepts, innovative business models, and passionate television audiences.”

Update (10/13): Following tradition, the Walking Dead season premiere opened to record recording on Sunday: 17.3 million viewers tuned into it (11 million of which are part of the 18-49 demo), making it the most watched episode to date. The previous record holder was the season 4 opener which drew 16.1 million viewers (10.4 million in the 18-49 demo). These are huge numbers for cable; not only do they rival network TV viewership, they exceed it. AMC might as well renew Dead, at this point, for life.

Catchy ‘Better Call Saul’ music video teases ‘Breaking Bad’ spinoff sensibilities

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Saul, Saul, you better call Saul / He’ll fight for your rights when your back’s to the wall / Stick it the man, justice for all / You better call Saul!

The hype machine for Breaking Bad prequel-spinoff hybrid Better Call Saul is officially up and running now that a music video for it is out. Country musician Junior Brown belts out a catchy tune written by Saul co-creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould and series composer Dave Porter. This sure is a unique way to market a new show, and I’ve got to say they pretty much nailed it. Over the course of the song, a couple of fine ladies wheel out televisions featuring Walter White’s lawyer played by Bob Odenkirk and viewers will catch a handful of glimpses from the upcoming series.

Better Call Saul debuts in February on AMC, and it has already been renewed for a second season set to bow later in 2016.

TV reminder: 4 premieres to look out for in October

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Now that the big four networks have open the flood gates to the new fall season, it’s prime time for cable to release its heavy hitters. Jump after the break to learn when Showtime’s Homeland, FX’s American Horror Story, and AMC’s The Walking Dead return to the schedule. Continue reading TV reminder: 4 premieres to look out for in October →

Brilliant ‘Simpsons’ premiere “couch gag” takes Homer to an unsettling future

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The Simpsons is the longest-running American sitcom in TV history; last Sunday it entered its 26th season. The premiere featured one of the series’ best “couch gags” and I’ve embedded it above for your viewing pleasure. Directed by animator Don Hertzfeldt, the sequence imagines what the animated series might look like far into the future. It’s spectacularly bizarre and trippy and absurd and at times a bit disturbing and quite unsettling. Take it all in and share your experience in the comments below.

FX renews ‘Married’ & ‘You’re the Worst’

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Summer relationship comedies Married, starring Nat Faxon and Judy Greer, and You’re the Worst, with breakout stars Chris Geere and Ava Cash, will return next year with second seasons.

“We love these shows and the creative visions of Andrew Gurland of Married and Stephen Falk of You’re The Worst,” said Nick Grad, President of Original Programming at FX. “These shows are honest, 360-degree looks at relationships, and we’re excited to see how they evolve.”

So am I. Though bleak, Married unspools episodes that show an unapologetically real look at the ups and downs of a modern husband and wife relationship. You’re the Worst, IMHO, is the better of the two since it tends to have (much) more fun with its characters; it’s the best kind of wacky and at the end of the day it’s sweet and reliably funny.

Married will continue to air on FX and You’re the Worst will join It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The League on sister network FXX.

Yvette Nicole Brown is not returning to ‘Community’

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Another one bites the dust. Following the departures of Chevy Chase in season 4 and Donald Glover in season 5, Community is losing a third member of the original study group in season 6. Yvette Nicole Brown, who plays Shirley Bennett, will not be a series regular when Community makes its debut on Yahoo next year. In fact, her exit will take place off screen. Her father isn’t doing so well, and so she made the decision not to participate in the new episodes.

“My dad needs daily care and he needs me,” Brown tells TV Guide. “The idea of being away 16 hours a day for five months, I couldn’t do it. It was a difficult decision for me to make, but I had to choose my dad.”

She may, however, return to guest star at some point in the future. “I am totally open to whatever Dan decides,” she says. “I’m glad it won’t be hard for them to explain where she is. She has three kids, a degree and a business. There are a lot of ways to explain her [departure].” That’s true.

She goes on to assure fans the show will continue to delight in its quirky ways, even without Shirley’s presence. “I’m still Community’s biggest fan and I’ll still live Tweet episodes,” she says. “It’s very bittersweet. I can take care of my dad but won’t be with my TV family. I don’t want the fans to worry; it’s going to be fine. Greendale is the heart of the show, not any particular character. Even if characters come and go, the heart of Greendale remains.”

