February is all about quality over quantity in terms of appealing premieres to look out for. The new month packs two specials, one highly anticipated series premiere, and the return of the show that popularized the art of binge-watching. It’s all after the break. Continue reading TV reminder: 4 premieres to look out for in February
BoJack Horseman is an anthropomorphic horse voiced naturally by Will Arnett who stars in a wickedly smart and funny Netflix original series. If you’ve haven’t binged the 12 episode animated show yet, drop everything you’re doing and get going! Without getting too in-depth so as not to spoil the fun, BJH is about a dude (who happens to be a horse) navigating his life after being in the spotlight starring in a children’s TV show. When he’s tasked to help pen his tell-all biography with a ghost writer, his world slowly begins to get turned upside-down as he is forced to face his past. He contemplates love and so many other things, and it reaches some unexpectedly dark and cynical places, too. All in all, it’s very entertaining and it features slick animation with a stellar voice cast.
Now, onto the good news! It was previously reported that Netflix is already underway with a second season of BoJack Horseman, but seemingly out of the blue today the streaming service dropped a full-length Christmas special for fans of the series. Huzzah! In “Sabrina’s Christmas Wish:
It’s Christmas, and BoJack Horseman wants nothing to do with it, especially when Todd (Aaron Paul) shows up with a giant candy cane and one of BoJack’s “Horsin’ Around” Christmas episodes from his TV star days. But BoJack agrees to watch it with Todd, if only for the residual check. One heart-warming orphan story and lots of cans of beer later, BoJack might be willing to re-think his attitude — unless Todd gets too enthusiastic about the whole holiday thing.
Stream the special at Netflix today. And if you’re new to the show, start with episode 1 right here. BJH season 2 is expected to arrive sometime in 2015.
#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.
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.
We’re fast approaching the new fall TV season, but first there are a couple premieres you can’t skip. First up is The Story of Frozen: Making an Animated Classic. It is exactly what it sounds like: a brand new special that goes behind the scenes of the making of Disney’s hit animated film Frozen. In it you’ll hear from directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, producer Peter Del Vecho, songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Disney/Pixar head John Lasseter, and of course stars Kristen Bell and Adele Dazeem Idina Menzel as well as other creatives behind the movie. Viewers will get a rare look inside Walt Disney Animation Studios and journey to the Norwegian villages and landscapes that inspired the look of Arendelle. Additionally, the special will discuss “the future of the Frozen franchise” (perhaps an official sequel announcement?!) as well as tease the upcoming Frozen-inspired story-arc coming to Once Upon a Time this fall. The Story of Frozen premieres tonight (Tuesday, 9/2) at 8PM on ABC.
The fantasy football obsessed The League, with Pete, Kevin, Ruxin, Andre, Taco, and Jenny all vying for the Shiva once again, returns for its sixth season tomorrow, Wednesday, September 3 at 10PM on FXX.
Update: The Frozen special did not spill sequel news, however an exciting announcement about the future of Frozen was indeed made at the end of the hour. Walt Disney Animation Studios is currently working on Frozen Fever, a short film featuring all your favorite Frozen characters (including Olaf!), which will debut in spring 2015 in front of an unspecified Disney film.
It’s Anna’s birthday and Elsa and Kristoff are determined to give her the best celebration ever, but Elsa’s icy powers may put more than just the party at risk.
The short is directed by Frozen helmers Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck and it will include a brand new original song by “Let It Go” songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez.
He teased it in 2011 and now he’s confirming it: creator Graham Linehan is prepared to bring back the quirky and beloved British sitcom The IT Crowd for one last hurrah.
Back in ’11 he struck down a fifth series admitting, “I felt that the last series was a nice strong point to go out on, and anything further might just be running on the spot. You don’t do your best work when you’re running on the spot.” However he didn’t rule out an eventual revisiting of basement dwellers Roy (Chris O’Dowd), Moss (Richard Ayoade), and Jen (Katherine Parkinson). He teased an extended TV special with “a big juicy story with great storylines for all the characters.”
Fast forward to today and the IT Crowd special is on track to get made and rumored to bring back the core cast including the aforementioned trio plus Matt Berry. With O’Dowd’s career blowing up after starring in Bridesmaids in 2011 and Ayoade finding fame in 2012’s The Watch, the stars simply didn’t have the time for even a brief reunion. But now, apparently, schedules are freed up and the time is now to produce a forty minute special to wrap up the cult comedy. When an air date is announced, you’ll know.
[Via EW]
If you were anticipating the bold Munsters reboot from Bryan Fuller, I have some bad news to report. NBC has decided not to go ahead with making the series. However, the network will air the pilot that was shot. The Peacock did not specifically state why they ultimately decided to pass on the show; instead the network’s Entertainment President Jennifer Salke released the following statement:
“This exciting new take on a memorable series will definitely blow out conventional wisdom and create its own legacy. Teaming this new show with a terrifying episode of Grimm makes the perfect pre-Halloween fright-fest.”
Mockingbird Lane stars Jerry O’Connell as Herman Munster, Portia de Rossi as his wife Lily, Mason Cook as their son Eddie, Eddie Izzard as Grandpa, and Charity Wakefield as Marilyn.
Tune into tonight at 9PM to catch an hour-long glimpse into Bryan Fuller’s imaginative, contemporary take on the classic 1960s sitcom. Rumor has it that if it does well in the ratings NBC may opt to pick it up for next season, but by planting it on a Friday night (aka where most shows go to die) I don’t see that happening. With Mockingbird Lane off his plate, the Pushing Daisies creator is now focusing solely on his upcoming midseason drama for NBC Hannibal.
Watch a trailer after the break.
Update: The ratings are in and they look like this. The pilot Halloween special drew 5.4 million viewers and scored a 1.5/5 rating in adults 18-49. Not too shabby. But is it enough for NBC to continue production on more scripts that have already been written? Don’t hold your breath. Continue reading TV reminder: NBC airing Bryan Fuller’s ‘Munsters’ reboot ‘Mockingbird Lane’ as Halloween special tonight at 8PM [Update: The ratings are in…]
Paul Reubens brought his signature character to Broadway for a limited two-month run, and now he’s solidified plans to televise his Pee-wee Herman stage show on HBO! So if you missed out on his Broadway stint, this should be music to your ears. An unspecified January show at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre will be shot and used for the HBO special which will air sometime in 2011 following the show’s run.
Nancy Geller, SVP HBO Original Programming: “Before his hit series and movies, HBO introduced Paul Reubens’ Pee-wee Herman to a national audience in the Young Comedians series, followed by the groundbreaking 1981 special. It’s thrilling to have Paul back on the network, and it will be a blast to return to Pee-wee’s Playhouse.”
Marty Callner, who directed the aforementioned 1981 special, has been called on again to direct the HBO presentation of The Pee-Wee Herman Show on Broadway.
On Sunday, May 23 the series finale of Lost called “The End” will air at 9PM on ABC (following a one hour recap special at 8PM). When it’s over, your local news will air for about half an hour and then at 11:35PM a special edition of Jimmy Kimmel Live will air called Jimmy Kimmel Live: Aloha to Lost. The one hour special will include an analysis of the finale, with appearences by executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse and interviews with a number of casts members. Jimmy Kimmel is a huge Lost fan, so you can definitely expect him to bring the goods. I mean, you’re going to need something to do while you’re sobbing all your sorrows away.
[Via EW-AusielloFiles]