Brown will go on to star in CBS’ reboot The Odd Couple with Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon. “A multi-camera sitcom is a better fit for the life I have now,” she says. “I can’t say enough how much I respect [producer] Sony and [Community leader] Dan [Harmon] for how they handled this profound change in my life.”

Shirley, you will be missed!

[Via TV Guide]

Tony Almeida returns in ’24’ DVD/Blu-ray exclusive clip

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24 fans can’t forget the commercials that aired during episodes of this spring’s Live Another Day. You know, the ones that hinted at the return of good guy/bad buy Tony Almeida, Jack Bauer’s right-hand man at CTU across the first few seasons of the show. Well, it turns out the rumors of his return were true. Though Carlos Bernard never turned up in season 9, his character is making a comeback in the home release exclusive clip “Solitary.” In it we find a disheveled yet enlightened Almeida who’s ready to make a new life for himself outside of his shackling bar cells. He seeks redemption and wants to help the government take down terrorists, and he thinks he can do it by going undercover because the baddies are well aware of his bloody, vengeful past.

Now here’s my logic: is this, perhaps, a setup for a potential season 10? Will Live Another Day Part Duex (title pending) feature Jack reuniting with his former parter to save another day from total destruction? Or, even more compelling, will a new season follow Tony jetting to Russia to help Jack escape his captors? Preview “Solitary” after the break; for the full clip you’ll have to shell out for the LAD DVD or Blu-ray out Sept. 30.

[Via EW] Continue reading Tony Almeida returns in ’24’ DVD/Blu-ray exclusive clip →

Darrell Hammond named new ‘SNL’ announcer

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Following the unfortunate passing of famed Saturday Night Live announcer Don Pardo at age 96, SNL head honcho Lorne Michaels named former cast member Darrell Hammond to be his official replacement. USA Today reports Hammond was the show’s longest-tenured cast member with 14 seasons under his belt. He’s best known for his impersonations of President Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, and Sean Connery. He can also impersonate the late Pardo; whenever the former announcer was diagnosed with laryngitis over the year, Hammond would sit in for him at the mic.

Hammond tells it like this: “I sat in for Don when he had laryngitis several times over the years,” Hammond says. “He was a lovely person. When he passed, they wanted me; it felt right for me to be the one to replace him. It’s been a very improbable life; I didn’t expect something like this, but it feels real good.”

Michaels also commented on his decision: “I just knew it wouldn’t be anybody who sounded like Don or replicated him. It can’t be what it was, but it could sort of be in the same tradition. And it will be nice to have Darrell around. He understands the show and will probably be helpful in ways we haven’t yet figured out.”

SNL returns tonight (9/27) on NBC with host Chris Pratt and musical guest Ariana Grande. A new opening montage will accompany Hammond’s debut.

[Via USA Today]

FX renews ‘Tyrant’ for a second season

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This summer Tyrant quickly proved to be another compelling series from the creators of Homeland, Howard Gordon, Craig Wright, and Gideon Raff. Though its cast is stacked with relatively unknown actors, this made the show’s successful debut that more surprising and exciting. The 10-episode season told a tight story about the sons of a Middle Eastern dictator grappling for power and control. It ended with a bit of a cliffhanger and now fans of the series can rest assured they’ll find out what will happen next for the Al-Fayeed brothers.

“We’re so proud of Tyrant’s performance throughout its first season,” said Nick Grad, President of Original Programming for FX Networks and FX Productions. “Howard Gordon is one of the best and most successful producers in this business. His ability to combine intelligent, edge-of-your-seat storytelling with events from the current geopolitical climate is truly groundbreaking. We look forward to seeing how Tyrant grows in season two.”

Tyrant is expected to resume on FX in summer 2015.

PSA: Fall TV schedules inside

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We’ve made it to the most exciting time of year! Well, it is for me at least. New TV series premiere and favorite ones return in late September, so it’s time to take a look at each of the network’s fall schedules and decide which shows you’ll be tuning into this season. This season I’ve decided to consolidate it all in one post, so without further adieu, jump after the break to view the fall schedules for the Big Four networks (namely, FOX, ABC, NBC, CBS) plus The CW. Continue reading PSA: Fall TV schedules inside →